Emily Skinner, Lesli Margherita & More to Join IN THE WORKS~IN THE WOODS FESTIVAL

The third annual In the Works~In the Woods Festival at Forestburgh Playhouse will be held September 8 through 10.

The Festival will present staged readings of Stage Mother, a new musical with book by Brad Hennig and original music by Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich (Ever After); directed by Denis Jones (Tootsie; Holiday Inn). Featuring Emily Skinner (New York, New York), Lesli Margherita (Matilda), Alan H. Green (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Miss Jaye; Invisible, a new play by Douglas Lyons (Chicken & Biscuits); directed by Christopher Betts (Hartford Stage Trouble in Mind), Featuring Stacie Bono (Parade), Paige Gilbert (The Skin of Our Teeth), Ben Crawford (The Phantom of the Opera), Jerrie Johnson (“Harlem”) and Matrell Smith; and In BeTween, a new musical for young audiences by Julia Gannon and Fernanda Douglas, directed by Roque Berlanga. Featuring Hap Gannon, Sarah Hamaty, Jason Long, Macey Robinson, Sofia Ross, Sushma Saha.

The Catskills CAB LAB, under the direction of Alan Muraoka (Sesame Street, Aladdin, Miss Saigon), with music direction by Steven Cuevas, develops unique, dynamic cabaret experiences featuring emerging solo performers.  The 2023 Festival features Cody Garcia and Lu Zielinski. 

Special Events:

A reading of a new play, Diary Bonfire, written and performed by Ginna Hoben (The Twelve Dates of Christmas), directed by Stephanie Weeks (Public Theater Baldwin and Buckley at Cambridge)

Off the Cuff-Conversations with celebrated writers and theatre insiders including New York Times Theater Critic Jesse Green (Author of “Shy, The Alarmingly Outspoken Memoirs of Mary Rodgers”), Tony Award-winning director and author Jack O’Brien (Shucked, The Coast of Utopia, Hairspray) and more prominent theatre professionals in impromptu discussions about their careers and the creative process.  

“The festival is a vital component of the Playhouse's mission, which is to nurture artists and new works and provide a cultural hub in the Sullivan Catskills,” said Franklin Trapp.  “Our 3rd year of the Festival will continue to create a rippling and profound impact on our patrons and participating artists.”

"With two wonderfully magical years under our belts, it is certainly looking like the vibrant and varied 2023 Festival line-up is poised to take us to new heights creatively," said Matt Lenz.  “I'm over the moon at the quality and range of new work we're supporting this year - and I can't wait to host this fantastic group of artists in Forestburgh this September." 

In the Works~In the Woods Festival 2023: 

September 8-9

Invisible - a new play by Douglas Lyons, Directed by Christopher Betts

Featuring Stacie Bono, Paige Gilbert, Ben Crawford, Jerrie Johnson

Invisible tells the story of lifelong best friends Eemani and Jade, who decompress one afternoon over a good blunt. Unbeknownst to them, the blunt is laced with much more than weed, spiraling the duo into a wild hallucination where they are granted superpowers at a time when Black women were voiceless. 

*****

September 9-10 

Stage Mother - A musical adaptation of the 2020 film of the same name. Brad Hennig adapted his screenplay, with original music by Zina Goldrich and lyrics by Marcy Heisler, under the direction of Denis Jones. Featuring Emily Skinner, Lesli Margherita, Alan H. Green, Miss Jaye, Heather Jane Rolff, Meagan Lewis-Michelson, Hunter Brown, Steve McCoy, Nolan Quintanilla.

Stage Mother tells the story of Maybelline Metcalf, a church choir director from rural Texas, who inherits a San Francisco drag club from her estranged, recently deceased son. Through her efforts to save the nightclub from bankruptcy, Maybelline joins forces with her son’s grieving partner, their wacky single-mom best friend, and the San Francisco drag community against a climate of anti-drag backlash. Stage Mother explores coming to terms with loss, the power of music, finding common ground, and the true meaning of family.

