(GREENWOOD LAKE, NY) Greenwood Lake Theater presents a New Works Festival, featuring the works of up and coming playwrights. “Peggy (&Ben)” by Amy Jo Jackson will kick off the series on March 8, 2025 at 7:30pm. It will be followed by “They Have Become The Forest” by Aly Kantor, presented on March 9, 2025 at 4pm. These staged readings will be held at Theatre at Mountain Lake Park, 46 Bowen Road, Warwick, NY. Both performances are free to attend, and will be followed by an audience talkback session
Greenwood Lake Theater’s New Works Festival will consist of three plays total, which will be presented as staged readings. “Peggy (&Ben)” by Amy Jo Jackson (March 8, 2025) is a hilarious retelling of the story of notorious traitors Benedict Arnold and Peggy Shippen, and their plan to hand the fort of West Point over to the British during the American Revolution. This play gives an entertaining and nuanced look at two famous figures in the history of this country. “Peggy (&Ben)” will be directed by Courtney Silber. The cast includes Katherine Weatherford, Sam Laakso, Justin Hofstad, Casey Morris, Mary Virginia, Kim Rios, and Gitana Mims. “They Have Become The Forest” by Aly Kantor (March 9, 2025) is a revision of the Greek myths of Apollo & Daphne and Pan & Syrinx. The play follows the story of Daphne and Syrinx as they take part in The Hunt with Artemis. Casey Morris will direct, with Courtney Silber and Gitana Mims in the cast. The final play in the series will be “Ebony Eagles” by Crystal V. Rhodes, presented on May 4th, 2025. This play tells the story of a small newspaper in Harlem during World War II.
More details on “Ebony Eagles”, including casting, will be made available closer to the time of the performance. While these three plays will be readings (actors will have scripts in hand), they will be staged and produced to suggest what a full production of each play may look like.
This project is made possible with funds from the New York State Legislature and administered by Arts Mid-Hudson.
Katie Weatherford, Co-Artistic Director of Greenwood Lake Theater, says, “We are so excited to present these new plays. We love the classics as much as anyone! But we also want to see our art form continue to grow and evolve, and in order for that to happen, we need to help make space for new voices. These aren’t full productions, but this is such a critical step in the life of any new work. Every play you have ever seen onstage and loved had a presentation just like this, when it was put up on its feet for the first time. I am excited for our company and for our audiences to get to be a part of that.”
Greenwood Lake Theater has been presenting professional theater productions in the Hudson Valley for eight years.
For complete cast listings, tickets and more information regarding this production and all of Greenwood Lake Theater’s 2025 season, please visit www.greenwoodlaketheater.org.
