The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Phoenix Festival

Live Arts in Nyack Elicits Audience Delight Over Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest

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Bucolic Setting Drew Dozens of Theatre Goers Outdoors to Enjoy the Debut Earnest Performance; three more planned!

Nyack Arts Festival Performances to follow: The Skin of Our Teeth, (Shakespeare’s) Love Labour’s Lost, Special Events, Readings, Tributes, and More!

Discover Nyack, along the way!

Phoenix Festival: Live Arts in Nyack premieres! Here from the talented ensemble: Josh Tyson, in the role of the mischievous Algernon Moncrieff charming Morgan Rosse playing the demur but delightful Cecily Cardew on the set at Marydell Faith and Life Center in Nyack, NY  Photo by Angie Gaul of Milestone Images

Just Between Us: End of summer is always bittersweet, but this year there have been sweet theatre offerings to look forward to in September and October peppered with oh so cool opportunities for some ‘get to really know Nyack’ fun. No, allow me to revise that to sweet, spicy, and spectacular offerings, by way of the acclaimed Phoenix Festival, which lest I forget to remind you, has a robust lineup of blessedly live arts/outdoor professionally executed productions in different Nyack venues, a one man show and compelling key events–each ticket an ez pass to outdoor theater heaven. And there’s still time not to miss out, so just between us again, don’t delay. With the festival’s beautiful posters in practically every shop window, it’s safe to say that this delightful group of civic minded, socially conscious people (they are the real deal–determined to make theater going possible for all), have taken Nyack by storm and added more fun to Rockland County’s jewel of a village than I can remember. I was delighted to discover, for example, as I’ve never visited either venue before, first the elegance of the historic Edward Hopper House for a pre-opening party, and this past Saturday, the long-awaited opening of The Importance of Being Earnest opening at Marydell, a spiritual retreat, as its gorgeous host location. Oscar Wilde’s classic tour de force (“a three-act farce about double lives, clandestine impropriety, and the foibles of the upper crust😊”) took place on the Center’s expansive lawn (situated opposite thick woods with hiking trails–note to self: return for hiking). The 2.5 hour show was lovingly and professionally performed under a bright blue sky and balmy temps with two brief intermissions which offered a chance to talk to other theatregoers, or simply to grab water and a snack. Lots of laughs along the way–good for the heart and soul in these trying times. For an overview and more news of the production plus highlights of ‘what’s next’ courtesy of Craig Smith, Festival Executive Director, Elise Stone, Artistic Director, and Leo Lion, Associate Artistic Director, please read on! And true to the recommendation that visitors combine theater going with village exploring, my friend and I ventured into town post performance for some excellent Thai fare at Thai House, off Main Street. After she had to get going, I continued my stroll solo down Broadway, and treated myself to a raspberry ice cream cone at Piermont Creamery. Sweet and spectacular deserved a sweet and spectacular ending! I’m looking forward to enjoying more Live Arts performances.  — Grace Bennett, Publisher & Editor, Inside Press

The first annual Phoenix Festival: Live Arts in Nyack opened on Saturday September 17 to a sold-out audience and critical acclaim.

The performance of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest was enthusiastically received by a packed audience and hailed by reviewers as a “very very fine production…so well done” (BroadwayRadio) and a “splendid outdoor production” (Theaterscene  https://theaterscene.org/)

The performance marked the beginning of five weekends of live theater and special events – continuing through October 16  ─ hosted by the Phoenix Theater Ensemble of New York City fame, now with roots in Nyack.

The playbill includes three more performances of Earnest, set for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, September 23–25 ─ all outdoors at bucolic Marydell Faith and Life Center in Upper Nyack with 2 p.m. show times.

After Earnest, next up on the Marydell stage is Thornton Wilder’s The Skin of Our Teeth, opening on Saturday, October 1 for six performances spanning the remaining weekends to the Festival close on October 16.

On the Marydell stage for October 8 and 15, audiences of all ages can enjoy Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost presented by the Children’s Shakespeare Theatre company, performed by kids and for kids ─ and, of course, for adults.

