Category: Residents

New Program on December 18 at Bookstore1 Features Joseph Earl Thomas

The Hermitage Artist Retreat announces a new December program. This newly announced event, “The Fantasy of Reality,” is scheduled for Thursday, December 18th at 6pm, at Bookstore1 in downtown Sarasota. “The Fantasy of Reality” features award-winning Hermitage Fellow Joseph Earl Thomas, who straddles form, from memoir and nonfiction to fiction and poetry. Thomas is celebrated for his distinctive style that often pushes expectations, and his work often plays with the boundaries between fantasy and reality. His memoir Sink was hailed as “extraordinary” by The New York Times. Past Hermitage Fellow and National Book Award winner Justin Torres said Thomas’ novel God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer “reads like direct communication from the soul.” Thomas’ Hermitage Residency is generously sponsored by Georgia Court. 

Joseph Earl Thomas is the author of several published books, including Sink, a memoir, longlisted for the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award and shortlisted for the Patrick Saroyan International Writing Prize; the novel God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer, longlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Literary Excellence, finalist for the LA Times Art Seidenbaum Award, and winner of the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize; and the forthcoming story collection Leviathan Beach. Thomas’ prose and poetry have been published or are forthcoming in The Kenyon Review, The Paris Review, The Verge, Harper’s, Virginia Quarterly Review, Vanity Fair, The Yale Review, TheMassachusetts Review, and Dilettante Army. A graduate of Notre Dame’s MFA program in prose, he earned his PhD in English from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the writing faculty at Sarah Lawrence College as well as low residency MFA programs at Holy Family and Randolph Colleges, Thomas teaches courses in Black Studies, Poetics, Video Games, Queer Theory and more at the Brooklyn Institute for Social Research.

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

Nov. 20 Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens Features Migdalia Cruz and Lauren Marcus

The Hermitage Artist Retreat announces the newest program in its “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” series, an ongoing partnership with Marie Selby Botanical Gardens that was established six years ago. This new program, “An Evening of Scenes & Songs,” is scheduled for Thursday, November 20th at 5:30pm, at Historic Spanish Point in Osprey. “An Evening of Scenes & Songs” features two stand-out theater dynamos – Migdalia Cruz, honored as a “legacy” by the DGF Legacy Playwrights Initiative, and Lauren Marcus, hailed as a “rock star” by BroadwayWorld. Join us as these artists share excerpts from their original work in this memorable sunset program.

This newly announced event features original work from the latest Hermitage-Roundabout Fellow, Migdalia Cruz. Tony Award-winning Roundabout Theatre Company is the nation’s largest not-for-profit theater with a celebrated history of producing iconic works for nearly 60 years. The Hermitage-Roundabout partnership is designed to further the Hermitage’s mission to inspire and foster the most influential and culturally consequential art and artists of our time. This collaboration provides an opportunity for some of the theater world’s most exciting new voices to explore their work at the Hermitage before a potential production at one of the country’s most prestigious theatrical institutions.

In addition to being a Hermitage-Roundabout Fellow and a DGF Legacy Playwright, Migdalia Cruz is a Bronx-born writer, lyricist, translator, and librettist with over 60 works performed in 150 venues in 12 countries. Her awards include the NEA, McKnight, NYSCA, TCG/Pew, and the 2013 Helen Merrill Distinguished Playwright. Cruz’s voice was nurtured by her mentor María Irene Fornés at INTAR and her eight-year residency at Latino Chicago Theater Company. She co-chairs the DGF Playwriting Fellows, mentors the Latinx Playwrights’ Circle, and has taught at Princeton, NYU, IU and as founding member of the Fornés Institute’s Playwriting Workshop. Migdalia is an alumna of New Dramatists, a member of the Tent Theater for “Vintage” playwrights, and she is recognized in Analola Santana’s book as one of the Fifty Key Figures in Latinx and Latin American Theater.

Hermitage Fellow Lauren Marcus is a multihyphenate actor-singer-writer whose work has been seen on stage, screen, and across acclaimed music venues throughout New York City. She is known for her Broadway run in the original cast of Be More Chill and recently brought the house down every night in the Off-Broadway premiere of The Jonathan Larson Project. Lauren is currently co-writing the book for a new musical adaptation of the 1985 film Girls Just Want to Have Fun (based on the 1985 Sarah Jessica Parker film) for Lively McCabe Entertainment. She is a recipient of the Penn State New Musical Theatre Initiative Commission, a two-time finalist for the Jonathan Larson Grant, and developed her original television pilot at New York Stage & Film. Lauren’s original musical, Lauren and The Case of The Missing Hair(book/music/lyrics), is a Relentless Award semifinalist and has received readings from Two River Theater and NYC’s legendary Power Station. As a singer-songwriter, Lauren released her debut EP, Never Really Done With You, in 2016. She recently held two sold-out residencies at Rockwood Music Hall, and is currently finishing her first full-length album. Lauren is an alumnus of the Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriters Project. She holds a Bachelor of Music from New York University and a Master of Arts from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

