New York Stage and Film

New York Stage and Film (NYSAF) is a not-for-profit theatre and film organization founded in 1985 by Mark Linn-Baker, Max Mayer and Leslie Urdang to provide both emerging and established artists with a rigorous and nurturing environment. Committed to artistic process, to promoting collaboration between artistic peers and between artists and audiences, and to facilitating the sharing of knowledge from one artistic generation to the next, New York Stage and Film over the past 39 years has grown into an organization that The New York Times has referred to as, “a formidable breeding ground for new work.”

History
Through their dedication to artists and new works, NYSAF has established itself as a vital cultural institution for residents of the Hudson Valley and the New York metropolitan region. Dozens of notable works trace their developmental roots to NYSAF, including: the Tony Award-winning Hamilton (Lin-Manuel Miranda), Hadestown (Anaïs Mitchell), The Humans (Stephen Karam), Doubt (John Patrick Shanley); OBIE Award winning The Invisible Hand (Ayad Akhtar), Pulitzer-finalists The Wolves (Sarah DeLappe) and Taylor Mac’s A 24-Decade History of Popular Music; Broadway musicals Head Over Heels, American Idiot, Bright Star; Off-Broadway’s The Fortress of Solitude (Michael Friedman and Itamar Moses), Sanctuary City (Martyna Majok); the award-winning Peanut Butter Falcon (Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz); multiple collaborations with Ngozi Anyanwu, Jocelyn Bioh, Halley Feiffer, Zach Helm, Beth Henley, Warren Leight, Mozhan Marnó, Billy Porter, Brian Quijada, Josh Radnor, Duncan Sheik, Steven Sater; and hundreds more.

From its inception in 1985 through the 2022 Summer Season, NYSAF and Vassar College partnered to produce the annual Powerhouse Summer Season in Poughkeepsie, NY. In the 2010s, NYSAF expanded its commitment to serving artistic process by supporting regular programming in New York City throughout the calendar year. As the world changed in 2020, they adapted their resources to meet the evolving needs of their community, and expanded their partnerships in the Hudson Valley to include Marist College and other local businesses and educational institutions.

In 2023, NYSAF entered a dedicated, multi-year collaboration with Marist College in order to expand upon the year-round resources and services they could provide for artists developing new work in theater, film and television in the Hudson Valley and New York City, while also opening up significant new educational programs and experiential learning opportunities for Marist students and other early-career professionals. The Summer Season at Marist College, annually supports and brings together over 250 artists, 60 projects, and over 2,000 audience members for a work-in-process experience.

Johanna Pfaelzer was named NYSAF's first Artistic Director in 2007, having first worked with the company as the Managing Producer in 1998, and later as a Producing Director. In 2019, Johanna stepped down from her post and handed the reins to Christopher Burney, NYSAF's second Artistic Director. In November of 2022, Liz Carlson succeeded Burney as the Interim Artistic Director, after a 15-year relationship with NYSAF as an artist and producer, including a 7-year term as the year-round Artistic Producer.

Founders award
Recipients of the annual Founders' Award for Emerging Playwrights include:
 * 2010 Eric Bernat
 * 2011 Jonathan Caren
 * 2012 Don Nguyen
 * 2013 Sarah Gancher
 * 2014 Suzanne Heathcote
 * 2015 Harrison David Rivers
 * 2016 Max Vernon
 * 2017 Ngozi Anyanwu
 * 2018 Khat Knotahaiku
 * 2019 Keelay Gipson
 * 2020 Kirya Traber
 * 2021 jeremy o'brian
 * 2022 Nissy Aya
 * 2023 UGBA

Pfaelzer Award
Recipients of the annual Pfaelzer Award, created in celebration and honor of NYSAF’s first Artistic Director’s 20-year commitment, include:


 * 2020 Estefanía Fadul
 * 2021 Elisa Bocanegra
 * 2022 Dawn Monique Williams
 * 2023 JaMeeka Holloway