New York Theatre Workshop returned to Dartmouth on Aug. 2 for its 17th annual summer residency to allow its artists respite from the daily grind of performing in the city. This year, the program which concludes on Aug. 23 brings six new works-in-progress to the Bentley Theater at the Hopkins Center.
New York Theatre Workshop is a theater company based in New York City that combines the developmental focus of a traditional workshop with a goal to deliver full, satisfying productions to the public, according to Linda Chapman, associate artistic director of NYTW. Chapman said that NYTW aims to provide its artists with a wide range of opportunities and residencies, including the Dartmouth residency. In addition to coming to Hanover, NYTM travels to Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., for two weeks each June to participate in a similar program.
According to Chapman, the focus of the Dartmouth residency is to provide the participating artists with a respite from the pressures of the city.
"Getting far away from New York, New York critics and New York producers is a very appealing idea," Chapman explained. "We can come up here and show [our work] to the public, but it's still under the radar."
Dartmouth also offers residency participants a break from personal stresses.
"We can get away from the pressures of home and get artists up here without their family so that they can really focus on work," Chapman said.
The Workshop presents two plays each Saturday during its residency. The plays have often gone on to have runs in New York and elsewhere. One work-in-progress from last year's Dartmouth residency, then called "Iraqi Refugees Project," has become the production "Aftermath," which will begin previews in New York in the beginning of September.
Because each artist is here for only one week, artists do not aim for perfection, but instead look to develop their own artistic process, Chapman said. The company thus refers to the plays at Dartmouth as "presentations," rather than "productions."
In addition to providing a rural haven for professional writers, directors and actors, NYTW gives Dartmouth students the opportunity to get a taste of professional theater. This year, nine theater students are working closely with NYTW, taking on a variety of roles including assistant director, assistant stage manager and actor, among others, according to Chapman.
The students, who receive academic credit, also participate in a seminar each week geared at introducing them to NYTW and the world of professional theater, Chapman said.
Students may also find it helpful to observe a play in its earlier stages, before it is ready to become a full production, according to Stephen Jangro '11, who is participating in the project this year.
"It's a really eye-opening experience seeing how they shape their project based on its level of development," Jangro said.
Jangro also enjoyed having a chance to meet such esteemed actors as Denis O'Hare, known for his roles in "Milk" (2008) and "Duplicity" (2009), he said.
The residency allows both NYTW participants and students to make connections in the New York theater world, according to Chapman.
"We're always looking for young artists of all types to bring into fold and establish new relationships with," Chapman said, explaining that NYTW draws resources for productions from an "extended community of artists" called "The Usual Suspects."
This Saturday marks the last two performances of the Workshop's residency. "Indio," a one-man play written and performed by Aladdin Ullah and directed by Niegel Smith '02, recounts Ullah's childhood, which he spent as part of the only Bangladeshi family in Spanish Harlem.
The larger scale play "Feast of Fools," written by Alex Lewin and directed by Chay Yew, tells the story of Harry Hay, a gay rights activist in the 1950s who founded the Mattachine Society.
NYTW will present "Indio" Saturday, Aug. 22, at 5:00 p.m. Audiences can see "Feast of Fools" later that night at 8:00 p.m.
