Category: Events

Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-Winning Playwright Doug Wright Returns to Sarasota

The Hermitage Artist Retreat announces a new program with Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Wright as he returns to Sarasota for “The PlayWRIGHT’s the Thing.” Join the Hermitage at the Asolo’s Cook Theater in the FSU Center for Performing Arts, as Wright engages in conversation with Hermitage Artistic Director Andy Sandberg on Monday, February 10th at 6pm. In addition, program attendees will have the opportunity to hear selections from Wright’s lesser-known original works, performed by some of Sarasota’s brightest talents. Register here.

With his hit Broadway play Good Night, Oscar gearing up for its regional premiere at Asolo Repertory Theatre this spring, Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright, screenwriter, and librettist Doug Wrighthas been creating celebrated works of theater and film for over two decades. Many of Wright’s worlds and characters have their basis in real life people and events, from Charlotte von Mahlsdorf in I Am My Own Wife, to Big and Little Edie in Grey Gardens, to the famous rivalry between Helena Rubenstein and Elizabeth Arden in War Paint. Hear what draws this acclaimed playwright to these stories, as well as other fascinating insights into his process. 

Wright is a proud Hermitage alumnus and trustee, and he served as a juror for the inaugural Hermitage Major Theater Award in 2021. He has remained an engaged and active member of the Hermitage alumni community. His Broadway credits include I Am My Own Wife (Pulitzer Prize; Tony Award), Grey Gardens,Hands on a Hardbody, War Paint, and The Little Mermaid. In film, Wright’s credits include screenplays for Fine Line Features, Fox Searchlight, and DreamWorks SKG, among others. His recent Amazon film The Burial stars Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, where he served as President for many years. He previously returned to the Gulf Coast just last year, where he presented Hermitage programs in collaboration with SILL in Sarasota and Venice, as well as a Hermitage event in Boca Grande.

His most recent play, Good Night, Oscar, originally directed by Hermitage Fellow Lisa Peterson, received critical acclaim at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre before transferring to Broadway, where it earned SeanHayes a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Lead Actor. Asolo Repertory Theatre will present the Florida premiere of Good Night, Oscar this spring, running April 2-26, 2025.

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. Due to capacity limitations, registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

Hermitage Announces Fourth Annual Concert in the Ruby E. Crosby Alumni Music Series:“Piano in the Key of Vijay” 

The Hermitage Artist Retreat is pleased to announce the fourth annual concert in the Ruby E. Crosby Alumni Music Series at the Hermitage, featuring Grammy-nominated composer and award-winning pianist Vijay Iyer. This event will take place on Thursday, February 20th at 7pm at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens (Downtown Sarasota). This alumni music initiative was launched in 2022 to a full-capacity crowd at Selby Gardens with “Soulful Strings: An Evening of Harp Music,” featuring celebrated harpist and Hermitage alumna Ashley Jackson. The 2023 concert, “The Pop-Rock-Folk World of Zoe Sarnak,” featured award-winning New York City-based Hermitage alumna Zoe Sarnak, with Sarasota-based vocalists and musicians performing Sarnak’s original songs at Nathan Benderson Park. Last year’s concert, “Piano Classics Remade,” featured world-renowned pianist and Hermitage alumnus Conrad Tao performing for a sold-out crowd at Selby Gardens. 

This year, the Ruby E. Crosby Alumni Music Series at the Hermitage continues   this popular series with Grammy Award-nominated pianist, composer, and past Hermitage Greenfield Prize winner Vijay Iyer. Described by The New York Times as a “social conscience, multimedia collaborator, system builder, rhapsodist, historical thinker, and multicultural gateway,” Hermitage Fellow and composer-pianist Vijay Iyerhas earned a place as one of the leading music-makers of his generation. Beyond his recognition as aHermitage Greenfield Prize winner in the discipline of music, his honors include a MacArthur Fellowship, a Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, a United States Artist Fellowship, three Grammy Award nominations, and the Alpert Award in the Arts. 

The Ruby E. Crosby Alumni Music Series at the Hermitage offers the opportunity for a distinguished Hermitage alum to return for additional residency time and a special community concert. This initiative is made possible by a generous multi-year gift from the Ruby E. and Carole Crosby Family Foundation. Current Hermitage Board President Carole Crosby initiated this gift as a special tribute to her mother Ruby, who helped to inspire her own deep love of music. A musician herself, Carole Crosby graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music and played the harp in both the Atlanta Symphony and Detroit Symphony.