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

Hermitage Sunsets @ Benderson Park Features 2025 Hermitage Cross Arts Collaborative Fellows

The Hermitage Artist Retreat announces the newest program in its “Hermitage Sunsets @ Benderson Park” series, an ongoing partnership with Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy that was established in 2023. The new program, presented in partnership with ensembleNewSRQ and Key Chorale, is scheduled for Wednesday, December 3rd at 5pm, featuring Shawn Allison, a musician, composer, and frequent collaborator with ensembleNewSRQ; and Tom Lubben, a performer, musician, and member of the Lubben Brothers, a folk trio developing music with Key Chorale. Both talented artists were selected for the fourth year of the Hermitage Cross Arts Collaborative program, supporting Sarasota’s thriving arts scene by offering performing artists at collaborating institutions the gift of time and space to focus on generating new works of their own creation. The Hermitage Cross Arts Collaborative, made possible with generous support from the Koski Family Foundation, is designed to give frequent performers and company members from leading Sarasota arts organizations a chance to expand their artistic practice from ‘performer’ to ‘creator.’

Shawn Allison’s compositions have been described as “playful and inventive” (Chicago Sun-Times), “vividly imagistic” (Lucid Culture), “smartly crafted,” “lyrical, otherworldly,” and “intriguing” (Chicago Classical Review). Shawn seeks to connect listeners to shared emotional spaces via evocative images and symbols with mythical significance. He and his wife, pianist Abbey Allison, serve together as music co-directors at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greater Naples, and he is currently a visiting professor at Florida Gulf Coast University. 

Tom Lubben, along with his two triplet brothers, is a founding member of The Lubben Brothers, musicians pioneering original music rich in lyrical sensitivity, vocal harmonies, and the timeless, multicultural American folk tradition. For the past several years, Tom Lubben has collaborated with Joseph Caulkins and Key Chorale to create the musical program “American Storytellers,” which resurrects iconic moments in American popular music and celebrates their timelessness and relevancy. The focus of this project reaches the deepest roots of what made the Lubben Brothers who they are and has become one of the most rewarding projects Tom has adopted. Lubben has also written book, lyrics, and music for several musicals, and he has created many arrangements for he and his brothers to perform. With deep roots both in the Celtic and classical worlds, the Lubben Brothers tour nationally and have a growing catalogue of music streaming on every digital platform.

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

Hermitage Presents Orlando (FL) by HMTA winner Chris Bush in London

The Hermitage Artist Retreat today released photos from the workshop presentation of newly commissioned work by Chris Bush, the fourth recipient of the $35,000 Hermitage Major Theater Award (HMTA).

Photo Link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/ohl8b98skxybvqwuq69t5/AApNMOJHjaljJuu7A2bZvwc?rlkey=cpy7wdd4yjj4hlj5307fr8ofb&st=t55517r0&dl=0

On October 10th, Bush shared a London workshop presentation of her newly commissioned play Orlando (FL), with support from the National Theatre New Work Department. Chris Bush is an award-winning playwright, lyricist, and theater-maker based in the United Kingdom. Her comprehensive body of work includes Standing at the Sky’s Edge, which won her an Olivier Award and a UK Theatre Award for Best Musical. 

The Hermitage Major Theater Award was established in 2021 to recognize a playwright or theater artist with a substantial commission to create a new, original, and impactful piece of theater. This international, jury-selected award, established by the Hermitage with generous support from Flora Major and the Kutya Major Foundation, offers one of the largest unrestricted nonprofit theater commissions. Bush received a cash prize of $35,000, as well as a residency at the Hermitage Artist Retreat (Sarasota County, Florida), plus a developmental workshop and reading in London. The prize is intended to bridge the connection between the Hermitage, where the commission is born, and other leading arts and culture centers around the world, including London, New York, Chicago, and notable arts capitals where great theater is frequently developed and presented. 

Chris Bush’s Orlando (FL) is a story of transformation, translation, and resistance. This London workshop reading was directed by Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg (Operation Epsilon, Shida). The cast included Fisayo Akinade (The Crucible, Heartstopper); Olivier Award winner Matthew Kelly (Stars in Their Eyes, Game for a Laugh); Lesley Lemon (Rare Earth Mettle); Serena Manteghi (The Diplomat, The Hound of the Baskervilles); Fizz Sinclair (Chris Bush’s Other Land, The Simple Life & Death, Modest), Cherrelle Skeete (Alterations, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child);  Eleanor Sutton (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Jane Eyre, Amadeus), Olivier Award nominee Laura Pitt–Pulford (Chris Bush’s Standing at the Sky’s Edge, Sunset Boulevard), and EM Williams (Captain Corelli’s Mandolin).

