NEXT STOP, BROADWAY
Orchard Project a proving ground for new theater productions
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » More than two dozen theater productions — some might become Broadway hits — are currently under development at venues throughout the Spa City.
They include musicals, cabarets, and clown and circus shows made possible by The Orchard Project, a non-profit arts incubator, now in its third year in Saratoga Springs since moving here from Hunter Mountain in the Catskills.
World class artists-in-residence from throughout the U.S. and around the world are working hard at places such as The Arts Center on Broadway, a former school at 77 Van Dam St. and the West Side Elks Club, in the heart of the Beekman Street Arts District where Sunday’s fifth annual Arts Fair is scheduled to take place from noon to 5 p.m.
“It’s great that such highly talented people are using our facility,” said Bob Reed, Elks Club exalted ruler. “They’re using it to perfect their skills in the arts world. It’s a plus for us and our community.”
For five weeks, from Memorial Day to July 4, shows are being fine-tuned and rehearsed, with hopes of becoming commercially viable.
“Some are like an orphan looking for a parent,” said Ari Edelson, Orchard Project artistic director. “Sometimes they come here with investors already behind them.”
Since its inception, 11 year ago, the Project has provided a proving ground for 200 shows featuring 700 artists. Three have reached Broadway, including two Tony Award winners. Others have been featured off-Broadway while some have been performed in London, Tokyo, Rome and Stockholm.
The most notable production to date is the Tony Award-winning play, “All the Way,” which dealt with passage of the Civil Rights Act under President Lyndon B. Johnson. Last year, it was made into an HBO movie.
Although headquartered in New York City, Saratoga Springs is ideal for the Project’s summer residencies, Edelson said.
The Orchard Project does for theater what the Yaddo makes possible for other artists such as writers, music composers, painters and sculptors, by giving people time and space to pursue their creative interests.
In this way, it’s found a niche by rounding out the already vibrant Saratoga arts community, a major contributor to the local economy. The Project spends nearly $400,000 on venue rentals, plus the cost of lodging and meals for artists whose applications are approved.
Funding is derived from individual sponsors, mostly from metropolitan New York, although local backing is increasing, Edelson said.
Tobin Renwick and David Graham, from the Boston area, comprise a two-man acrobatics, comedy and juggling act called The Red Trouser Show. They’re primarily street performers, but are currently designing an indoor stage show with help from Director Jackie Davis.
“We’re trying to capture the feel
of an outdoor performance with spontaneity and audience interaction,” Graham said.
The Project’s timing, in June, also fills a void in the local arts calendar between the Skidmore College academic year, which ends in May, and the arrival of New York City Ballet in July.
Twenty-eight different productions were approved this year.
Performers stay for about 10 to 12 days, as the five-week Project is divided into three different sessions.
Later this month, humorist-actor Mo Rocca, a CBS Sunday Morning correspondent, will be here working on a oneman show.
Previously, Grammy Award-winning jazz musician Esperanza Spalding came to Saratoga to develop a theatrical-oriented performance.
As the Project outgrew space at Hunter Mountain, Edelson began looking for a new home elsewhere. He considered Hudson, Woodstock, Oneonta and Poughkeepsie, but his mother was from Saratoga Springs, his grandfather once owned a local pharmacy, and Edelson had spent many summers here as a youth.
“I’ve seen this community change in a good way,” he said. “It’s become an arts magnet. It was clear, Saratoga was the place to go. It’s got a lot of interesting hardware like Universal Preservation Hall, The Arts Center and Congress Park.
“I liken The Orchard Project to software,” he said. “What we do is provide a match between our software and Saratoga’s hardware. We have a lot of faith in Saratoga’s ability to accommodate us.”
During residencies, some artists make public presentations.
Last Sunday, the Project hosted a first-ever BUSK! event, featuring 15 different street performer acts at the Saratoga Heritage Visitor Center. Cabarets are planned for 8 p.m. on June 9, 17 and 23 at Putnam Den.
The Spa City is already famous far and wide for its world-class racing, history and summer classical arts offerings.
The Orchard Project is now doing the same thing with theater.
“It’s a really exciting time,” Edelson said.
For more information, go to http://www.exchangenyc.org/content/announcing-2017-orchard-project.