“The Hermitage brings some of the most talented artists and performers in the world to our community,” said Crosby. “Music was always incredibly important to me and to my mother, so it’s an honor to celebrate her memory with this initiative spotlighting and supporting some truly extraordinary composers and musicians. I am deeply inspired by the Hermitage’s commitment to these artists and the impact these magnificent talents are having in our region.”

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Vijay Iyer back to the Gulf Coast to share his talents with our growing Hermitage audience,” added Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. “Vijay is one of the most innovative composers of his generation, not to mention an early recipient of the Hermitage Greenfield Prize. As we continue to reengage with and provide more opportunities for Hermitage alumni, this generous gift from Carole Crosby in her mother’s honor allows our community to celebrate and reconvene with groundbreaking musical talents who have come to know Sarasota through their time at the Hermitage.”

There isn’t much Hermitage Greenfield Prize winner Vijay Iyer hasn’t done in the world of music. A Grammy Award-nominated composer, he has performed at the world’s most iconic venues, composed works premiered by leading institutions such as the London Philharmonic, and collaborated with celebrated musicians and ensembles similarly admired for their innovative approach, such as Hermitage Fellow Claire Chase and the International Contemporary Ensemble. His newest albums are Defiant Life, his second suite of duets with visionary composer-trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith; Compassion, featuring his acclaimed trio with drummer Tyshawn Sorey and bassist Linda May Han Oh; Trouble, a composer portrait album comprising three of his orchestral works, including the titular violin concerto performed by Jennifer Koh; and Love in Exile, his Grammy Award-nominated collaboration with Arooj Aftab and Shahzad Ismaily. He teaches at Harvard University. The original composition resulting from Vijay’s Hermitage Greenfield Prize, Bruits, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2022, performed by the critically acclaimed ensemble Imani Winds.

“Piano in the Key of Vijay” will be presented at Selby Gardens’ Event Center (Downtown Sarasota) on Thursday, February 20th at 7pm. This program is free and open to the public with a $5/person registration fee. Registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org. Capacity is limited, and registration is available on a first-come, first-served basis, at which time registration will shift to a waitlist. Previous events in this series have reached capacity, so early registration is strongly encouraged.

Two Hermitage Greenfield Prize Commissions to Premiere at The Ringling Museum of Art in Spring

The Hermitage Artist Retreat (Andy Sandberg, Artistic Director and CEO) announced today that The Ringling Museum of Art will host the first public showings of the original commissions resulting from the 2023 Hermitage Greenfield Prize (HGP). Los Angeles-based visual artist Sandy Rodriguez’s exhibition Currents of Resistance will be presented in the Keith D. Monda Gallery for Contemporary Art and represents the latest in a series of exhibitions featuring Hermitage Greenfield Prize-winning visual artists at The Ringling, beginning with Sanford Biggers’ 2012 exhibition Codex. Rennie Harris, the first HGP recipient in the field of dance and choreography, will share the first public presentations of his original work Losing My Religion at the Historic Asolo Theater on April 4th and again on April 5th, with his dance company Rennie Harris Puremovement. The premieres of these original Hermitage commissions will coincide with the Hermitage Greenfield Prize Weekend, culminating in the Hermitage Greenfield Prize Dinner on Sunday, April 6th.

Sandy Rodriguez, a first-generation Chicana who grew up along the US-Mexico border, is an artist who engages with the colonial histories of the Americas, Indigenous knowledge systems, memory, and issues surrounding migration, both past and present, all grounded in the specificity of land. One of the unique aspects of her practice is her engagement with and research into the material aspects of indigenous artistic traditions for the Americas. She is using hand-processed pigments derived from earth, plants, and insects, sourced from specimens collected during her fieldwork and residency at the Hermitage for her watercolors. Her Hermitage Greenfield Prize commission, Currents of Resistance, is a further exploration of a series of exhibitions for which she has been celebrated, mapping the ongoing cycles of violence on communities of color by blending historical and recent events; this will be her first map of the Southeast United States. Rodriguez’s exhibition, curated by Christopher Jones, the Stanton & Nancy Kaplan Curator of Photography & Media, will be on view from April 5th through August 10th, 2025.

