For American Theatre, Professor Miriam Felton-Dansky Previews a New Staging of Sylvan Oswald’s Pony and Its “Honest, Poetic Conversations about Trans Experience”
Pony, a play by Sylvan Oswald that “would demand a stage world populated by a spectrum of queer and trans characters,” first premiered in 2011. Now, 11 years later, Pony returns for its second production, having evolved in that interim decade, writes Miriam Felton-Dansky, professor of theater and performance, for American Theatre. “This production also allows the play new life in the wake of revisions Oswald has made over many years in response to evolving conversations about LGBTQ+ experience,” she writes.
For American Theatre, Professor Miriam Felton-Dansky Previews a New Staging of Sylvan Oswald’s Pony and Its “Honest, Poetic Conversations about Trans Experience”
Pony, a play by Sylvan Oswald that “would demand a stage world populated by a spectrum of queer and trans characters,” first premiered in 2011. Now, 11 years later, Pony returns for its second production, having evolved in that interim decade, writes Miriam Felton-Dansky, professor of theater and performance, for American Theatre. “This production also allows the play new life in the wake of revisions Oswald has made over many years in response to evolving conversations about LGBTQ+ experience,” she writes. Another evolution, Oswald told Felton-Dansky, was in the second production’s casting, which found “enough transmasculine actors to fill the roles” and “a community ready and waiting for this play, neither of which were a given even 10 years ago.” Pony is playing now through September 4 in Portland, Maine, as part of the Portland Theater Festival.
Four Bard College students, Asyl Almaz ’24, Nandi Woodfork-Bey ’22, Grant Venable ’24, and Azriel Almodovar ’24, have been awarded highly competitive Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships by the U.S. Department of State. Gilman Scholars receive up to $5,000, or up to $8,000 if also a recipient of the Gilman Critical Need Language Award, to apply toward their study abroad or internship program costs. The recipients of this cycle’s Gilman scholarships are American undergraduate students attending 536 U.S. colleges and represent 49 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, who will study or intern in 91 countries around the globe through April 2023.
Four Bard College Students Win Prestigious Gilman International Scholarships to Study Abroad
Four Bard College students have been awarded highly competitive Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships by the U.S. Department of State. Gilman Scholars receive up to $5,000, or up to $8,000 if also a recipient of the Gilman Critical Need Language Award, to apply toward their study abroad or internship program costs. The recipients of this cycle’s Gilman scholarships are American undergraduate students attending 536 U.S. colleges and represent 49 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, who will study or intern in 91 countries around the globe through April 2023.
Computer science and Asian studies joint major Asyl Almaz ’24, from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan,has been awarded $4,000 towards her studies via Bard’s Tuition Exchange at Waseda University in Tokyo for fall 2022. “Coming from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, it has not been an easy journey immersing myself into a different culture when I moved to America for college—let alone another one. I am so incredibly grateful to receive the Gilman scholarship to be able to spend a semester in Waseda. This will ensure that I will be able to not only step foot in another country and learn so many new things about Asian history and culture, but also to be able to afford the expenses that I will have to pay there,” said Almaz.
Music and Asian studies joint major Nandi Woodfork-Bey ’22, from Sacramento, California,has been awarded $3,500 to study at the American College of Greece for fall 2022. “I’m immensely grateful to have received the Gilman Scholarship. I look forward to spending a semester abroad in Greece as I expand and diversify my studies in music and culture. Studying abroad will help me build the global and professional skills needed to succeed in my future endeavors, and I’m thankful that the Gilman program has further helped me achieve this opportunity” said Woodfork-Bey.
Theater major Grant Venable ’24, from Sherman Oaks, California, received a Gilman-DAAD scholarship andhas been awarded $5,000 to study at Bard College Berlin for fall 2022. “I am honored to be able to attend Bard College in Berlin with the help of the Gilman scholarship. This scholarship will allow me to pursue my passion for theater and challenge my work as a performance artist through my studies in Berlin,” said Venable.
Philosophy major Azriel Almodovar ’24, from Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, has been awarded $3,500 to study in Taormina, Italy on Bard’s Italian Language Intensive program in summer 2022. “Thanks to the Gilman Scholarship, I am able to study abroad with no financial issues and really take advantage of all that the Italian Intensive Program has to offer. I am very grateful for being a recipient and look forward to my time abroad,” said Almodovar.