HMTA winners are nominated and selected by a jury of recognized arts leaders in the field of theater. The 2024 Award Committee that selected Chris Bush included Michael Grandage, Tony and Olivier-Award winning director of stage and screen, former Artistic Director of the Donmar Warehouse, and current Artistic Director of the Michael Grandage Company; Tessa Ross, CBE and BAFTA Award-winning Co-CEO of House Productions; and Indhu Rubasingham, Director of the National Theatre, Olivier Award-winning director, and former Artistic Director of the Kiln Theatre.

Previous recipients of the Hermitage Major Theater Award include Madeleine George, Shariffa Ali, and Imani Uzuri. California-based playwright Naomi Iizuka was announced in January as the fifth recipient of the HMTA. The Hermitage will present a workshop reading of her original commission in Chicago in the fall of 2026.

Hermitage Presents New Play Commission from Hermitage Major Theater Award Winner Chris Bush

The Hermitage Artist Retreat announced today that the Hermitage, with support from the National Theatre New Work Department, will present a London workshop of the newly commissioned play Orlando (FL), written by Olivier Award winner Chris Bush (Standing at the Sky’s Edge), the 2024 recipient of the Hermitage Major Theater Award (HMTA). This will be the first London workshop presented by the Hermitage, and the invitation-only presentation will be directed by Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg (Operation Epsilon).

Chris Bush is an award-winning playwright, lyricist, and theater maker based in the United Kingdom. Her comprehensive body of work includes Standing at the Sky’s Edge, which won her an Olivier Award and a UK Theatre Award for Best Musical. Following sold-out runs at the National Theatre and Sheffield Theatres, the acclaimed production transferred to the West End, where it was described as “the most exciting new British musical in years” (WhatsOnStage) and heralded as “a moving and resonant piece of popular entertainment — magnificent and meaningful” (The Times). This was followed by the premiere of Chris Bush’s play Other Land at the Almeida Theatre. Raised in Sheffield, England, Chris Bush currently lives in London. The Hermitage present this reading of Bush’s new play Orlando (FL) to an invitation-only audience. Her original commission is coming to fruition less than two years from the date the recipient learned of her recognition. 

In addition to serving as Artistic Director and CEO of the Hermitage, Andy Sandberg is a director, writer, and Tony Award-winning producer whose theatrical work has been represented in New York, London, and throughout the U.S. He has directed the U.K. premieres of Alan Brody’s Operation Epsilon (Southwark Playhouse) and Jeannette Bayardelle’s Shida (The Vaults), earning multiple Off West End Award nominations, including Best Director and Best Musical. Additional world premieres as director in New York include Straight (Off-Broadway, NY Times Critics’ Pick); Application Pending (also co-author; BroadwayWorld Award: Best Off-Broadway Play, Drama Desk nom., Book Pipeline Prize); Operation Epsilon (four IRNE Awards, including Best Play, Best Director); Shida (Ars Nova and A.R.T., four AUDELCO noms., including Best Director, Best Musical); Craving for Travel (also co-author); and The Last Smoker in America, among others.

Chris Bush’s Orlando (FL) is a story of transformation, translation, and resistance – a queer fantasia set against a backdrop of rising hate, and a funny, furious, and defiant testament to the power of literature and the importance of community. The play commences on November 5th, 2024. It’s Lana’s 29th birthday. There’s some other ‘stuff’ going on tonight as well, but she’s trying her best to ignore it. Lana is a young trans woman in Orlando, Florida, dreaming of stardom and living in denial. Then crashing into her life headfirst comes Orlando, the freewheeling, gender-switching protagonist of Woolf’s iconic novel. Orlando is sexy, confident, unguarded – when Lana is with her, another world seems possible.

The Hermitage Major Theater Award was established in 2021 to recognize a playwright or theater artist with a substantial commission to create a new, original, and impactful piece of theater. This national, jury-selected award, established by the Hermitage with generous support from Flora Major and the Kutya Major Foundation, offers one of the largest nonprofit theater commissions in the country. Bush receives a cash prize of $35,000, as well as a residency at the Hermitage Artist Retreat (Sarasota County, Florida), plus a developmental workshop and reading in London. The prize is intended to bridge the connection between the Hermitage, where the commission is born, and other leading arts and culture centers around the world, including London, New York, Chicago, and notable arts capitals where great theater is frequently developed and presented. 