Rennie Harris’ HGP commission introduces audiences to a new dance piece titled Losing My Religion, a personal reflection on his own journey that weaves in thoughts on the world’s collective dilemmas. Harris is known for challenging what has come to be expected of street dance and hip-hop culture and the degenerative social norms and beliefs that ground the struggles of our time. As part of the work, he has incorporated a reimagining of his renowned solo piece Endangered Species, an autobiographical work recounting his experience of being chased and shot down in Kingston, Jamaica while touring as a U.S. ambassador for President Reagan’s ‘American Embassy Tour.’ The solo’s inclusion in the work completes a story of systemic racism and revolt, shifting away from what was to what is and what can be. Harris’ Hermitage Greenfield Prize premiere presentation will take place on Friday, April 4th at 7:30pm and Saturday April 5th at 7:30pm at the Historic Asolo Theater. Losing my Religion is part of the Art of Performance Series at the Ringling, curated by Elizabeth Doud, Currie-Kohlmann Curator of Performance. This event will also be presented in partnership with Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, a frequent Hermitage collaborator.

“We are excited to continue our long history with The Ringling as a presenting partner for the Hermitage Greenfield Prize,” said Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. “Sandy Rodriguez and Rennie Harris first met when we celebrated this dual award in 2023 at The Ringling for the 15thanniversary of the Hermitage Greenfield Prize Dinner. We’re grateful to be returning two years later to share the work of these extraordinary talents – both visionaries and pioneers in their respective fields.” 

“Since 2012, The Ringling has proudly presented Hermitage Greenfield Prize recipients in the visual arts in our galleries,” added Steven High, Executive Director at The Ringling. “We are once again thrilled to present a significant new work in visual art from HGP recipient Sandy Rodriguez, and – for the first time – a work of performance from HGP recipient Rennie Harris. Congratulations!”  

The 17th annual Hermitage Greenfield Prize Dinner will be held on Sunday, April 6th, 2025, starting at 6pm at Michael’s On East in Sarasota. This elegant annual dinner heralds the jury-selected recipient of this prestigious prize, which will be awarded this season in the discipline of music. The Hermitage Greenfield Prize (HGP) is a distinguished national commission awarded by the Hermitage Artist Retreat in partnership with the Philadelphia-based Greenfield Foundation; the $35,000 award rotates annually among music, theater, and visual art. The 2025 winner’s newly commissioned work will have its first public presentation in Sarasota in the spring of 2027. The Hermitage Greenfield Prize Celebration is presented in partnership with the Greenfield Foundation, with the Community Foundation of Sarasota County serving as Lead Community Sponsor. This year’s HGP winner, HGP Dinner co-chairs, and sponsorship details will be announced at a later date. For early sponsorship inquiries, call (941) 475-2098, Ext. 2.

Prior to the premiere of these two original commissions, additional Hermitage Fellows will have their work featured at The Ringling. Two Rivers Ensemble, led by Hermitage alum and musician Amir ElSaffar, will perform on February 15 and 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 John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art through February 22, 2025. 

“Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” Kicks Off 2025 with Emmy and Drama Desk-Nominated Writer Mark Sonnenblick

The Hermitage Artist Retreat’s popular series, “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens,” continues its fifth anniversary season and kicks off a brand-new year with “Book, Music, and Lyrics,” featuring Emmy Award and Drama Desk nominee Mark Sonnenblick. A Hermitage Fellow and recipient of a Jonathan Larson Grant, Sonnenblick will share stories and songs from his original works, and will preview some of what might be next for this rising star of the musical theater world. This Hermitage program will take place on Thursday, January 30th at 5:30pm at Selby Gardens’ downtown campus.

Fresh off the ‘heels’ of his collaboration with Elton John on the West End premiere of The Devil Wears Prada and celebrated for his talents as a lyricist, book writer, and composer, Hermitage Fellow Mark Sonnenblick’s work has been called “lushly romantic” by The New York Times, as well as “sly and unexpectedly subversive” by The New Yorker. With a career that already spans stage and screen, including songs on such hits as Apple’s Spirited, starring Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell, Searchlight Pictures’ Theater Camp, and Netflix’s Lyle Lyle Crocodile, Sonnenblick’s talents span multiple styles and genres. Mark Sonnenblick’s Hermitage residency is generously sponsored by the Huisking Family Fund of Community Foundation of Sarasota County.

“Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” is a celebrated collaboration between the Hermitage Artist Retreat and Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, featuring performances and explorations of works-in-progress by Hermitage artists-in-residence and alumni.  Events in this series are scheduled to take place at Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus and the Historic Spanish Point campus in Osprey as a part of the Hermitage’s 2024-2025 season. Remaining dates for this fifth season of “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” (subject to change) include:

• Thursday January 30, 2025, at 5:30pm, Downtown Sarasota Campus
• Thursday February 20, 2025, at 5:30pm, Historic Spanish Point 
• Thursday, March 6, 2025, at 5:30pm, Downtown Sarasota Campus
• Thursday, May 1, 2025, at 6:30pm, Historic Spanish Point 

Admission for these events has no ticket cost, though early registration is strongly recommended as availability is subject to capacity limitations; advance registration is required ($5/person) at HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

“Following a memorable lineup of programs in the final weeks of 2024, we are excited to be kicking off 2025 with Mark Sonnenblick’s program at Selby Gardens,” says Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. “I’ve known Mark as a friend and collaborator for many years, and it’s a thrill to welcome him to the Hermitage. Despite the challenges faced on campus due to the hurricanes, we remain committed to delivering world-class programs at partner venues throughout our region, introducing our resilient community to extraordinary writers, artists, and performers from around the world.”  

Hermitage Raises Over $380,000 at 16th Annual Artful Lobster — A Record-Breaking Celebration!  

The Hermitage Artist Retreat raised over $380,000 at the 2024 Hermitage Artful Lobster luncheon on Saturday, November 9th. This annual event raises valuable funds for the Hermitage’s internationally renowned artist residency program, supporting the creative process of artists from around the world in the fields of music, theater, visual art, literature, dance, and more. Proceeds from this year’s event are also going toward hurricane recovery efforts for the Hermitage’s Manasota Key campus. Over 200 guests attended the sold-out luncheon, which was the first event to take place at the outdoor courtyard of the Ora in Sarasota. (The event was moved from the Hermitage campus due to ongoing hurricane cleanup and repairs.) Marking his fifth anniversary at the Hermitage, Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg served as the master of ceremonies. 

The event was headlined by two returning Hermitage Fellows: Tony Award-nominated actor, singer, and writer Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, and Grammy Award-nominated composer, lyricist, orchestrator, and music director Rona Siddiqui. Both of these extraordinary talents are proud Hermitage alumnae who have described our Manasota Key campus as “an artistic home.” Kritzer and Siddiqui have performed at multiple Hermitage events, including the “Hermitage Turns 20: Andy Sandberg & Broadway Friends in Concert” at the Van Wezel, the Hermitage Greenfield Prize Dinner, and several awe-inspiring performances on the Hermitage Beach.

Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer surprised the audience with an unforgettable performance of “Shy,” calling back to her memorable portrayal of Carol Burnett in the series finale of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” In addition to lending her keyboard skills to the afternoon’s performances, Rona Siddiqui also performed her song “When Pigeons Fly,” from her original musical Salaam Medina: Tales of a Halfghan. Kritzer joined Siddiqui to present another original piece entitled “Om Shanti.” Following a video presentation about the impact of the hurricanes on the Hermitage, Kritzer delivered a powerful rendition of Celine Dion’s “That’s the Way It Is.” The afternoon’s performances also showcased some of Sarasota’s greatest local talents with Hermitage Cross Arts Collaborative Fellow Raleigh Mosely II and frequent Hermitage guest performer Martina Long. The duo brought down the house with “I’m Gone” from the Broadway musical Hands on a Hardbody, written by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Hermitage Fellow and Trustee Doug Wright, in collaboration with Amanda Green and Phish’s Trey Anastasio. 

“This year’s Artful Lobster was an event to remember and an especially meaningful celebration of resilience,” said the Hermitage’s Andy Sandberg. “We are thankful to all who attended and supported this year’s festivities. The generous outpouring of support for the work we are doing at the Hermitage and our ongoing hurricane recovery efforts is a demonstration of our community’s extraordinary commitment to the arts and the creative process.” This year’s Artful Lobster was co-chaired by Alice & David Court and Peter Offringa & Allison Gregory. Sponsors and partners for the 2024 Artful Lobster included Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Key Agency, SarasotaHerald-Tribune, and Sarasota Magazine. 

