Musical Theater favorite Joe Iconis at the keys
in directing from Yale University and worked in the
New York theatre scene before coming to Weston.
The New Works Program, which has been supported
by various foundations, the National Endowment for
the Arts, and others, began about 15 years ago and is
now nationally recognized. It provides artists with a
quiet place to work away from New York. Grounded
in the belief that time and space are essential to cre-
ativity, the program welcomes new ideas expressed in
various performing arts.
The 2016 New Music Award winner, Kirsten Child,
saw her western musical open at New York’s Play-
wrights Horizons’ Mainstage Theater in 2017, and two
writers from previous artist retreats at Weston recent-
ly won the American Theatre Wing Jonathan Larson
Grants award.
In 2018, Weston inaugurated its Fall New Works
Festival, which provides a stage for projects that are
ready for a first encounter with an audience. Artists
come to Weston for four days of rehearsal before a
ticketed staged reading of their work. Several projects
participate in the festival, which generates conversa-
tion between artists and audiences. “We like to nur-
ture the curiosity and interest that are the hallmark
of our community by sharing unique points of view
and styles of work,” Susanna explains. That’s why af-
ter each reading a member of Weston’s artistic staff
leads a conversation with the audience that produces
dialogue about questions raised by the work’s subject
matter.
Weston offers artist retreats for up to 10 artists who
are working on projects during a fully funded week-
long retreat, which aims to give artists the necessary
time and space to discover, process, and develop
their work. Artists receive support from the theater’s
artistic staff and can request technical and material
resources specific to their creative needs. At the end
of the week, artists are invited to share a selection of
their work and process in a free showing for Weston’s
audience. The Weston Playhouse’s commitment to
establishing a genuinely comprehensive Center for
the Arts is also reflected in their educational
programs for students of all ages. The elementary
school program “Early Stages” brings artists to K–5
classrooms to lead students in
performing
selections
from
material
based
68