Since the program’s establishment in 2001, over 1,350 U.S. institutions have sent more than 34,000 Gilman Scholars of diverse backgrounds to 155 countries around the globe. The program has successfully broadened U.S. participation in study abroad, while emphasizing countries and regions where fewer Americans traditionally study.
As Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said, “People-to-people exchanges bring our world closer together and convey the best of America to the world, especially to its young people.”
The late Congressman Gilman, for whom the scholarship is named, served in the House of Representatives for 30 years and chaired the House Foreign Relations Committee. When honored with the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Medal in 2002, he said, “Living and learning in a vastly different environment of another nation not only exposes our students to alternate views but adds an enriching social and cultural experience. It also provides our students with the opportunity to return home with a deeper understanding of their place in the world, encouraging them to be a contributor, rather than a spectator in the international community.”
The Gilman Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and is supported in its implementation by the Institute of International Education (IIE). To learn more, visit: gilmanscholarship.org
Theater critic for WhatsOnStage Sarah Crompton calls the UK premiere of the Bard SummerScape production of Oklahoma! “a masterpiece” and “absolutely revelatory.” Directed by Daniel Fish, the Tony Award–winning revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! originated at Bard 15 years ago.
Bard SummerScape’s Production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! Opens at the Young Vic in London to Rave Reviews
Theater critic for WhatsOnStage Sarah Crompton calls the UK premiere of the Bard SummerScape production of Oklahoma! “a masterpiece” and “absolutely revelatory.” Directed by Daniel Fish, the Tony Award–winning revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! originated at Bard 15 years ago. Crompton writes: “It’s been in Fish’s mind, being honed and refined, ever since he first mounted a student production at Bard College in New York state in 2007. It reached Broadway in 2018, and now – finally – arrives in London with two original cast members and Arthur Darvill and Anoushka Lucas leading the British contingent as Curly and Laurey, the young wannabe lovers whose romance is at the centre of the tale.”
Original cast member Patrick Vaill ’07 reprises his role as Jud Fry in the UK premiere. “Crucially, Jud Fry, usually a sinister, threatening figure is played by Patrick Vaill (who has been with the show since its student days) as a muddled misfit, sincere in his longing for a better life, desperate to be a part of things. The sadness and pain that floods his face at his perpetual rejection and the intensity of his feelings for Laurey make him a nearly tragic figure," she writes.
The London production of Oklahoma!, codirected by Daniel Fish and Jordan Fein, runs through June 25 at the Young Vic.
Patrick Vaill ’07 Returns as Jud Fry in U.K. Premiere of Oklahoma!
Patrick Vaill ’07 returns as Jud Fry for the London run of Daniel Fish’s Tony Award–winning, re-imagined, and re-orchestrated revival of Oklahoma! Vaill originated and humanized the role of Jud Fry, the play’s villain, while still a theater and performance student at Bard in Fish’s 2007 staging (commissioned by the then Director of Bard’s Theater Program JoAnne Akalaitis). When Fish then adapted the production for Bard’s 2015 SummerScape season, Vaill was cast again as Jud Fry and stayed with the production until 2020 as it went from off-Broadway to Broadway. Now, he will reprise the role in the U.K. premiere of Fish’s production at the West End's Young Vic Theatre in London. Previews start April 26, and opening night is set for May 5 with the run scheduled to continue through June 25.
“How Universes Solves a Problem Like Maria”: Steven Sapp ’89 and Mildred Ruiz-Sapp ’92 Profiled in American Theatre
Steven Sapp ’89 and Mildred Ruiz-Sapp ’92 met at Bard, fell in love, and went on to create Universes, a groundbreaking national theater company of color founded in 1995, whose members include William Ruiz ’03 (a.k.a. Ninja) and Gamal Chasten. They are currently working on a piece, titled Maria, commissioned by Long Wharf Theatre, that explores the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, as seen through the eyes of a woman who has experienced a trauma similar to that of West Side Story’s heroine Maria. “With Maria, Universes intends to reclaim the way stories about specific communities are made without their consent, not to mention stories that white culture specifically tells them they have no right to have an opinion on,” writes Jose Solís for American Theatre.
Actor Youssef Kerkour ’00 has been nominated, along with his castmates, for a 2022 Screen Actors Guild award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for his role in House of Gucci directed by Ridley Scott. Kerkour, a theater and performance major at Bard, played the legendary businessman and financier Nemir Kirdar in the film.
