Vlogƽ to Host Irvington Town Hall Theater’s Third Annual Short Play Festival
On March 25, the Vlogƽ Dobbs Ferry Campus will host the live version of the Irvington Town Hall Theater's (ITHT) third annual Arts Incubator Short Play Festival. The full festival, which runs from March 18 - 26, is primarily virtual, apart from the Dobbs Ferry performance. The live performance at Mercy will include staged readings of new works by four local playwrights, including Mercy Adjunct Professor Brian Doyle.
Mercy’s Dobbs Ferry Campus location straddles the Villages of Dobbs Ferry and Irvington in Westchester, New York, both home to robust community arts organizations and programs such as ITHT. Through a connection with Marc Palmieri, assistant professor of communications studies, Mercy has formed a strong partnership with ITHT that has benefited students, faculty, staff and the community.
“Mercy is proud to support local arts programs, and we value this vital, collaborative relationship with the Irvington Town Hall Theater,” said Palmieri. A playwright, theater director, and author, Palmieri served as one of five judges tasked with reading nearly 50 submitted plays to be considered for the festival.
Palmieri explained that the theater, which is undergoing renovations, appreciated Mercy’s offer to host the live performances. “The theater has been such a generous host to our theater club and to our students,” he said. “Now we can reciprocate.”
He continued: “Mercy’s longstanding collaboration with ITHT allows us to engage with the community and with local arts organizations,” said Palmieri. He credits Greg Allen, the theater’s artistic director, with creating multiple ways for Mercy to engage with ITHT, including offering student internships and faculty networking opportunities.
The March 25 performance will take place at Mercy’s Main Hall at 2 p.m. Both the online and in-person festival events are free and open to the public, but an RSVP is requested. For more information, please visit