Three New Fall Programs Announced

The Hermitage Artist Retreat today announced three additional programs as part of its robust fall season. Newly announced events include a beach program featuring Grammy Award nominee Allison Loggins-Hull and award-winning author Jamila Minnicks on Friday, October 4th on the Hermitage Beach; a special look inside the creative process with Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg with the Royal Palm Players in Boca Grande on November 11th; plus Hermitage-Roundabout Fellow Alex Lin and Hermitage Major Theater Award finalist and UK playwright Sam Steiner at New College of Florida’s Theater Department on November 21st. 

On Friday, October 4th at 5:30pm, Grammy Award-nominated flutist and returning Hermitage alumna Allison Loggins-Hull will split the bill with celebrated author Jamila Minnicks in “Redefining the Instrument” on the Hermitage Beach. Whether the flute or the pen, these two Hermitage Fellows have forged innovative paths in their fields by defying expectation and creating with unique voices. Allison Loggins-Hull is noted for her original compositions and nuanced flute performances, having worked with such luminaries as Hans Zimmer, Lizzo, and her award-winning flute collaboration with Hermitage Fellow Nathalie Joachim – Flutronix. New Hermitage Fellow Jamila Minnicks is writing highly-praised original works of fiction. Her debut novel Moonrise over New Jessup won the 2021 PEN / Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction and was a finalist for the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize. Please Note: Previously announced program participant Imani Uzuri had to reschedule and will not be able to join for this event.

On Monday, November 11th at 5pm, Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg will offer insight into his career as a playwright and director with “Craving for Travel: Andy Sandberg @ RPP.” An arts leader, director, performer, and writer, Sandberg has worked across all aspects of the arts and entertainment industry. In this newly announced program, Sandberg brings all his expertise to bear in a conversation focused on the upcoming production of his play Craving for Travel, which is having its Florida premiere produced by the Royal Palm Players. Audiences will hear the inside take on the play’s origins, stories about the original New York production, and how wearing so many different ‘hats’ has informed Sandberg’s current artistic practice. This special event will be presented at the Boca Grande Community Center.

Rounding out November programing, the Hermitage presents “The Structure of Things: Making Theater on Both Sides of the Atlantic,” featuring 2024 Hermitage Major Theater Award finalist Sam Steinerand Hermitage-Roundabout Fellow Alex Lin. This newly announced event will be at New College of Florida on Thursday, November 21st at 1pm, presented in partnership with the College’s Theater Department. From songs to space journalism, Alex Lin is one of the most vibrant voices coming up in the American theater today. The same can be said in the United Kingdom for playwright Steiner, whose acclaimed works like Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons have been performed all over the world, including London’s West End. Meeting for the first time at the Hermitage, these two incredible artists explore the craft of playwriting, their unique journeys to date, and what’s next on their agendas. Audience members are invited to join this cross-continental workshop and masterclass on the art of telling stories. 

Additional highlights of the Hermitage fall season include live events featuring Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Broadway composer Tom Kitt (Next to Normal), Emmy Award-nominated writer Daniel Goldfarb (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), Pulitzer Prize finalist and Hermitage Major Theater Award winnerMadeleine George (“Only Murders in the Building”), the inaugural McNally Fellow at the Hermitage Zeniba Now, Guggenheim Fellow Kirstin Valdez Quade, Tony-winning Broadway activist and performer Britton Smith, and internationally renowned flutist and composer Claire Chase. These events are presented in partnership with many arts, cultural, and educational institutions throughout the Gulf Coast region, including Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Sarasota Opera, Royal Palm Players, Venice Theatre, New College of Florida’s Theater Department, Johann Fust Library Foundation in Boca Grande, and more.           

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. 

Hermitage and Terrence McNally Foundation Launch the McNally Residency at the Hermitage 

Andy Sandberg, Artistic Director and CEO of the Hermitage Artist Retreat, today announced the launch of the McNally Fellowship at the Hermitage, made possible with generous support from the Terrence McNally Foundation. This new grant is intended to support the residency of an early-career playwright. In collaboration with the McNally Foundation, the Hermitage has selected Zeniba Now as the inaugural honoree.