Marie Schleef ’14 Wins Chanel Next Prize, an International Award to Catalyse Innovation across Arts and Culture
Selected by actress Tilda Swinton, artist Cao Fei, and architect David Adjaye, Marie Schleef ’14 was named one of 10 recipients of the first Chanel Next Prize. The biennial prize awards Schleef with €100,000, devoted to a project of her choosing. Schleef’s work as a theater director and multimedia artist centers the female experience and challenges notions of the male gaze. Yana Peel, Chanel’s global head of arts and culture, said in a statement: “We extend Chanel’s deep history of cultural commitment—empowering big ideas and creating opportunities for an emerging generation of artists to imagine the next.” Also included with the prize is access to a network of mentors over the course of the next 20 months.
Fisher Center and Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College Present The Gauntlet by Artists Sxip Shirey and Coco Karol, October 15–17
An Immersive Experience of Harmony, Poetry and Gesture, Featuring 50 Singers
ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, NY—The Fisher Center LAB (Fisher Center at Bard’s residency and commissioning program) and the Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities have teamed up to develop and present a new iteration of The Gauntlet, an immersive, community-inclusive choral work from artists Sxip Shirey and CocoKarol. Performed on and around the lawn of the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, including on the Olafur Eliasson installation “the parliament of reality,” performances will take place on Friday, October 15 at 5:30 pm; Saturday, October 16 at 1 pm and 3 pm; and Sunday, October 17 at 5:30pm. Tickets are $25. Bard students may access tickets for $5 made possible by the Passloff Pass. To purchase or reserve tickets visit fishercenter.bard.edu, call 845-758-7900 (Mon–Fri 10am – 5pm), or email [email protected].
An intimate, personal experience utilizing the exterior landscapes of the Fisher Center, audiences will be led through musical corridors of sonic architecture formed by the human voice. The Gauntlet is site-specific and bespoke. Each time it is performed, it takes on a new personality that reflects the performers, community, and location in which it is experienced. This iteration explores the theme “Spaces of Freedom,” in conjunction with the Hannah Arendt Center’s annual conference “Revitalizing Democracy: Sortition, Citizen Power, and Spaces of Freedom.”
“Freedom in the sense of the power to act and speak in public spaces is at the heart of Hannah Arendt’s political thinking,” said Roger Berkowitz, Founder and Director of the Hannah Arendt Center. “For Arendt, freedom happens in a public space. The Gauntlet is so exciting because it brings people together to experience thinking about freedom in a collective space. And the setting in Olafur Eliasson’s ‘parliament of reality’ provides a context of democratic spaces in which to experience thinking about freedom to act in the practice of self-government. I can’t think of a better way to conclude the Arendt Center’s conference on ‘Revitalizing Democracy and Spaces of Freedom.’”
The libretto, written by Shirey and Karol, is comprised of text generated from 20 “movement interviews” with local activists, organizers, artists, scholars, elected officials, and citizens, conducted by Karol as a way to explore individual and collective experiences on the theme of freedom. The Gauntlet will bathe audiences in waves of harmony, poetry and gesture, sung by a choir of 50 singers, assembled from all corners of the Bard College and Hudson Valley community. Audiences are led through the performance by four dancers (Karol, Miguel Angel Guzmán, Effy Grey, and Remi Harris).
Shirey composes the score utilizing melodies and harmonies that are passed from singer to singer in a chain of exchange, creating a “gauntlet” of sound and story, exchanged through the immersive performance as audience members flow through the pathways of sound. Says Shirey about the process, “I am constantly imagining how the audience will hear these stories as a rush of words flowing by, in exchange from singer to singer. The hope is to write grounded phrases and fractile melodies that bloom the minds of the listener.”
Bard College Playwright in Residence Daaimah Mubashshir Wins Helen Merrill Award for Playwriting
Daaimah Edidi is one of six American playwrights chosen to receive the New York Community Trust’s 2021 Helen Merrill Award. Winners of the annual prize receive a cash award of $25,000. Established by theatrical agent Helen Merrill to help playwrights pursue their talents with less financial pressure, the fund has made 98 awards totaling $2.14 million since 1999.
A New Musical by Max Vernon Fisher Center, LUMA Theater2:00 pm – 3:00 pm EDT/GMT-4 In the midst of an apocalyptic disaster, six strangers take refuge at a Show & Tell event in a boarded up comic book shop, sharing stories and artifacts. This celebration of the past takes on a life of its own as the odd crew bonds, uncovering a depth of intimacy and authenticity and joy they’ve never known before. Show & Tell is an innovative, form-breaking rock musical about finding community in the face of existential fear.
