Forestburgh Playhouse has gathered a group of Broadway favorites for the upcoming return of its annual In the Works~In the Woods Festival, bringing staged readings, musicals, and other special events to the upstate New York company September 5-7. Lou Liberatore, Luba Mason, Philippe Arroyo, Julia Knitel, Ryann Redmond, Neal Lerner, Colin Hanlon, Shereen Ahmed, Jerry Mitchell, and Natasha Katz will all be on hand for this year's programming.

Chandler Hubbard's Telling of the Bees, about a rural family given a chance at redemption a decade after a tragedy, will perform September 5-6, with Casey Stangl directing. Liberatore (Burn This), Mason (Girl From the North Country), Jared Reinfeldt (Capote vs. The Swans), Scott Keyes, Ryan Wesley Stinnett, and Taylor Hadsell will perform.

The Enlightenment of Percival von Schmootz, a new musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Christopher Dimond and Michael Kooman, will perform September 6-7. Ashley Rodbro will direct the work, which centers on an optimist working to put an end to the Dark Ages, only to find disaster at every turn. The cast will feature & Juliet star Arroyo (soon to be back on the New York stage in the upcoming Off-Broadway revival of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Knitel (Dead Outlaw), Redmond (Frozen), Dennis Cao, James Schultz, and Nicole Zelka. Cynthia Meng will music direct.

Book of Wonders, a new TYA (theatre for young audiences) musical by Kate Brennan and David Lee White, will also perform September 6-7, with a cast featuring Valeria Aceves, Anthony Cangiamila, Max V. Gallagher, Lane LaVonne, Corinne Prudente, Andrea Strickler, and James Wong. The work follows a young girl searching for the missing Storyteller, usually tasked with lulling her community to sleep. Roque Berlanga will direct, with musical direction by Erik Wakar.

Neal Lerner will perform his new solo play, What Would Meryl Do?, September 7, with Colin Hanlon directing. The comic work sees Lerner playing multiple roles in a tale of a man living in upstate New York who begins teaching a class on how to live like his favorite multi-Academy Award winner.

The festival's late-night musical salon Catskills Cab Lab will return September 6 and 7, with Broadway favorites premiering solo cabarets. Scheduled to perform are Robert Anthony Jones and Ahmed, with Jeremy Gold Kronenberg and Jen Waldman directing and Andrew David Sotomayor at the keys. The festival will also feature Off the Cuff Conversations, featuring talks with Tony-winning director-choreographer Mitchell (BOOP!) and Tony-winning lighting designer Katz (Sweeney Todd).

“It is thrilling to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the In the Works~In the Woods Festival at the Forestburgh Playhouse,” says Producing Artistic Director Franklin Trapp in a statement. “We couldn't be prouder that a Festival that nurtures new works is thriving. Past Festival works are growing and reaching new audiences and in this fifth year, we anticipate an equally exciting array of artists and works to present.”

“Our wonderfully unique, Catskills-grown theatre festival is turning five in ’25—and the word is out!” adds Festival Artistic Director Matt Lenz. “Each year the In The Works~In The Woods Festival grows in reputation, recognition, and scope. Providing a supportive, creative environment and a nurturing leg-up to these terrific and worthy new works gets more and more gratifying every year. Once again, we are loaded up with innovative and entertaining new plays and musicals for our fifth anniversary.”

Tickets are at FBPlayhouse.org.