Nestled on the bank of the Hudson River, about 90 minutes north of Manhattan, there is a hub for philosophizing, music-making and learning. This is the campus of Marist College, but come summertime, it’s also the site of New York Stage and Film, a nonprofit incubator of new plays, musicals, dance pieces and screenplays.
While it is rare for an organization to accept both theater and film, New York Stage and Film (NYSAF) has served as a development ground across disciplines since its founding in 1985. “Our three founders, [Mark Linn-Baker, Max Mayer and Leslie Urdang] were all multi-hyphenates — actor, director, producer, writer — working in theater and film,” said NYSAF’s interim artistic director Liz Carlson. “So they wanted a space where the two could coexist and process.”
The annual summer season is the crux of NYSAF’s work, with theatrical workshops, concerts and readings (culminating in public presentations), private filmmakers’ workshops as well as organizational and individual residencies. Starting in 2023, NYSAF became the home for dance development through the “Stories That Move” initiative, thanks to funding from the Robbins Foundation. Throughout the year, NYSAF also provides development opportunities in New York City. But the summer is what makes NYSAF unique.