Sunday, April 10, 2022
A New Musical by Max Vernon Fisher Center, LUMA Theater2:00 pm – 3:00 pm EDT/GMT-4 In the midst of an apocalyptic disaster, six strangers take refuge at a Show & Tell event in a boarded up comic book shop, sharing stories and artifacts. This celebration of the past takes on a life of its own as the odd crew bonds, uncovering a depth of intimacy and authenticity and joy they’ve never known before. Show & Tell is an innovative, form-breaking rock musical about finding community in the face of existential fear.
Saturday, April 9, 2022
A New Musical by Max Vernon Fisher Center, LUMA Theater7:30 pm – 8:30 pm EDT/GMT-4 In the midst of an apocalyptic disaster, six strangers take refuge at a Show & Tell event in a boarded up comic book shop, sharing stories and artifacts. This celebration of the past takes on a life of its own as the odd crew bonds, uncovering a depth of intimacy and authenticity and joy they’ve never known before. Show & Tell is an innovative, form-breaking rock musical about finding community in the face of existential fear.
Sunday, February 27, 2022
Fisher Center, LUMA Theater2:00 pm – 4:00 pm EST/GMT-5 A weekend of performances created by the graduating seniors of Bard’s Theater & Performance Program.
February 25 at 7:30 pm & February 26 at 2 pm Jonja Merck and Laila Perlman Charvez Johnson Michael Dolan Gavin McKenzie Dani Wilder
February 26 at 7:30 pm & February 27 at 2 pm Lily Goldman Madie Reilly and Hannah Eisendrath Judah Lang Nick Miaoulis Ogechi Egonu
Ticketing Options Performances are free and open to the public.
Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
These are live, in-person, indoor performances. Per Bard College guidance, proof of vaccination and booster for all those who are eligible will be required for admittance. All audience members must remain masked for the duration of their time at the Fisher Center.
Saturday, February 26, 2022
Fisher Center, LUMA Theater7:30 pm – 9:30 pm EST/GMT-5 A weekend of performances created by the graduating seniors of Bard’s Theater & Performance Program.
February 25 at 7:30 pm & February 26 at 2 pm Jonja Merck and Laila Perlman Charvez Johnson Michael Dolan Gavin McKenzie Dani Wilder
February 26 at 7:30 pm & February 27 at 2 pm Lily Goldman Madie Reilly and Hannah Eisendrath Judah Lang Nick Miaoulis Ogechi Egonu
Ticketing Options Performances are free and open to the public.
Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
These are live, in-person, indoor performances. Per Bard College guidance, proof of vaccination and booster for all those who are eligible will be required for admittance. All audience members must remain masked for the duration of their time at the Fisher Center.
Saturday, February 26, 2022
Fisher Center, LUMA Theater2:00 pm – 4:00 pm EST/GMT-5 A weekend of performances created by the graduating seniors of Bard’s Theater & Performance Program.
February 25 at 7:30 pm & February 26 at 2 pm Jonja Merck and Laila Perlman Charvez Johnson Michael Dolan Gavin McKenzie Dani Wilder
February 26 at 7:30 pm & February 27 at 2 pm Lily Goldman Madie Reilly and Hannah Eisendrath Judah Lang Nick Miaoulis Ogechi Egonu
Ticketing Options Performances are free and open to the public.
Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
These are live, in-person, indoor performances. Per Bard College guidance, proof of vaccination and booster for all those who are eligible will be required for admittance. All audience members must remain masked for the duration of their time at the Fisher Center.
Friday, February 25, 2022
Fisher Center, LUMA Theater7:30 pm – 9:30 pm EST/GMT-5 A weekend of performances created by the graduating seniors of Bard’s Theater & Performance Program.
February 25 at 7:30 pm & February 26 at 2 pm Jonja Merck and Laila Perlman Charvez Johnson Michael Dolan Gavin McKenzie Dani Wilder
February 26 at 7:30 pm & February 27 at 2 pm Lily Goldman Madie Reilly and Hannah Eisendrath Judah Lang Nick Miaoulis Ogechi Egonu
Ticketing Options Performances are free and open to the public.
Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
These are live, in-person, indoor performances. Per Bard College guidance, proof of vaccination and booster for all those who are eligible will be required for admittance. All audience members must remain masked for the duration of their time at the Fisher Center.