Palm Beach ArtsPaper staff
DELRAY BEACH — Boca Stage, the independent theater company founded by Keith Garsson, will relocate to the black box theater at the Delray Beach Playhouse in October.
Boca Stage, formerly known as Primal Forces, has been notable for bringing offbeat, little-known plays to South Florida. Its past four seasons have been presented at the Sol Theatre in Boca Raton. The company said its subscriber base and attendance have expanded, and the move to Delray Beach will give it more than 140 seats, as opposed to 70.
“We are very grateful to Kevin Barrett and the staff at Delray Beach Playhouse for this opportunity to co-produce our works in a bigger venue,” Garsson said in a prepared statement. “We are anxious to provide additional quality productions to add to this historic venue.”
Boca Stage’s 2023-24 season opens with Frederick Knott’s Wait Until Dark (Oct. 27-Nov. 5), followed by Boeing Boeing (Jan. 19-28), a 1960s French farce by Marc Camoletti. The season closes with Ken Levine’s America’s Sexiest Couple (April 19-28).
Cultural Council seeks Artist Ambassadors
LAKE WORTH BEACH — In order to reach more of Palm Beach County’s artistic community, the Cultural Council is looking for four creative professionals to serve as liaisons.
The Artist Ambassadors would represent the fields of dance, music, theater and literature. They would serve two-year terms from Sept. 15 of this year to Sept. 15, 2025. The positions, which would require about four hours of commitment each month, would designate the ambassadors to keep the council informed about major developments in each artistic sector they represent.
“We’re delighted to launch our inaugural Artist Ambassadors program with a specific focus on performing artists,” said Jessica Ransom, the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County’s director of artist services, in a prepared statement. “We have a lot of support for visual artists through the Cultural Council’s galleries, and we wanted to make sure that we’re also supporting our other creative professionals in as many ways as we can.”
The deadline to apply for the ambassadorships, which pay $1,000 a year, is Aug. 25. Interested persons should have 10 years’ experience in their field and be a current Palm Beach County resident.
For more information about other qualifications, and to apply, please visit www.palmbeachculture.com/artist-news/call-for-artist-ambassadors.
Seraphic Fire director to lead Opera Lafayette
MIAMI — Patrick Dupré Quigley, who founded the Seraphic Fire concert choir 20 years ago, has been named artistic director designate of Opera Lafayette.
Washington, D.C.-based Opera Lafayette bills itself as “the pre-eminent American interpreter and producer of period-instrument opera from the 17th through the 19th centuries.” The company, which presents seasons in Washington and New York, was founded in 1995 by Ryan Brown, who is stepping down in the 2025-26 season.
Quigley will remain the artistic director of Seraphic Fire, which during the season presents concerts at St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church in Boca Raton.
“This is a step that all great conductors take in their careers, and we couldn’t be more thrilled,” said Bob Brinker, Seraphic Fire’s treasurer, and Diane Ashley, the group’s secretary, in a prepared statement. “We look forward to supporting Patrick as he embarks on this exciting new opportunity and exploring opportunities to partner with Opera Lafayette.”
Seraphic Fire’s 2023-24 season opens Nov. 5 at St. Gregory’s with a concert of music from Jean-Philippe Rameau’s opera Castor et Pollux. Also scheduled this season are concerts featuring sacred madrigals of the German Baroque, works by Alessandro and Domenico Scarlatti, and the choir’s popular Christmas program.
For more information, visit seraphicfire.org.