HMTA winners are nominated and selected by a jury of recognized arts leaders in the field of theater. The 2024 Award Committee that selected Chris Bush included Michael Grandage, Tony and Olivier-Award winning director of stage and screen, former Artistic Director of the Donmar Warehouse, and current Artistic Director of the Michael Grandage Company; Tessa Ross, CBE and BAFTA Award-winning Co-CEO of House Productions; and Indhu Rubasingham, Director of the National Theatre, Olivier Award-winning director, and former Artistic Director of the Kiln Theatre.

“It is truly an honor to be working with Chris Bush and the National Theatre to present the first workshop of Chris’ extraordinary play Orlando (FL),” said Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. “It has been thrilling to see the work that’s come to life from past HMTA recipients Madeleine George, Shariffa Ali, and Imani Uzuri and it is incredibly exciting to be seeing Chris Bush’s original play now coming to fruition. Chris is an extraordinary talent, and it’s a privilege to play a role in supporting her artistic journey. We must also thank Flora Major for making this opportunity possible, and our brilliant jury for introducing Chris to the Hermitage.”

Casting for the first workshop of Orlando (FL) includes actors of stage and screen, including FisayoAkinade (The Crucible, Heartstopper); Olivier Award winner Matthew Kelly (Stars in Their Eyes, Game for a Laugh); Lesley Lemon (Rare Earth Mettle); Serena Manteghi (The Diplomat, The Hound of the Baskervilles); Fizz Sinclair (Chris Bush’s Other Land, The Simple Life & Death Modest), Cherrelle Skeete (Alterations, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child); Eleanor Sutton (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Jane Eyre, Amadeus), Olivier Award nominee Laura Pitt–Pulford (Chris Bush’s Standing at the Sky’s Edge, Sunset Boulevard), and EM Williams (Captain Corelli’s Mandolin).

Upon announcing Bush as the fourth recipient of the HMTA, 2024 Award Committee member Michael Grandage said, “The Hermitage Major Theater Award is an incredible opportunity for an artist to develop their craft “and Chris Bush is a hugely talented playwright who has already demonstrated that big ideas can change the world.” National Theater Director Indhu Rubasingham added, “Chris Bush is an artist the theater world cannot ignore, and this award from the Hermitage offers her the opportunity to make a work that is deeply personal… a powerful play that I can’t wait to see.” HMTA juror Tessa Ross shared, “Chris is an exciting, brave writer, and we feel very proud to be able to support the next stage of her journey with this wonderful award.” 

Three distinguished finalists for the fourth Hermitage Major Theater Award included Natasha Gordon,an Olivier Award-nominated British playwright and actor of Jamaican descent, whose play Nine Nightenjoyed a sold-out run at the National Theatre before transferring to Trafalgar Studios; Beth Steel, an award-winning playwright whose new play Till the Stars Come Down recently transferred from the National Theatre to the West End; and Sam Steiner, an accomplished playwright and screenwriter whose West End play Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons has been performed all over the world. Each finalist has been awarded a Hermitage residency and Fellowship, in addition to a cash prize of $1,500.

Past recipients of the Hermitage Major Theater Award include Madeleine George (2021), who is a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her play The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence, and served as a writer and producer for Hulu’s hit series “Only Murders in the Building.” George presented the first full-length reading of her new play The Sore Loser New York’s MCC Theater in 2023. Theater-maker and director Shariffa Aliwas selected as the second recipient of the Hermitage Major Theater Award. Ali shared an in-process presentation of her newly devised work Hero for an invitation-only audience in late 2023, also at MCC Theater. Imani Uzuri, the third HMTA recipient, is a composer, vocalist, librettist, improviser, and lyricist. The Hermitage collaborated with New York Theatre Workshop in 2024 to present this concert reading of Uzuri’s new musical Lighthouse of the Singing Birds. California-based playwright Naomi Iizuka was announced in January as the fifth recipient of the Hermitage Major Theater Award. The Hermitage will present a workshop reading of her original commission in Chicago in the fall of 2026. 

Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens 2025-2026 Dates

The Hermitage Artist Retreat’s popular series, “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens,” continues into its sixth year as part of the Hermitage’s upcoming 2025-2026 season. The outdoor series — a celebrated collaboration between the Hermitage Artist Retreat 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. 

