FORESTBURGH, NY — Nathan Salstone, Rachel Gold, Kyle Scatliffe and many more star performers have been announced for the In the Works ~ In the Woods festival at the Forestburgh Playhouse from Friday, September 6 to Sunday, September 8.
The fourth annual festival is overseen by producing artistic director Franklin Trapp, Broadway veteran festival artistic director Matt Lenz and associate festival director Anthony C. Daniel.
The festival will present staged readings. Start with “Palimpsest,” a new play by Alix Sobler and directed by Emily Young. It will be performed on September 6 and 7.
The comedy looks at who gets to tell what story, what it means to create art based on real events, and what we owe each other when it comes to telling the truth.
It stars Anna Sundberg, Lou Liberatore, Luis Vega, Molly O’Brien and more.
On September 7 and 8, you can see “Rebel Genius,” with book, music and lyrics by Matthew Puckett and directed by Noah Himmelstein. The music director is Nicholas James Connell.
The play is a story about a love affair between Albert Einstein and Mileva Maric, who risk everything to find a perfect theory of the universe. It features Nathan Salstone, Rachel Gold, Kyle Scatliffe, Robert Anthony Jones, Emily Esposito, Richard Brundage and more.
“Roja,” a new musical for young audiences by Jaime Lozano and Tommy Newman (both from “El Otro Oz”) is directed by Florencia Cuenca and will also be read through on September 7 and 8.
Fusing traditional Mexican folk music and Mestizo folklore, “Roja” offers a new twist on the Little Red Riding Hood story. At the edge of the desert in Northern Mexico, Roja rescues a mischievous, magical coyote who offers her the chance to see her father again. What follows is described as an enchanting journey of love, loss and resilience. Featuring Mayelah Barrera, Mario Tadeo, Daniela Delahuerta, Yahir Montes and Max Cervantes.
On September 8, Broadway veteran Michael Mastro presents a solo show titled “I Want To Be Good,” directed by Jack Cummings III (Drama Desk and Obie-winning Transport Group Artistic Director).
In the summer of ’75, a small-town altar boy with Broadway dreams struggles to balance two relationships: one with God and the other with the superstar priest who’s just arrived at Sacred Heart Church.
Catskills Cab Lab returns on September 6 and 8 with Tony Award nominee Sidney DuPont and TikTok sensation Alyssa Payne. DuPont serves as a guiding voice through the life and legacy of icon Sammy Davis Jr. And Payne’s show, titled “Extra Crispy,” showcases her original songs.
“Off-the-Cuff Conversations” are held with prominent theatre professionals. The impromptu discussions about their careers and the creative process feature Bill Berloni, Tony honoree, advocate and author of “Broadway Tails.” You’ll also hear Rick Elice, a Tony-nominated playwright known for “Jersey Boys,” “Water for Elephants,” and “Peter and the Starctacher” as well as Joan Marcus, Tony honoree and Broadway photographer.
Festival sponsors include the Sullivan Catskills Visitors Association, the Jeff Hunter Charitable Trust, Catskills Brewery, Do Good Spirits, the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance, Vintus Wines and Spirits NY and Kristt Kelly Office Systems.
The Forestburgh Playhouse is located at 39 Forestburgh Rd.
For festival passports and tickets, visit fbplayhouse.org/itw or call 845/794-1194.