Zeniba Now, an award-winning writer, musical storyteller, performer, and vocalist from Los Angeles, was selected for the Hermitage’s acclaimed residency program by the organization’s National Curatorial Council, a fourteen-member body that includes two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage, Doris Duke Award-winning artistic director Nataki Garrett, and acclaimed playwright and screenwriter Rajiv Joseph, among other luminaries in their respective fields. She was recently named a “Woman to Watch” by the Broadway Women’s Fund.

As part of Zeniba’s residency, the Hermitage will present “Zeniba Now: The Heartsong and Other Experiments” on the Hermitage Beach – Friday, October 18 at 5:30pm. The program will feature original works performed by this singularly talented artist and performer. Crossing mediums and weaving genres, Zeniba Now is introducing audiences to her unique approach to musical storytelling. Along with her work, Zeniba will offer insight into her creative process. The program will also feature remarks from Tony and Olivier Award-winning Broadway producer Tom Kirdahy (Hadestown, Gypsy, Little Shop of Horrors) and Tony Award-winning Hermitage Artistic Director Andy Sandberg.

“The Hermitage is deeply grateful to the Terrence McNally Foundation for their generous support and passionate belief in the work we are doing,” says Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. “It has been a joy to collaborate with our friend Tom Kirdahy on a number of special programs, and he’s been such a champion of the Hermitage and its mission. We are honored to celebrate Terrence’s remarkable legacy by providing the gift of space and time to inspiring new voices in the theater, and we’re excited to name Zeniba Now as the first recipient of this honor.”

Tom Kirdahy, a Tony and Olivier Award-winning Broadway producer and the late Terrence McNally’s husband, is the president of Tom Kirdahy Productions and a principal trustee of the McNally Foundation. Among his recent producing credits are the forthcoming revival of Gypsy starring Audra McDonald, the Tony Award-winning musical Hadestown, the hit Off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors, and Stephen Sondheim’s posthumous musical Here We Are, which starred Tony Award winner and recent Hermitage Fellow Rachel Bay Jones. Kirdahy has also participated in a number of Hermitage programs himself over the past four seasons. 

“We are incredibly proud to support the work the Hermitage is doing,” added Kirdahy. “The Hermitage is a world-class arts incubator – not only for playwrights and theater artists, but for so many extraordinary talents of all different backgrounds and disciplines. The gift they are giving to these innovative and imaginative writers, performers, and artists is invaluable. We are excited for Zeniba Now to continue her creative journey with this Hermitage residency in Terrence’s name.” 

The Terrence McNally Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to supporting bold new voices in the American theater by providing support to early-career playwrights and the institutions that support them. The McNally Foundation’s mission to champion new playwrights aligns with the mission of the Hermitage Artist Retreat: to inspire and foster the most influential and consequential art and artists of our time. Created by legendary playwright/librettist Terrence McNally and supported through the ongoing royalties of his work, the Foundation is also committed to supporting LGBTQ+ causes, as McNally did throughout his life. Following Terrence’s passing, Tom Kirdahy stated that the Foundation would continue the legendary playwright’s “singular legacy of mentorship and activism.”

Zeniba Now is a creator of commercial and independent art and performance. As a writer of musicals, her work includes the musical shorts “Beloved” and “To Be on Hold Forever / Stay on the Line.” Full-length musicals include The Loophole, Take the Lead, and a new musical in development with Disney Theatrical Productions. Audiences can see Zeniba Now in her shows “iQuit: Millennial Retirement Gala” and “Sincerely, Z” on TikTok and YouTube. Her music can be heard on several streaming services, including her new meditative release, “Wholly Chill.” Zeniba Now is the winner of The Jonathan Larson Grant, The Richard Rodgers Award, The Vivace Award, The Thom Thomas Award, and now the inaugural Fellow of the McNally Residency at the Hermitage.

Terrence McNally was an American playwright, librettist, and LGBTQ+ trailblazer, described by TheNew York Times as “the bard of the American Theater.” One of the few playwrights of his generation to successfully pass from the avant-garde to mainstream acclaim, McNally redefined American playwriting for six decades and was the recipient of five Tony Awards (two for his plays Love! Valour! Compassion! and Master Class, two for the books to his musicals Kiss of the Spider Woman and Ragtime, and the 2019 Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement). He received the 2011 Dramatists Guild Lifetime Achievement Award (he was Vice President of the Guild from 1981 to 2001), the 2015 Lucille Lortel Lifetime Achievement Award, a 1996 induction into the American Theater Hall of Fame, and, in 2018, an induction into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His other accolades include an Emmy Award (Andre’s Mother), two Guggenheim Fellowships, a Rockefeller Grant, four Drama Desk Awards, two Lucille Lortel Awards, two Obie Awards, and three Hull-Warriner Awards. Terrence was an alumnus of Columbia University and received numerous honorary degrees, including from NYU and Juilliard, where he helped create the playwriting program in 1993. His legacy lives on in his plays, musicals, and operas that continue to be performed all over the world, as well as in his papers, which are kept and open to the public at the Harry Ransom Center in the University of Texas at Austin. 