Newly announced dates for this sixth season of “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” include:

  • Thursday, October 23, 2025, Downtown Sarasota campus
  • Thursday November 20, 2025, Historic Spanish Point campus
  • Thursday January 29, 2026, Downtown Sarasota campus
  • Thursday February 19, 2026, Historic Spanish Point campus
  • Thursday, March 5, 2026, Downtown Sarasota campus
  • Thursday, May 7, 2026, Downtown Sarasota campus

Start times vary with sunset and will be announced when each event opens for registration. Admission for these events has no ticket cost, though availability is subject to capacity limitations at each venue; 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 2023 Hermitage Greenfield Prize finalist Britton Smith, internationally celebrated flutist Claire Chase, world-renowned pianist and composer Vijay Iyer, Tony Award-nominated Broadway performer Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, West End composer and lyricist Mark Sonnenblick, acclaimed singer-songwriter Julian Hornik, and 2025 Hermitage Greenfield Prize Winner and sound artist Rucyl Mills. 

Previous seasons of “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” have included Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Michael R. Jackson; celebrated mime and storyteller Bill Bowers; internationally renowned composer and singer Kavita Shah; award-winning Chicago playwright Terry Guest; Kleban Prize winner César Alvarez, world-renowned violinist and Beyoncé collaborator Lady Jess; Hermitage Curatorial Council member Nataki Garrett; acclaimed classical harpist Ashley Jackson; interdisciplinary performance artist Ni’Ja Whitson; opera singer and Sarasota native Thea Lobo; composer Sofía Rocha, winner of the Hermitage Prize in Composition at the Aspen Music Festival; Tony Award-winning Broadway producer Tom Kirdahy; Hermitage Major Theater Award Winner Shariffa Ali; celebrated cellist Karen Patterson; award-winning flutist Emi Ferguson with classical composer Jim Stephenson; and more.

“This sixth season of ‘Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens’ promises to be another memorable one,” says Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. “Last year’s programming was instrumental in lifting our community’s spirits after the impacts of an unprecedented hurricane season. The forthcoming lineup will once again introduce audiences to some of the most dynamic artists and performers of our generation – six magical evenings set against the backdrop of these beautiful 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 our leading artists, writers, and performers. 

“We are so excited to celebrate six years of this wonderful collaboration with the Hermitage Artist Retreat,” says Selby Gardens President & CEO Jennifer Rominiecki. “Welcoming world-class Hermitage artists to our expanded bayfront sanctuary at our Downtown Sarasota and vibrant Historic Spanish Point campuses 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, Charlotte County, Manatee County, Lee 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 Announces Fourth Year of “Cross Arts Collaborative”

The Hermitage Artist Retreat is pleased to announce the fourth season of the Sarasota Cross Arts Collaborative, made possible once more with generous support from the Koski Family Foundation. This initiative is designed to give frequent performers and company members from leading Sarasota arts organizations a chance to expand their artistic practice from ‘performer’ to ‘creator.’

As with previous years, the Hermitage is awarding Cross Arts Collaborative residencies to artists from two selected partner institutions. This program is designed to inspire and encourage generative work created by some of the best and brightest in our vibrant performing arts community. Artists are invited by their respective organizations to submit proposals for consideration; finalists are then submitted to the Hermitage for consideration, and recipients are selected in consultation with current or past members of the Hermitage Curatorial Council. This year’s Cross Arts proposal review was led by world renowned flutist, Hermitage alumna, and former Curatorial Council member Claire Chase. Hermitage audiences had the opportunity to hear Chase perform in December at a Hermitage program held at Historic Spanish Point.

In the fourth season of the Hermitage’s Cross Arts Collaborative, this distinguished honor has been awarded to Shawn Allison, a musician, composer, and frequent performer with ensembleNewSRQ; and Tom Lubben, a performer, musician, and member of The Lubben Brothers, a folk trio developing music with Key Chorale. Recipients of the Cross Arts Collaborative Fellowship will receive two weeks of uninterrupted time at the Hermitage Artist Retreat on Manasota Key to develop a new generative project, and excerpts from their original work will then be shared with the Sarasota community in a free public program this December. This year’s program will be presented by the Hermitage at Nathan Benderson Park, in collaboration with ensembleNewSRQ and Key Chorale. The program highlighting the work of Shawn Allison and Tom Lubben will be held on Wednesday, December 3rd at 5pm, following their summer residencies at the Hermitage. Registration for this program will open at a later date.

The inaugural season of the Hermitage Cross Arts Collaborative in 2022 awarded this opportunity to Derric Gobourne, Jr. of Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe and Tsebiyah Mishael Derry through Florida Studio Theatre. In the second year of this initiative, the Hermitage hosted Lizzie Hagstedt, a musician, soundscape designer, and frequent collaborator with Asolo Repertory Theatre, and Jessica Obiedzinski, a dancer and longstanding company member of Sarasota Contemporary Dance. The 2024 Hermitage Cross Arts Collaborative Fellows were Raleigh Mosely II, a frequent performer with Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, and Anthony Barrese, a conductor, composer, and frequent guest artist of Sarasota Opera.

