The Summer Residency at AUPAC: The New York Theatre Workshop

This summer, Adelphi University and the College of Arts and Sciences is pleased to have the New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) in residency for the third consecutive year. From June 17–June 26, 2014, Adelphi’s Performing Arts Center (AUPAC) and theatre program will aid NYTW in supporting the development of ideas for new and in-progress productions, examining the critical issues in the theatre community and encouraging conversation.

NYTW is a leading national theater organization with a mission to support and encourage outstanding new playwrights and directors outside the commercial area and to develop inventive new works for theatre. Its summer residencies provide both established and emerging artists with the time and space to devote to their works and opportunities to collaborate with their fellow artists.

As in previous years, Adelphi students will be in attendance. This year, six will be on-hand —two of whom attended last year’s residency—to join in the workshops and discussions, and to support the residency in various capacities.

“Because Adelphi students are welcomed to observe and participate in every part of the residency, there is great potential for their experiential learning and growth in the in the profession they intend to pursue upon graduation,” said Sam L Grogg, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

The link between NYTW and Adelphi’s Department of Theatre runs deep. Notable alum and creator of RENT, Jonathan Larson ’82, workshopped the play intensively for two years at the NYTW before its record-breaking opening performance in 1996. During its subsequent run at the Nederlander Theatre, the play won a Tony Award for Best Musical in 1996, as well as a Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

During the summer residency, Adelphi and NYTW also devote time to convening leaders from various aspects of the theatre community to discuss issues and challenges that are at the heart of the continuing development of American theater. For the past two years, leading theater directors have come together to share ideas and opinions about the primary role of the director in theatrical production and performance. This summer the residency forum will explore the future of developing artistic leadership in the theater.

“This relationship between Adelphi and the New York Theater Workshop is a unique aspect of the performing arts interests of the University and is seeking to have a positive impact on not only Adelphi students, but the theater community at large,” says Dean Grogg.