Hermitage Announces First Wave of Fall Programming

The Hermitage Artist Retreat today announced 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 (pictured here; 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.

Dates for Fifth Season of “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” Announced

The Hermitage Artist Retreat’s popular series, “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens,” continues into its fifth anniversary as part of the Hermitage’s 2024-2025 season. The outdoor series — a celebrated collaboration between the Hermitage and Marie Selby Botanical Gardens — features performances and explorations of works-in-progress by Hermitage artists-in-residence and alumni.  “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” events are currently scheduled to take place at Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus and the Historic Spanish Point campus in Osprey. 

The first of these events, “Let the Music Set You Free,” features Broadway veteran, Tony Award-winning co-founder of Broadway Advocacy Coalition, and 2024 Hermitage Greenfield Prize finalist Britton Smith. As the bandleader for the alternative soul band Britton and the Sting, this visionary artist and advocate is a force of nature determined to unite the world through a passion for music and theater. Britton’s vibrant work bears witness to the inspiration that can be found within and around us all. Catch this dynamic performer like never before in a stripped-down presentation surrounded by the beautiful sanctuary of Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus on Thursday October 17th at 5:30pm. 

The second of these events is “Solo Flute — Destiny of Density,” where award-winning flutist, composer, and returning Hermitage Fellow Claire Chase will share selections of her genre-defining work and discuss her innovative approach to music. This event will take place on Thursday, December 5th at 5:30pm, at Selby Gardens’ Historic Spanish Point campus in Osprey. Chase is a world-renowned musician and composer who was also one of the inaugural artists in the “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” series, in addition to performing at two past Hermitage Artful Lobster events. A soloist, collaborative artist, curator, and advocate for new and experimental music, she has been described by The New York Times as “the most important flutist of our time.” Chase was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2012, and in 2017 was the first flutist to be awarded the Avery Fisher Prize from Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. A professor of music at Harvard University, she recently concluded her term as a member of the Hermitage National Curatorial Council. 

Confirmed dates for this fifth season of “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” include:

• Thursday, October 17, 2024, at 5:30pm, Downtown Sarasota Campus
• Thursday December 5, 2024, at 5:30pm, Historic Spanish Point 
• Thursday January 30, 2025, at 5:30pm, Downtown Sarasota Campus
• Thursday February 20, 2025, at 5:30pm, Historic Spanish Point 
• Thursday, March 6, 2025, at 5:30pm, Downtown Sarasota Campus
• Thursday, May 1, 2025, at 6:30pm, Historic Spanish Point 

Admission for these events has no ticket cost, though availability is subject to capacity limitations; advance registration is required ($5/person) at HermitageArtistRetreat.org.   

Each program will feature a celebrated Hermitage artist (or artists) to be announced. Last year’s “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” spotlighted the works and talents of celebrated mime and storyteller Bill Bowers, who shared the stage with internationally renowned composer and singer Kavita Shah; Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg, fresh from his production of Operation Epsilon in London; Hermitage Curatorial Council member Nataki Garrett, Tony Award-winning Broadway producer Tom Kirdahy, and Manasota ASALH President David Wilkins, who offered an enlightening panel discussion about the State of the Arts in Florida; and award-winning flutist Emi Ferguson with classical composer Jim Stephenson, who delighted audiences with an original performance. Previous seasons of “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” have included Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Michael R. Jackson, award-winning Chicago playwright Terry Guest; Kleban Prize winner César Alvarez, world-renowned violinist and Beyoncé collaborator Lady Jess; acclaimed classical harpist Ashley Jackson; interdisciplinary performance artist Ni’Ja Whitson, opera singer and Sarasota native Thea Lobo, composer Sofía Rocha, winner of the 2022 Hermitage Prize in Composition at the Aspen Music Festival; 2022 Hermitage Major Theater Award Winner Shariffa Ali; celebrated cellist Karen Patterson, and more.

