Since its inception in 1992, the State Theatre’s annual Artist-in-Residence program has given the gift of the performing arts— music, dance, and storytelling—to over 41,000 people throughout central New Jersey. From classrooms to boardrooms, homeless shelters to libraries, this innovative program takes talented and dynamic performers to places where the arts rarely go. In 45-minute “informances” for small groups (on the average, around 50 people), the residency artist connects with a diverse public, building bridges to the community through the arts. The friendly, relaxed atmosphere of these gatherings transforms even the most unlikely of places—employee lunchroom, church basement, school gymnasium, or senior center—into an impromptu arts arena where the performer establishes an intimate rapport with the audience that is often impossible in a more formal setting. In sharing her talents with people of all ages and backgrounds throughout the local community, artist-in-residence Glenis Redmond makes new friends for performance poetry and for the State Theatre.

The three-week residency culminates in the State Theatre’s Urban Arts Festival, a day-long celebration of the poetry, music, dance, and art that emerges from our urban centers. The festival, featuring Glenis Redmond, the Mayhem Poets, and dozens of local artists and student performers, is Saturday, May 23 from noon to 9 pm. Tickets or advance reservations are not required for this free festival.