Vassar & New York Stage And Film Announce Lineup For 35th Powerhouse Season

Vassar & New York Stage and Film has announced the programming lineup for their upcoming 35th Powerhouse Season of fully staged productions, workshop presentations, readings, and other works in progress for theater, film, and television. The 35th Powerhouse Season will be presented at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York from June 20 through July 28.

This summer's programming includes new plays and musicals by Pulitzer Prize winner Beth Henley; Pulitzer Prize, Emmy Award, and two-time Tony Award winner Tom Kitt; Emmy Award winner Jason Katims; Tony Award nominee Rachel Chavkin; singer-songwriters Ingrid Michaelson and César Alvarez; the Grammy Award-winning La Santa Cecilia; and renowned playwrights Jocelyn Bioh, Harrison David Rivers, and Lisa Loomer, among many others.

The upcoming 35th Powerhouse Season will feature two main stage productions in the Powerhouse Theater: the bandaged place (June 27-July 7) by Harrison David Rivers, directed by David Mendizábal; and Lightning (or The Unbuttoning) (July 18-28) by Beth Henley, directed by Mark Brokaw.

The musical workshop presentations, in the Vogelstein Center for Drama & Film's Martel Theater, will include three new projects: Annie Salem: An American Tale (July 5-7), adapted from the novel by Mac Wellman with book by Rachel Chavkin, music by Heather Christian, lyrics by Heather Christian and Rachel Chavkin, and direction by Rachel Chavkin; The Elementary Spacetime Show (July 12-14), with music and lyrics by César Alvarez, book by César Alvarez with Emily Orling, and direction by Sarah Benson; and Goddess (July 26-28), conceived by Saheem Ali with music and lyrics by Michael Thurber, book by Jocelyn Bioh, additional lyrics by Mkhululi Z. Mabija, and direction by Saheem Ali.

This summer's "Inside Look" Workshops to be presented in the Martel Theater and Susan Stein Shiva Theater are: …and the horse you rode in on (June 20-22) by Zach Helm, directed by Kate Whoriskey; and The Best We Could (a family tragedy) (July 25-27) by Emily Feldman, directed by Daniel Aukin.

This summer's readings will include free public presentations of works in progress, including: The Notebook, based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks, with music and lyrics by Ingrid Michaelson, and book by Bekah Brunstetter; The Excavation of Mary Anning by Ian August, directed by Sammi Cannold; Tuvalu or, The Saddest Song by Antoinette Nwandu, directed by Danya Taymor; The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin by Jessica Huang; Delusion by Proxy by Brooke Adams, directed by Ethan Silverman; and Sanctuary City by Martyna Majok.

Additional projects and artists in residence include Williamsburg, with book by Jason Katims, and music and lyrics by Tom Kitt; Like Water For Chocolate, a new musical adaptation of Laura Esquivel's novel by Lisa Loomer and La Santa Cecilia, directed by Michael Mayer; and the Lark Play Development Center.