New York Stage and Film Reveals Early Casting, Residencies, Leadership Additions

New York Stage and Film has announced initial casting today for the 2023 Summer Season July 14-August 6 at Marist College. Jo Bonney has signed on as director for Soft Target and Colette Robert joins the Paradise Ballroom creative team as director. The one man new play, Like They Do In The Movies, written and performed by Laurence Fishburne has shifted dates to August 5 and 6 due to a scheduling conflict.

NYSAF also announced Individuals and Teams in Residence for the Summer Season, including: Boys State (Molly Beach Murphy, Jeanna Phillips, Annie Tippe),  the Dramatists Guild Foundation (Aaron Coleman, Nicholas Connors, Joriah Kwamé, Matthew Libby, Julian Mesri, April Dae Okpwae, Gloria Oladipo, SMJ); Ensemble Studio Theatre (Estefanía Fadul, Graeme Gillis); King Mother (Didi O’Connell, Lila Neugebauer, Heidi Schreck); Lost City Radio (Joel Perez, Benjamin Velez); Post-Mortem (Sheryl Kaller, Beth Levison, Marilyn Ness); Raimuda (Noelle Viñas, Michelle J Rodriguez); Ripper the Musical (Dwight Howard, Kimille Howard); Untitled Residency (Mikhail Fiksel, Sarah Lunnie, Erin Markey, Gaye Taylor Upchurch); Wakefield (Maria Alfonsine, Damian de Boos, Kristen Dunphy, Amy Tinkham); and Individuals (Juliet Pearson, Nia Akilah Robinson).

Individuals joining the 2023 Companies in Residence this summer include: Breaking the Binary Theatre Co (Garrett Allen, Dominique Rider, George Strus, Zach Ezer); Tbe Latiné Musical Theatre Lab (Marjuan Canady, Christin Eve Cato, Ryan Morales Green, Juju Nieto, SMJ); The Movement Theatre Co (Ryan Dobrin, Deadria Harrington, Eric Lockley); and The Recovery Project (Jake Brasch, Alexis Hauk, Gwydion Suilebhan, Brant Russell, Ana Bess Moyer Bell).. 

NYSAF is welcoming two new members to the leadership team: Natalie Gershtein as Executive Artistic Producer and Eric Kuhn as Executive Producer, who join Interim Artistic Director Liz Carlson in guiding the organization through a period of programming, engagement, and strategic planning. After serving as Executive Director since 2012, Thomas Pearson has stepped down from this role and has joined Management Consultants for the Arts (MCA) as a consultant focusing on leadership search and transitions, strategic planning, and organizational change. 

“The NYSAF community is excited to welcome Natalie and Eric to the leadership team,” said Interim Artistic Director Liz Carlson. “Their joint dedication and experience towards supporting artists at early stages of their work will continue to bolster our mission as we look towards a vibrant future ahead. With the support of our committed staff and Board of Directors, we will continue to offer our vital programming with the adaptability, rigor, and joy our community has come to cherish. We are all so grateful for Thomas’s contribution to our success for over 10 years; we are delighted we will remain colleagues in the field of service.”

For 38 years, NYSAF has operated as a vital incubator for artists and their work, a catalyst for stories that continue across the country and around the world.  For more New York Stage and Film at Marist College Summer Season information and to purchase season bundles, Kick-Off Concert and VIP Reception access, and individual tickets for workshops or “Pay What You Wish” readings, visit https://www.newyorkstageandfilm.org/summerseason

The 2023 Summer Season at Marist will begin with a VIP Reception and Kick-Off concert on July 14 with “Joe Iconis & Family.”  Proceeds from the Reception will go towards NYSAF’s Early Career Apprentice Program and scholarships for Marist College’s Summer Pre-College Program. The season will also include a new play workshop written and performed by Laurence Fishburne; a new musical workshop of A Wrinkle in Time; the launch of a new initiative to develop dance-driven musicals with Paradise Ballroom, created by Princess Lockerooo and Harold O’Neal; and play readings by Sopan Deb, Beth Henley, Emily Kaczmarek, and Jason Kim. Casting by Telsey + Company.