Tom Kitt & More Join Hermitage Artist Retreat Fall Lineup

The Hermitage Artist Retreat unveiled the first wave of new programs for its upcoming fall season. Continuing its commitment to innovative year-round arts programming, these events will be presented throughout Sarasota County, from the Hermitage’s beautiful beachfront campus on Manasota Key to the heart of Sarasota’s vibrant downtown arts scene. Hermitage programs introduce world-renowned artists to Florida’s Gulf Coast community for musical performances, candid and engaging conversations, theatrical presentations, literary readings, dance performances, and more.

“This year’s dynamic fall lineup is bringing some truly incredible performers, writers, composers, and artists to our community, delivering more breadth and variety than ever before,” notes Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. “With even more artists and events to be announced in the weeks ahead, this season speaks to the extraordinary diversity and expansive creative talents of our renowned Hermitage Fellows. I’ve known and followed the work of some of these brilliant artists for over twenty years, and others are emerging voices in their respective fields whom we’re excited to introduce to the Sarasota community.” 

Each of these hour-long Hermitage programs offers a completely different experience, providing the Gulf Coast community a rare glimpse into innovative works and the creative process behind them. In recent years, the Hermitage has continued to expand the geographic reach and impact of these unique programs. “We look forward to introducing the work of these visionary and celebrated artists from all across the United States to the Gulf Coast region,” added Sandberg. 

On Friday, October 4th at 6pm, 2022 Hermitage Major Theater Award (HMTA) winner Imani Uzuri will introduce an audience on the Hermitage Beach to an early exploration of her original commission-in-process with “Lighthouse of the Singing Birds: A Sound Meditation.” Hear more about this new commission from 2022 Hermitage Major Theater Award winner Imani Uzuri, the creator of this magical realist musical, and join her in a communal sound meditation, like the ones that permeate the world of Lighthouse of the Singing Birds, as the sun sets on our own Manasota Key Beach. The Hermitage Major Theater Award is made possible with generous support from Flora Major and the Kutya Major Foundation. 

Later in October, Pulitzer Prize, two-time Tony Award, two-time Emmy Award, and Grammy Award-winning Broadway composer Tom Kitt (Next to Normal, If/Then) and Emmy Award-nominated writer Daniel Goldfarb (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and HBO Max’s “Julia”) join forces to create theatrical gold as the Hermitage presents “Tom and Daniel Make a Musical.” These multi award-winning artists work across stage and screen to tell some of the most lauded stories of our time. Hear from both of these extraordinary artists as they speak about their process and share some of their original work on Friday, October 25th at 5:30pm on the Hermitage Beach.

As we head into November, the Hermitage is partnering once again with Sarasota County Libraries and Ringling College of Art and Design for the second annual Off the Page Festival, featuring two Hermitage literary programs. Hermitage Fellow Angie Cruz's work has been described as "lovely and compelling" (The New York Times Book Review), as well as "poignant" with "nimble prose" (The New Yorker). The author of four novels, her most recent work How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water was chosen for The New York Times’ “100 Notable Books of 2022” and The Washington Post’s “50 Notable Works of Fiction.” Audiences are invited to put their toes in the sand on the Hermitage Beach and hear from this gifted writer as she reads from her work and offers insight into what is next with “How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water: The Works of Angie Cruz” on Friday, November 1st at 5:30pm. Then on Monday, November 4th at 2pm, Hermitage Fellow Elaine Romero will present “Walking the World Within: A Hermitage Playwriting Workshop” at the Elsie Quirk Library Reading Garden. Romero will invite participants to dive deeper into their own self through a series of exercises designed to circumvent writing expectations and lead to finding their own stories within. Writers of all levels are welcome and encouraged to participate; no experience is required. 

Hermitage programs continue into December with Hermitage Major Theater Award winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist Madeleine George (Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building”) at Venice Theatre on Monday, December 9th at 7:30pm. Following a successful presentation in New York, the Hermitage is excited to invite Gulf Coast audiences to experience “The Sore Loser: An Original Comedy,” written by Madeleine George and directed by Mack Brown. A Faustian comedy set in a bowling alley, this story promises to bring the competitor (and the laughs) out of us all. The Sore Loser is a comedy about power, domination, and the death of the patriarchy… as told through a small-town bowling tournament. 

The Hermitage Cross Arts Collaborative is an annual residency program focused on supporting the incredibly talented artists frequently featured on Sarasota stages. Now in its third year, this program specifically created for artists representing our community partners is made possible with generous support from the Koski Family Foundation. On Friday, December 13th at 5pm, Anthony Barrese (Sarasota Opera) and Raleigh Mosely II (Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe) will present “Hermitage Cross Arts Collaborative: Opera and Theater” at the Sarasota Opera House. Barrese is a celebrated conductor who has worked at concert halls around the world. While in residence at the Hermitage, he is pursuing his passion to meticulously transcribe lost operas so they can be performed by today’s leading companies with new life. He is joined by a frequent performer with WBTT, Raleigh Mosely II, a gifted singer and actor who is making a name for himself as a recording artist, writing and performing his own work. From very different angles, each of these unique and creative forces will share how they make music.

