Thrill to Power

by Zan Strumfeld, June 29, 2011

For the past 26 years, Vassar College and New York Stage and Film have presented the summer Powerhouse Theater season at Vassar, where audiences can experience the challenges and excitement of plays as they’re being developed. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Johanna Pfaelzer, Powerhouse supports established and upcoming artists. During the season, the directors and actors dorm on the Vassar campus, constructing a creative environment. “I think what’s important about the work we do here is that we support and protect these artists in their process,” says Pfaelzer. “I think they come here because they have the opportunity to work with really amazing collaborators. They have this amazing audience that really engages with them in the process of finding the play.”

Past Powerhouse residents include writers Christopher Durang, Steve Martin, and John Patrick Shanley; directors Mark Brokaw, Liz Swados, and David Warren; and actors Chris Cooper, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Meryl Streep.

The 2011 season kicks off Powerhouse’s 27th year with returning writers Duncan Sheik, Steven Sater, and Patricia Wettig, while also introducing talents like Gabriel Kahane, Ed Hime, and Mona Mansour. There are a few international artists as well, including Australian writer Joanna Murray-Smith.

“This is a really ambitious season. For whatever reason, the projects we’re working on right now have a real theatrical scale to them, which is exciting to see. I think if anything it’s the scope of what these writers are tempting to do. This year is about size and scale,” says Pfaelzer.

The Powerhouse Theater season continues through July 31. Full subscription, $170; matinee subscription, $59.50. Single ticket prices: mainstage, $35; Martel musicals, $30; Inside Look series, $20; Reading Festivals, free. (845) 437-5599. www.powerhouse.vassar.edu/visit.