While the Hermitage’s nationally renowned residency program brings leading artists from across the country and around the world to create work on its beachfront Manasota Key campus, the Hermitage also seeks to enrich the incredible and growing arts scene in Sarasota, as showcased by performing arts institutions such as ensembleNewSRQ and Key Chorale. 

“This program is designed to offer a one-of-a-kind opportunity to some of the leading artists in Sarasota, creating space for a talented artist or performer to focus on being a generative artist,” said Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. “We know there are musicians, actors, dancers, and performing artists working amidst our circle of frequent collaborators who have passion projects waiting in the wings. This could be an actor writing a play between production contracts, a musician composing a symphony after rehearsals, a dancer yearning to expand into choreography, or someone looking to work across an entirely new genre. This residency is designed for an artist who is hungry to expand their creative practice and explore a new hat within the arts and entertainment space.” Sandberg added that the Cross Arts Collaborative initiative would not be possible without the generous support of the Koski Family Foundation, longtime supporters and champions of the Hermitage.

“We are delighted that composer Shawn Allison has been selected as the recipient of the Cross Arts Collaborative residency,” said Samantha Bennett and George Nickson, Co-Artistic Directors of ensembleNewSRQ. “This partnership with the Hermitage offers a rare and meaningful opportunity to support boundary-pushing artistic voices like Shawn’s. His creative, multidisciplinary approach to composition and his desire to blend sound and storytelling through literary influence make him an ideal fit for this Hermitage residency, and we are excited to see how his work evolves through this unique collaborative platform.” 

Shawn Allison’s compositions have been described as “playful and inventive” (Chicago Sun-Times), “vividly imagistic” (Lucid Culture), “smartly crafted,” “lyrical, otherworldly,” and “intriguing” (Chicago Classical Review). Shawn seeks to connect listeners to shared emotional spaces via evocative images and symbols with mythical significance. He and his wife, pianist Abbey Allison, serve together as music co-directors at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greater Naples, and he is currently a visiting professor at Florida Gulf Coast University. 

“Key Chorale is thrilled to be partnering with the Hermitage through their Cross Arts Collaborative initiative,” said Joseph Caulkins, Artistic Director of Key Chorale. “This residency experience gives artists the space and time to create meaningful art. Having worked with performer and arranger Tom Lubben over the years, I know the music he creates with his time at the Hermitage will be well received. His project expands on our American Roots series in ways that will educate as well as entertain, exploring the origins of folk music in America and tracing their roots from the 40s into the early 70s. I am certain this residency will bring about great art from this exceptional artist. We are honored to be part of this initiative and looking forward to the fruits to come!”

Tom Lubben, along with his two triplet brothers, is a founding member of The Lubben Brothers, musicians pioneering original music rich in lyrical sensitivity, vocal harmonies, and the timeless, multicultural American folk tradition. For the past several years, Tom Lubben has collaborated with Joseph Caulkins and Key Chorale to create a musical program, American Storytellers, that resurrects iconic moments in American popular music and celebrates their timelessness and relevancy. The focus of this project reaches the deepest roots of what made The Lubben Brothers who they are, and has become one of the most rewarding projects Tom has adopted. Lubben has also written book, lyrics, and music for several musicals, and he has created many arrangements for he and his brothers to perform. With deep roots both in the Celtic and classical worlds, The Lubben Brothers tour nationally and have a growing catalogue of music streaming on every digital platform. 

The Hermitage’s December 3rd Cross Arts Collaborative program will open for registration in September. All 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. Due to capacity limitations, registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

Fifteenth Season of Hermitage STARs Announced

The Hermitage Artist Retreat (Sarasota County, Florida) announced today that three 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 2025 State Teachers Artist Residency program (STARs) – now in its fifteenth 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 three teachers selected from across the State of Florida include two visual arts educators and a theater teacher recognized for her playwriting talents. These three artists receive a residency at the nationally renowned Hermitage Artist Retreat, where they can focus on their own work as creative artists. These teaching artists will present a family-friendly showcase of their work on Friday, July 11 starting at 11:30am. This special event will be held at the Englewood YMCA, by invitation only for the students in the community. 

The program is presented in partnership with the Englewood YMCA. This special Hermitage program will be offered to the summer students at the YMCA.

“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. The STARs program offers these 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 from counties across Florida 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 three recipients of this year’s honor, selected among dozens of impressive applicants, include:Jennifer Bennett, a theater arts educator, actor, director, and playwright (Seminole County); Abbey Kish, a drawing instructor whose work focuses on printmaking, drawing, and photography (Orange County); and Emma Olivia Chandler, a metalsmith, artist, and arts educator at Blake High School  (Hillsborough County). Full bios are included below.