On Tuesday, December 17th at 4pm, Hermitage Fellow and 2024 Guggenheim Fellow Kirstin Valdez Quade will present “An Author Here and Now” at the Johann Fust Community Library in Boca Grande. With her novel The Five Wounds, Quade has created a “propulsive, immersive story that recons wisely with the real cost of redemption.” (The Guardian) This debut novel, which won the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize amongst a host of other honors, follows this author’s story collection Night at the Fiestas, an equally praised work that spans decades without losing a very real sense of place. Also published in The Best American Short Stories, The New Yorker, and The New York Times, hear what is next from this rising star of the literary world whose work “marks a new and exciting chapter in Latinx literature — one that will redefine the term for readers, scholars, and writers.” (The Georgia Review) 

Hermitage programs are free and open to the public (with a $5/person registration fee), offering Gulf Coast audiences a rare chance to engage and interact with some of the world’s leading talent. Running time for most Hermitage programs is 60-70 minutes with no intermission. Due to capacity limitations, registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

Additionally, the Hermitage has revealed a special collaboration with Sarasota Contemporary Dance in September. “The Untethered Voice: A Voice-Movement Exploration” features past Hermitage / John Ringling Towers Fellow Stephanie Heidemann, who will ask audiences: “What happens when professional dancers perform authentic voicework with a professional singer?” This voice and movement collaboration explores the voice as an extension of the body moving as the voice echoes physical sensations and emotions that move through us, expressing the essence of the human condition. Hear from this Hermitage alumna on the power of sound and music, and witness a never-before-seen improvisation of music and movement on Friday, September 20th at 7pm at the Sarasota Contemporary Dance Studio. Please note this program is not part of the Hermitage’s traditional free programming. This ticketed event is hosted by Sarasota Contemporary Dance as a part of their In-Studio series ($10-$25/person).

Additional fall Hermitage programs will be announced in the coming weeks. 
Many of the Hermitage’s frequent partners are also presenting the work of acclaimed Hermitage alumni artists this season. A few current and upcoming examples include: “The Truth of the Night Sky: A Hermitage Collaboration,” a visual art and music exhibition featuring the work Hermitage Fellows Anne Patterson and Patrick Harlin, on view at the Sarasota Art Museum now through September 29, 2024;  EnsembleNewSRQ’s season features compositions from several accomplished Hermitage Fellows, including Thea Lobo in “Ives and Schoenberg at 150” on November 25, 2024, Anna Clyne and Christopher Theofanidis in “Visions and Miracles” on January 13, 2025, Nico Muhly in “Truth and Mayhem” on February 17, 2025, and Hermitage Fellow Marcos Balter in “Critical Moments” on March 17, 2025; and the hit Broadway play Good Night, Oscar, written by Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning Hermitage Fellow Doug Wright, is coming to the Asolo Reparatory Theatre in April of 2025. 

Additionally, original commissions from two Hermitage Greenfield Prize winners will be premiering this April at the John & Mable Ringling Museum, just two years after these extraordinary artists were selected as the winners of this distinguished national arts prize. These two exhibits are visual artist Sandy Rodriguez’s work on mapping and documenting colonial resistance, and dancer-choreographer Rennie Harris’ “Losing My Religion.” Additional details about these world premiere commissions will be announced in the coming months. Prior to these commissions, Hermitage Fellow and acclaimed vocalist Kavita Shah will perform at the Ringling Museum’s Historic Asolo Theater on February 14, 2025, followed by a performance from Two Rivers Ensemble, featuring Hermitage Fellow and musician Amir El Saffar on February 15-16, 2025. Currently, Hermitage Fellow and contemporary artist Jess T. Dugan’s exhibit “I Want You to Know My Story” is on view at the Ringling Museum of Art through February 22, 2025. 

A leading national arts incubator, the Hermitage is the only major arts organization in Florida’s Gulf Coast exclusively committed to supporting the development and creation of new work across all artistic disciplines. The Hermitage hosts artists on its Gulf Coast Manasota Key campus for multi-week residencies, where diverse and accomplished artists from around the world and across multiple disciplines create and develop new works of theater, music, visual art, literature, dance, film, and more. As part of their residencies, Hermitage Fellows participate in free year-round community programs, offering audiences in the region a unique opportunity to engage with some of the world’s leading artists and to get an authentic “sneak peek” into extraordinary projects and artistic minds before their works go on to major galleries, concert halls, theaters, and museums around the world. These innovative programs include performances, conversations, readings, interactive experiences, open studios, school programs, teacher workshops, and more, serving thousands in our regional community each year.

For more information about the Hermitage and upcoming programs, visit: HermitageArtistRetreat.org.
 

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