May 28, 2025 — New York Stage and Film (SAF) is proud to announce its 40th Anniversary Summer Season at Marist University, kicking off this July in Poughkeepsie.

For 40 years, SAF has developed over 1,000 stories that have gone on to win every major award in the industry, including the Pulitzer Prize, Tony, Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, and Obie. Audiences at SAF’s Summer Season experience these stories in their earliest stages—before they reach Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional theaters, international stages, movie theaters, or television.

In addition to John Patrick Shanley, Hansol Jung, Crystal Monee Hall, Carly Mensch and the other public facing creative teams, the 2025 Summer Season will welcome a dynamic and diverse group of artists-in-residence, including Ngozi Anyanwu, Elizabeth Archer, Sopan Deb, Ryan Dobrin, Marcus Gardley, Rebecca Gilman, Julian Hornik, Joseph Joubert, Ralph Peña, Betty Shamieh, Hannah Tobias, and Lois Walden, among others. Residency groups will also include Indigenous Voices of the Northeast and The Drama League. The season will honor recipients of the Founders’ Award, Pfaelzer Award, and Epstein Award, to be announced at a later date.

In an ongoing collaboration with Marist University, artists create and develop new stories in an academic environment which fosters freedom of expression and natural exchanges of ideas. Together, SAF and Marist are bridging academic communities with professional artists in residency programs, and collaborations with the Fashion, English, and Music Departments.

“It is thrilling to celebrate New York Stage and Film’s 40th Anniversary with an ambitious and varied lineup of some of the country’s most exciting artists,” said Artistic Director Ian Belknap. “Audiences in Poughkeepsie and the greater Hudson Valley have for forty years welcomed new stories in development before they go to stages on and Off-Broadway and theatres nationwide. I am excited for them to experience new and familiar artists as we celebrate this milestone season at our home at Marist.”

Carly Mensch, writer of Gertrude (left), and John Patrick Shanley, writer and director of The Pushover (right).

Crystal Monee Hall, musician and songwriter for Shelter (left), and Hansol Jung, writer of Backyard Boys (right).

New York Stage and Film Productions on the Marist University Campus This Summer
New York Stage and Film presents an exciting lineup of new works at the Nelly Goletti Theatre, featuring everything from fiery political satire to intimate family dramas and genre-defying musicals. Highlights include The Pushover, written and directed by John Patrick Shanley; Backyard Boys written by Hansol Jung; Vidas Privadas, a bilingual reinvention of Noël Coward’s Private Lives; Stokely, an exploration of Black Power icon Stokely Carmichael; Gertrude by Carly Mensch; and the powerful new musical Shelter, with music and lyrics by Crystal Monee Hall.

The season also features the genre-bending immersive experience The Woods, co-created by BalletCollective and celebrated Brooklyn band San Fermin. With stories that are urgent, hilarious, and deeply human, this season celebrates innovation and the transformative power of live performance.

Season Packages and Individual Tickets are now on sale!
All performances will be held at Marist University’s Poughkeepsie campus. Tickets for the presentations are now on sale. For more information and to purchase season bundles, individual tickets, and access to special events visit www.newyorkstageandfilm.org.