*****

September 9-10

In BeTween, a new musical for young audiences with Book and Lyrics by Julia Gannon and Music by Fernanda Douglas. Directed by Roque Berlanga.  Featuring Hap Gannon, Sarah Hamaty, Jason Long, Macey Robinson, Sofia Ross, Sushma Saha.

In BeTween is a love letter to those kids stuck in the middle. A group of “theater kids” gather together awaiting the annual musical’s cast list. Drama ensues, and their stories are told when the kids find out the director is running an hour late! 

*****

CATSKILLS CAB LAB

Under the direction of Alan Muraoka, with music direction by Steven Cuevas.  Dedicated to developing unique, dynamic cabaret experiences featuring emerging solo performers.  The 2023 Festival features Cody Garcia and Lu Zielinski. 

*****

OFF-THE-CUFF CONVERSATIONS

NY Times theater critic/author Jesse Green and Tony Award-winner Jack O’Brien will be part of the Festival’s popular events Off the Cuff-Conversations, featuring prominent theatre professionals in impromptu discussions about their careers and the creative process.  

Past participants and special guest speakers include Adam Guettel, Brianna Barnes, Gina Femia, Jaime Lozano, Jessica Hendy, Carl Andress, Charles Busch, Alan Muraoka, Deborah Zoe Laufer, Marc Shaiman, Didi Conn, Daniel Green, Noah Himmelstein, Douglas Carter Beane, J. Scott Lapp, Joan Surgay, Sheryll Kaller, Caitlin Collins, Rachel Hoffman and David Shire.

Previous In the Works-In the Woods Festival offerings such as El Otro Oz, is now part of TheaterWorks USA’s repertoire, Bottle Shock received a world premiere production this spring at The California Center for the Arts, Escondido, CA; Jessica Hendy’s Walking with Bubbles is currently running and was extended Off Broadway and nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance, and last year’s Gordon Gets Down! is part of Forestbugh’s 2023 Season for Young Audiences.

TICKET INFORMATION:

Just 90 minutes from New York City in the Sullivan Catskills, Forestburgh Playhouse is located at 39 Forestburgh Road. For Festival tickets and more information: www.fbplayhouse.org or by calling 845-794-1194.

The 2023 In the Works~In the Woods Festival Advisory Committee includes:  Scott Evans (Actor/Director), Robin Levine (Director), Jaime Lozano  (Composer), Banji Aborisade (Director/Choreographer), Valentina Fratti (Director/Producer), Jillian Carucci (Director), Alan Muraoka (Actor/Director), Christina Blomquist Nicholas (Writer/Composer), Roque Berlanga (Director/Choreographer), Kate Wilson (Development), Ana Flavia Zuim (Musical Director/Conductor), Anthony C. Daniel (Director/Associate Festival Director), Franklin Trapp (FBP Producing, Artistic Director) and Matt Lenz (ITW~ITW Festival Artistic Director).

Major sponsors of In the Works ~ In the Woods Festival are Sullivan Catskills Visitors Association, Roscoe Beer, Do Good Spirits, Delaware Valley Arts Alliance, Vintus Wines and Spirits NY, Kristt Kelly Office Systems.

ABOUT THE FORESTBURGH PLAYHOUSE  

The Forestburgh Playhouse is the oldest, continuously running, professional summer theatre in New York State.  Located in the Sullivan Catskills, the Playhouse was founded in 1947 by John Grahame and Alexander Maissel.  Under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Franklin Trapp, FBP’s mission is to present high-quality, professional theatre, including musicals, plays, cabarets and theatre for young audiences; to provide arts education programming for local youth; to develop and launch the careers of young artists; and to foster the development of new works through an annual new works festival.  FBP attracts over 30,000 patrons each summer and was one of the first venues in the U.S. in 2020 to return to live performance with its popular Under the Stars concert series. The Playhouse celebrated its 75th Anniversary in 2021.

In The Works - In The Woods | The Forestburgh Playhouse (fbplayhouse.org)