Also along the way to mid-October, the Festival will offer a hilarious Chekov one-man play in the garden at the home (now museum) of Nyack artist Edward Hopper, as well as special events at locations around Nyack village, including a song cycle premiere inspired by Hopper’s paintings, poetry readings by local writers, and film and live performance tributes to Nyack resident and “first lady of the American theater” Helen Hayes.

Photo by Angie Gaul of Milestone Images

A detailed calendar of Festival events is here: events page

For visitors interested in combining art and entertainment with an exploration of Hudson Valley culture, the Festival team has created a special program for this event – Nyack Digital Dreaming-AR Adventures, an exciting multimedia, family- and phone-friendly introduction to the village, its history, lore and legends

Digital Dreaming incorporates walking tour narratives, documentary video and augmented reality. It’s free, available every day, all day, online at Digital Dreaming: AR Adventures.

In addition to Festival activities, Nyack village offers a wealth of attractions ─ one-of-a-kind shops, world class dining, pubs, live music and a vibrant nightlife. Local businesses are inviting Festival-goers to explore the village ─ and enter their raffle for prizes valued at over $3,500.

“A big bonus for Festival goers is Nyack village itself,” said Craig Smith, Phoenix Festival Executive Director. “Nyack is the perfect anchor for this unique festival that blends classic theater, music and local history with breathtaking natural beauty in a jazzy, upbeat river town setting.”

TICKETS: Call 833-681-4800. Go to NyackArtsFestival.com 

Or go to the “At a Glance” page on the Festival events page 

TOURS: Ticket discounts for tours and groups of 10 or more are available at Tours and Group Sales. Or email info@PhoenixTheatreEnsemble.org for information. 

GENERAL INFORMATION: Go to NyackArtsFestival.com , email at info@PhoenixTheatreEnsemble.org or leave a message at 212-465-3446.

Also see Visit Nyack at visitnyack.org for details, and on Facebook @VisitNyack and Instagram @visitnyack

Discover The Phoenix Festival: Live Arts in Nyack

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Outstanding Ensemble Emphasizes Creative Freedom & Pay it Forward in its ‘Artistic Homeplace’

The Importance of Being Earnest
Photo by Stephanie Berger

To be, or not to be: that is the question.

Or, to be at the Phoenix Festival: Live Arts in Nyack: that is the real question. The answer? Yes. Be there!

After a two-year postponement due to the pandemic, the first annual Phoenix Festival will take place in Nyack on weekends from September 16 through October 16, showcasing carefully selected theater productions meant to resonate with current times, engage audiences and lift spirits.

The Festival is produced and presented by the Phoenix Theatre Ensemble. All performances will be held outdoors at the Marydell Faith & Life Center in Upper Nyack and the Edward Hopper House Museum & Study Center in the heart of Nyack village.

Headlining the program are three classic plays: The Skin of Our Teeth, an “epic,” humorous tale celebrating the “triumph of the human spirit,” The Importance of Being Earnest, acclaimed by many as the “funniest play ever written in the English language” and Chekhov’s rarely performed gem The Harmfulness of Tobacco.

“All three plays are family-friendly, high-spirited–and just plain hilarious,” said Craig Smith, Executive Director of the Phoenix ensemble and the Festival.

Another comedy favorite on the program is Love’s Labour’s Lost to be performed by the Children’s Shakespeare Theatre company–a Rockland County-based troupe of kids aged 8 to 18 who have bravely and masterfully delivered the Bard’s plays for 23 consecutive seasons.

Festival-related pop-up events will include film screenings, jazz performances, art exhibits and more. Tickets are now on sale at 833-681-4800 and NyackArtsFestival.com. Discounts are available using the code “WEST.”

Nyack Is the Stage

All live theater performances will be presented in the afternoon to allow Festival-goers time to enjoy Nyack village. Covering just a little over one walkable square mile, Nyack packs in an amazing array of first-class restaurants, one-of-a-kind shops, lively night spots, hiking, biking and river recreation opportunities–plus access to the Governor Mario Cuomo bridge pathway offering majestic vistas of the Hudson River.
For visitors interested in combining art and entertainment with an exploration of Hudson Valley culture and history, the Festival team has created a special program for this event–entitled Nyack Digital Dreaming-AR Adventures–an exciting multimedia, family-and phone-friendly introduction to the village and its lore and legends, incorporating walking tour narratives, documentary video, and augmented reality.