Since the start of the Hermitage STARs program in 2011, 70 teachers have represented over 30Florida counties. These prestigious residencies culminate with a free student program hosted in partnership with 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 https://www.faae.org/star.

Hermitage 2025 STARs Teaching Artist Bios

Jennifer Bennett (Seminole County, Florida) is a theater arts educator, actor, director, and playwright originally from Miami, Florida. She has been teaching theater for over twenty years, focusing on building creativity, community, and audaciousness in her students. She has directed at the Orlando International Fringe Festival and Breakthrough Theatre. Favorite acting roles include Mistress Quickly (The Merry Wives of Windsor), Ivy Weston (August: Osage County), and Deliverance Hobbs (A Salem Story). Her most recent project, Florida School Board Meeting, premiered at New Play Festival at Breakthrough Theatre, where it sold out both shows and was invited back for a longer run. Jennifer lives in Orlando, Florida. 

Abbey Kish (Orange County, Florida) is an artist and art educator based in central Florida. A drawing instructor with Orange County Public Schools, Abbey’s artistic work combines photography, printmaking, and drawing, often through cyanotype. She has participated in juried exhibitions locally and nationally, including the Florida Printmakers Biennial in Miami, Mise en Abyme in Tampa, and Remarque Printmaking in New Mexico. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Abbey’s work is influenced by the region’s rust-belt history, as well as themes of memory and the past’s impact on the present. Her expressive work is created intuitively, with a focus on mark marking, movement, and energy in her compositions. She holds degrees in Printmaking and Art Education from Kent State University. Abbey continues to share her passion for art through community workshops at the Maitland Art Center, and she has been teaching art in Orange County Public Schools for nearly ten years.

Emma Olivia Chandler (Hillsborough County, Florida) is a metalsmith, artist, and arts educator at Blake High School in Hillsborough County. Her first experience with saw-and-torch was at Blake High in Tampa, where she now teaches the next generation of metalsmiths. She holds an MA in Metals + Jewelry from Ball State University and an MFA in Metal from SUNY New Paltz. Her artwork explores nature, history, and folklore, illuminating their commonalities. She fabricates contemporary heirlooms, translating ephemeral objects such as clouds, maple pods, and cicadas into wearable sculpture. Carapaces of insects, brittle bird bones, and shards of pottery are noticed, retrieved, and pored over – as fodder for the next works of art.

Hermitage Welcomes Ellen Sandor to Board of Trustees; Carole Crosby Continues as President

Stephanie Jones Steps into Role of Vice President, and David Green Named Emeritus Trustee

The Hermitage Artist Retreat (Sarasota County, Florida) announced today that Ellen Sandor (Sarasota / Chicago) has been elected to the Hermitage Board of Trustees, commencing her term on July 1, 2025. In addition, longtime Hermitage trustee David Green has been recognized with the distinguished honor of Emeritus Trustee. Carole Crosby has been elected to continue as President, with Stephanie Jones newly stepping into the role of Vice President. Steve Adler and Sondra Biller will continue as Hermitage Board Treasurer and Secretary, respectively. 

The addition of Ellen Sandor to the Hermitage Board follows a season that has been defined by its resilience in the aftermath of the 2024 hurricanes. Despite ongoing recovery efforts, the Hermitage has successfully presented dozens of live programs and events throughout the region, introduced multiple new and expanded arts and education partnerships, and delivered more commission premieres than ever before.

“We are excited to be welcoming Ellen Sandor to the Hermitage Board, and thrilled for Stephanie Jones to be stepping into the role of Vice President,” says Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. “Our trustees are the Hermitage’s most vibrant champions, and their passion for the mission and future of the organization is truly inspiring. Ellen’s experience, passion, and thoughtful creativity will be invaluable to the organization’s continued growth and success. We are also delighted to have Stephanie Jones stepping into her new role as Vice President, and forever grateful to Carole Crosby for her inspiring and tireless leadership as President.”

“It is truly an honor to welcome Ellen Sandor to our Board, in addition to welcoming Stephanie Jones and David Green into their new roles as Vice President and Emeritus Trustee,” added Board President Carole Crosby. “Even in the face of great challenges this season, Andy’s vision for the Hermitage and the passionate team he has assembled continue to elevate the organization to new heights. I look forward to working with our exceptional Board of Trustees to ensure a bright future for the organization, creating a lasting impact in our community and our culture.”

