NEW YORK CITY: Little Island, a public park under construction within Hudson River Park, has announced its inaugural artists in residence for 2021 through 2023. Each artist’s residency will include performing or directing work, curating events and festivals, and engaging with the park’s community partners.
“Our artists-in-residence are Little Island’s creative collaborators, and we’re proud and excited to have this dynamic cohort of New Yorkers at the helm of our inaugural seasons,” executive director Trish Santini said in a statement. “These artists are essential to bringing our park to life.”
The artists in residence include tap dancer and choreographer Ayodele Casel; playwright and director Tina Landau; actor, singer, and music director Michael McElory; and PigPen Theatre Co.
The cohort recently served as panel reviewers to select local artists to perform in Little Island’s upcoming season.
Casel, a 2019-20 fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, grew up in Puerto Rico and is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. At Little Island, Casel will be joined by frequent collaborator Torya Beard.
Landau is a writer and director whose recent credits include the Broadway production of SpongeBob SquarePants, for which she won Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards. She is an ensemble member at Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, where she has directed over 20 productions.
McElroy most recently performed on Broadway in the 2017 revival of Sunday in the Park with George. He is the founder and musical director of Broadway Inspirational Voices and is a founding member of both Black Theatre United and Musicians United for Social Equity (MUSE).
PigPen Theatre Co. blends theatre, film, and music in their original plays, which they have performed in New York and internationally. They will soon debut their interactive theatre experience The Phantom Folktales for Virgin Voyages cruise line.
Little Island will open to the public this spring, and will feature a 700-seat amphitheatre and 200-seat theatre.