The Phoenix Rises – and Uplifts

“During the pandemic, we saw how hard everyone was struggling to keep going,” Phoenix Ensemble Artistic Director Elise Stone said. “We’ve always believed that performing arts uplift everyone. The Festival offers something we all need after the challenges of the past couple of years.”

Stone and Smith know the territory. Both are long-time actors and theater-makers who met, married and worked together for years in repertory theaters in New York City. They together founded the Phoenix Theatre Ensemble in 2004–today an internationally recognized leader in the world of creative contemporary theater and winner of multiple awards for excellence in theater arts.

The ensemble prides itself not only in the work they do, which is primarily classical theater (more than just Shakespeare), but also in the creative freedom they give to their actors, directors, designers, writers and others on the team. If one of their costume designers has an idea for a show, they’re all ears.

“At Phoenix, everyone has a voice,” said Smith. ”That’s what makes this Festival a special experience for our audiences.”

Festival ‘How To’: Build the Community Foundation

Skin of our Teeth
Photo by Stephanie Berger

After moving to Nyack in 2018, Smith and Stone saw the potential for getting the community involved in theater arts, but also for the ensemble to get involved with the community itself–one of their core values.

They started by producing benefits and shows for organizations such as the Nyack Library and the Rockland Holocaust Museum & Center for Tolerance and Education. The idea of a festival soon came to mind.

Over the past few years, Smith and Stone have built an infrastructure to support the new Festival by reaching out to local government and collaborating with civic organizations such as VisitNyack.org, the Nyack Chamber of Commerce and Nyack Village, and listening to merchants and businesses on how the Festival could work for everyone.

As part of Festival due diligence, for example, Phoenix commissioned a study conducted by Brockport Research Institute, polling 2,000 tri-state arts enthusiasts and Rockland residents. The results point toward high Festival attendance, as well as significant financial benefits–upwards of half a million dollars in net revenue to local businesses.

Come One, Come All

The Festival is very much for everyone, Stone and Smith emphasize. Both believe that the arts should be accessible to all with no obstacles, whether financial or geographic. The Festival includes a “pay it forward” program to provide tickets to families who can’t afford the full price. A special program for public school students is also part of the plan.

Geography should also pose no barriers. “Whether you’re coming from Westchester or Rockland or Jersey, a first-class professional theater experience is available right on your doorstep,” Stone said. And as she wants to remind those in Westchester, “We’re right across the bridge!”

So, to be at the festival or not to be at the festival … is that even a question?

For details and ticket purchases, visit NyackArtsFestival.com or call 833-681-4800. Discount tickets available with the code “WEST.”

Visit nyackartsfestival.com/become-a-sponsor to learn more about becoming a sponsor for the event. For further information regarding family discounts and student programs, contact Craig Smith at Craig@PhoenixTheatreEnsemble.org or 917-717-1617.

DISCOVER The Phoenix Festival: Live Arts in Nyack

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Outstanding Ensemble Emphasizes Creative Freedom & Pay it Forward in its ‘Artistic Homeplace’

The Importance of Being Earnest     PHOTO BY STEPHANIE BERGER

To be, or not to be: that is the question.

Or, to be at the Phoenix Festival: Live Arts in Nyack or not to be: that is the real question. And the answer? Yes.

After being postponed for two years because of the pandemic, the first annual Phoenix Festival: Live Arts in Nyack, NyackArtsFestival.com will take place on weekends from September 16 through October 16, showcasing carefully selected productions meant to resonate with people and lift their spirits. All performances will be held outdoors at the Marydell Faith and Life Center in Upper Nyack and the Edward Hopper House Museum & Study Center in the heart of the village. 

“When we moved to Nyack, and particularly over the pandemic, we were watching as everyone was struggling to keep going,” Phoenix Ensemble Artistic Director Elise Stone said. “Hopefully the art uplifts everyone, and we all need psychological and emotional uplifting after the past couple of years..”

