Harold Clurman Festival for the Arts

The legacy of legendary “Elder Statesman of the American Theater” is celebrated with the Harold Clurman Festival for the Arts — a four-day festival of theater, music, poetry and symposia highlighting Clurman’s enormous impact on American culture. Created by The Studio’s artistic director Tom Oppenheim (grandson of Stella Adler and grand-stepson of Harold Clurman), the festival features a veritable who’s who in arts and letters including Zoe Caldwell, Lois Smith, Elaine Stritch, Roy Scheider, Derek Walcott, Grace Schulman, Marian Seldes, John Guare, Harold Bloom, Ronald Rand, David Amram and more.

SCHEDULE

Friday, May 5

6pm – Pre-cocktail reception followed by
6:30pm – Let There Be Art – Harold Clurman’s Life of Passion created by and starring Ronald Rand
8:15pm – Symposium discussion with Zoe Caldwell, Lois Smith, Roy Scheider and Elaine Stritch moderated by Howard Kissel. Introductions for all events will be made by Cynthia Adler and Holland Taylor.

Saturday, May 6

12:30pm – Readings by Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott and Grace Schulman with introduction by Marilyn Hacker
1:45pm – Jazz / artist / composer David Amram to perform Kazan/Amram collaborations
4:45pm – Poetry readings by Charles Wright and Martha Serpas with introductions by Harold Bloom
8pm – Special rare performance of David Mamet’s play The Woods featuring Studio Artistic Director, Tom Oppenheim and Nina Capelli
10pm – Open mic event hosted by Marian Bell and Shannon Sutherland featuring students, faculty and Alumni of the Studio

Sunday May 7

1pm – Concert by classical composer and pianist Laurence Gingold playing Aaron Copeland
2pm – Marian Seldes performs Dorothy Parker Gets The Last Word by playwright and screenwriter Ellen M. Violett, directed by James Tripp
3pm – Jazz concert by Saxophonist Ned Otter and a repeat performance of Dorothy Parker with a panel discussion, Harold the Critic, with Ronald Rand, Steven Scheuer and Ellen M. Violett
5:45pm – Dinner at The Studio honoring Steven Scheuer with the first Harold Clurman Spirit Award
7:30pm – Evening of cabaret with Elizabeth Parrish

Monday, May 8

7pm – Panel discussion with Edward Albee, John Guare, Horton Foote and Israel Horovitz on how Harold effected their lives and work and on the theater in
his time, moderated by George C. White. During the closing reception Marian Seldes will present the first ever Harold Clurman Lifetime Achievement Award to Edward Albee