Splitting her time between Sarasota and Chicago, Ellen Sandor is a new media artist and Founding Director of (art)n, with works in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution, Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, International Center of Photography, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, and Victoria & Albert Museum. She holds an honorary doctorate from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and she is a Life Trustee Emeritus at the Art Institute of Chicago. Sandor’s board service includes Eyebeam, American Friends Musée d’Orsay et de L’Orangerie, Asolo Repertory Theatre, and the Ringling Museum of Art, and as longtime chair of Gene Siskel Film Center, Sandor received the Outstanding Leadership Award. She is also co-founder of the Richard and Ellen Sandor Family Collection.

David Green is the Hermitage’s newest Emeritus Trustee, joining Larry Bold, Tom Dignam, Andy Maass, and Nelda Thompson. This designation was created to recognize long-serving trustees who have gone above and beyond in their service to the organization and who continue to champion its mission. Green has served for nine years on the Hermitage Board, including six years as Vice President. As a member of the Executive Committee and the Governance Committee, Green has worked closely with Andy Sandberg and three recent presidents – Carole Crosby, Robyn Citrin, and Leslie Edwards – in shaping the organization’s strategic plan, in addition to playing a key role in community and government relations. 

“David Green’s service to the Hermitage has been – and continues to be – invaluable,” said Sandberg. “His thoughtful intelligence, strategic insight, and deep love of the Hermitage mission have helped the organization to achieve new heights. We are truly grateful to have David in the Hermitage family, and we’re thrilled that he will continue to serve as an Emeritus Trustee.”

The Hermitage’s Board Officers for the 2025-2026 season are Carole Crosby, President; Stephanie Jones, Vice President; Steve Adler, Treasurer; and Sondra Biller, Secretary. The Hermitage Board of Trustees also includes Ellen Berman (Chair of Governance), Christine Boone, Terry Brackett, Maryann Casey, Robyn Citrin (Past President), Marletta Darnall, Leslie Edwards (Past President), Tim Flood, Tina Shao Napoli, Peter Offringa, Liz Richardson, Ellen Sandor*, Edward M. Swan, Jr., Mary Lou Winnick, Doug Wright, and Andy Sandberg, Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO (ex-officio). *Indicates New Trustee

Emeritus Trustees include Larry Bold, Tom Dignam, David Green, Andy Maass, and Nelda Thompson. Honorary Trustees include Charlie Huisking and Flora Major.

Hermitage Artist Retreat Announces Dates for 2025-2026 Benefit Events

The Hermitage Artist Retreat (Sarasota County, Florida) announced today that the annual Hermitage Artful Lobster benefit will be held on Saturday, November 8th, 2025, from 11:30am to 2pm on Manasota Key. Now in its 17th year, this signature outdoor event raises valuable funds for the Hermitage’s renowned artist residency program. The Artful Lobster is the only Hermitage benefit to take place on the grounds of the historic Gulf front campus – outdoors beneath a large tent – located at 6660 Manasota Key Road in Englewood. Michael’s On East offers a delicious lobster feast, with performances from award-winning Hermitage Fellows. Past artists who have shared their talents at this popular event include internationally renowned flutist Claire Chase, Tony Award nominee Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, acclaimed string quartet ETHEL, celebrated musical theater composer Adam Gwon, Grammy Award-nominated music director and composer Rona Siddiqui, acclaimed violinist Daniel Bernard Roumain, and more.

The 18th annual Hermitage Greenfield Prize Dinner will be held on Sunday, April 12th, 2026, starting at 6pm at Michael’s On East in downtown Sarasota. This elegant annual dinner heralds the jury-selected recipient of this prestigious prize, which will be awarded next season in the discipline of visual art. 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 visual art, theater, and music. The 2026 HGP winner’s newly commissioned work will have its first public presentation in Sarasota in the spring of 2028. Past performers at this event have included Tony Award-winning Hermitage Fellows Gavin Creel and Rachel Bay Jones, Tony Award nominee Eden Espinosa, Grammy Award-winning classical musicians, and more. 

Sponsorship information and additional details for both events will be announced at a later date. For early sponsorship inquiries, call (941) 475-2098, Ext. 2.

Past recipients of the Hermitage Greenfield Prize include: Rucyl Mills, sound artist/composer (2025); Deepa Purohit, playwright (2024); Sandy Rodriguez, visual artist (2023); Rennie Harris, dancer/choreographer (2023); Angélica Negrón, composer (2022); Aleshea Harris, playwright (2021); Helga Davis, composer/performer (2019); Martyna Majok, playwright (2018); David Burnett, photojournalist (2017); Coco Fusco, interdisciplinary artist (2016); Bobby Previte, composer/drummer (2015); Nilo Cruz, playwright (2014); Trenton Doyle Hancock, visual artist (2013); Vijay Iyer, composer/pianist (2012); John Guare, playwright (2011); Sanford Biggers, visual artist (2010); Craig Lucas, playwright (2009); and Eve Beglarian, composer (2009).