Elise and her husband Craig Smith, the managing director of the ensemble, are both long time actors and theater enthusiasts who actually met, got married and worked together at their old repertory. After years of wanting to be involved in something more artist-driven, they founded the Phoenix Theatre Ensemble in 2004, a multi award-winning, not-for-profit organization.

The ensemble prides itself in not only the work they do, which is primarily classical theater (which means more than just Shakespeare), but also in the creative freedom they give to their actors, directors, designers, writers and others on the team. If one of their costume designers has an idea for a show, they’re all ears. At Phoenix, everyone has a voice.

Skin of Our Teeth Photo by Stephanie Berger

Their goal with forming the ensemble was to create an artistic homeplace. And after moving to Nyack in 2018, they both saw the potential it had and became convinced that there was no better place to not only get the local and extended community involved with the arts, but to get involved with the community itself, which is one of their core values.

They started producing benefits and shows for organizations such as the Rockland Holocaust Museum & Center for Tolerance and Education and the Nyack Library. The idea of a festival soon came to mind, and this fall it will finally come to fruition.

For the past few years, Smith and Stone began building an infrastructure to support the Festival by reaching out to political representatives and collaborating with local organizations such as VisitNyack.org and listening to merchants and businesses on how this Festival can work for  everyone.

They even specifically scheduled the shows to be in the daytime to allow attendees time to explore Nyack and all the mom-and-pop shops, restaurants, and activities that the village has to offer later in the evening. 

According to the results from a commissioned study by Brockport Research Institute of 2,000 tri-state arts enthusiasts and Rockland residents, $184,000 will be spent at local shops per 500 attendees. Smith projects that number to actually triple, which means that the festival would bring in half a million dollars to the community.

“Even though we’ve been in Nyack for four years, we were concerned that we would be thought of as the newcomers in a way,” Stone said. “Being part of a community is a key tenet of the ensemble, and we feel that we are part of [it] now and we want to give back to this community.”

Come One, Come All

But, just because the event is in Rockland County doesn’t mean that the event is only for those in the area. It’s for everyone and anyone!

“We’re hoping that people will come and see how close a world class performance is to them,” Stone said. “Whether you’re coming from Westchester or Jersey or from Rockland, a first-class professional theater experience is available right here.”

And as she wants to remind those in Westchester, “we’re right across the bridge!”

Headlining the program are three classic plays: The Skin of Our Teeth, an “epic” humorous tale of the “triumph of the human spirit,” The Importance of Being Earnest, the “funniest play ever written in the English language” (according to Stone) and Chekhov’s rarely performed gem The Harmfulness of Tobacco. 

The Children’s Shakespeare Theater and the Rockland Symphony Orchestra will also be performing, so there will truly be something for everyone. The Festival’s audio walking tour incorporating augmented reality, AR Adventures, Digital Dreaming, is available free of charge and will be a special experience. 

Both Stone and Smith believe that art should always be available and there should never be an obstacle in the way of that, be it financially or geographically. Because of that, they have a “pay it forward” program in place to give tickets to families who can’t afford the full-price and are working on a program for public school students. Additionally, they will have a shuttle bus available from downtown Nyack to Marydell in Upper Nyack. Like they said, it takes a village to be able to put together a festival like this. Corporate sponsors and individual donations are still being accepted.

Visit nyackartsfestival.com/become-a-sponsor to learn more about becoming a sponsor for the event. For further information regarding family discounts and student programs, contact Craig Smith at Craig@PhoenixTheatreEnsemble.org or 917-717-1617.

For more details and ticket purchases, visit NyackArtsFestival.com. Early bird ticket purchasers get special discounts. Ticket buyers should use the code WEST when ordering. As Stone put it, this experience allows you to witness the artists and the audience breathing together into a story.

So, to be at the festival or not to be at the festival…is that even a question?

Judas    PHOTO BY GERRY GOODSTEIN
Agamemnon Home    PHOTO BY GERRY GOODSTEIN