“This fifth anniversary season of ‘Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens’ promises to be an unforgettable one,” says Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. “Claire Chase and Britton Smith are two of the most dynamic artists and performers of their generation, and we are thrilled to invite audiences to share a magical evening with these Hermitage artists and more against the beautiful backdrop of these bayfront sanctuaries. This popular series has been a joyous collaboration with our friends at Selby Gardens, and we look forward welcoming new and returning audiences to experience a ‘sneak peek’ into the creative process of these extraordinary talents.” 

“We are so excited to celebrate five years of this wonderful collaboration with the Hermitage Artist Retreat,” says Selby Gardens President & CEO Jennifer Rominiecki. “Welcoming world-class Hermitage artists to our newly revitalized bayfront sanctuary in downtown Sarasota and our vibrant Historic Spanish Point campus in Osprey is something we look forward to each year. Treating Gulf Coast patrons to these special programs has been such a joy, and we are thrilled that that the ‘Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens’ series continues to flourish.”

These outdoor events are one part of many ongoing programs and collaborations planned throughout the season, spanning Sarasota County and the surrounding region. The programs feature industry-leading playwrights, visual artists, musicians, poets, choreographers, and more — all free to the members of our community with a $5/person registration fee. 

Hermitage 2024 STARs Announced

The Hermitage Artist Retreat (Sarasota County, Florida) announced today that five Florida public school arts teachers will spend part of their summer on Manasota Key while working on their own artistic endeavors. They are the recipients of the 2024 State Teachers Artist Residency program (STARs) – now in its fourteenth year – presented by the Hermitage Artist Retreat in partnership with the Florida Alliance for Arts Education (FAAE). This year’s recipients were selected from dozens of impressive applicants, and the five teachers selected from across the State of Florida include three visual arts educators working in various mediums, a musician who leads the steel band at their high school, and a theater teacher recognized for his playwriting talents. The five receive a residency at the nationally renowned Hermitage Artist Retreat, where they can focus on their own work as creative artists. These five teaching artists will present a family-friendly showcase of their work on Friday, July 12 starting at 2pm. This special event will be held throughout the Hermitage’s beachfront campus on Manasota Key; entrance at 6660 Manasota Key Road, Englewood, FL 34223. 

The program is presented in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Sarasota and Desoto Counties and the Englewood YMCA. In addition to the students and families attending from the YMCA, this Hermitage community program will be free and open to the public with a $5/person registration fee. Due to capacity limitations, registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

“These exceptional educators are also talented artists and creative minds in their own right,” says Andy Sandberg, Artistic Director and CEO of the Hermitage. “During the academic year, their attention is devoted to their students, and this has been a particularly challenging few years for educators throughout the State of Florida. The STARs program offers five distinguished teachers the opportunity to experience what leading artists from around the world have come to the Hermitage for – to focus on their craft and their creative process. Over the years, the STARs have created some stunning works of art, music, theater, dance, and literature during their time at the Hermitage. Many Hermitage teaching artist alumni have shared that this program enables them to return to their students with a new fire and passion for arts education.” 

The five recipients of this honor, selected among dozens of impressive applicants, include: Greg Burdick, a theater arts educator, director, and playwright in Central Florida (Polk County); Dealey Dansby, a sculpture and ceramics visual artist currently teaching elementary and middle school art at Carrollwood K8 in Tampa (Hillsborough County); Shaun Fergus, a passionate art instructor at Fort White Middle School (Columbia County); Dr. Kayleen Justus, Director of Steel Bands at Leon High School in the Tallahassee area (Leon County); and Vanessa Watkins, a distinguished glass artist with a focus on restoration art at Markham Woods Middle School (Seminole County). Full bios are included below.

Since the start of the Hermitage STARs program in 2011, 67 teachers have represented over 30Florida counties. These prestigious residencies culminate with a free community program, this year hosted in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Sarasota and Desoto Counties and the Englewood YMCA. 

The STARs program is one of the only Hermitage residency programs open to application; arts educators from schools throughout the State of Florida are eligible, including music, theater, visual art, dance, and creative writing teachers. For more information about the Hermitage STARs program and how to apply, Florida arts educators are encouraged to visit FAAE.org/STAR.