A native New Yorker, Ned Otter first connected with music as a child through his parents' record collection. His focus turned to jazz at the age of nine upon hearing his brother's junior high school band play the Dave Brubeck hit, Take Five. At the age of 11, Ned began his studies on the alto saxophone, switching to the tenor five years later when he began to seriously study the art of improvisation. Upon graduation from New York City's prestigious Performing Arts High School, Otter began his long and fruitful relationship with George Coleman, studying with the legendary tenor saxophonist for five years.

During those years, Ned also gigged around New York with renowned bebop trumpeter Red Rodney in the late '70s; and toured Europe and the U.S. with trumpet giant Clark Terry's Big Band in 1981. He joined Coleman's Octet in 1987, taking a brief respite in 1988 to tour the U.S. and Europe with the immortal Dizzy Gillespie's Big Band alongside another amazing tenorman, Sam Rivers and such notables as John Faddis, James Williams and Jerry Dodgion. Throughout the 1990s Ned freelanced in the U.S. and Europe with many fine artists including Cedar Walton, Shirley Scott and Junior Cook, as well as with his own groups.

The Harold Clurman Festival of the Arts will kick off with a symposium to discuss Harold Clurman, his effect on American theater, culture and the lives and work of panelists Zoe Caldwell, Roy Scheider, David Amram, Elaine Stritch and Grace Schulman. The weekend line up will include Jazz and Classical concerts with David Amram, Ned Otter, and Laurence Gingold. Poetry readings will feature Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott, Harold Bloom, Pulitzer Prize winner Charles Wright and Grace Schulman. Several Adler student productions will be featured. Ronald Rand will perform his play, Clurman. Marian Seldes will star in Ellen M. Violet's play Dorothy Parker Gets the Last Word directed by James Tripp. The festival will culminate in a playwright's symposium on Harold's effect on their life and work and on the theater of his and our time. Edward Albee, John Guare and Horton Foote will participate. Finally, Marian Seldes will present the first ever Harold Clurman Lifetime Achievement Award to Mr. Albee.

The central goal of The Harold Clurman Festival for the Arts is to articulate the mission of The Stella Adler Studio of Acting - Growth as an actor and growth as a human being are synonymous. The Stella Adler Studio of Acting is dedicated to the perpetuation of this idea, so elemental to the life, work and spirit of Stella Adler. Our mission is to create an environment with the purpose of nurturing theatre artists who value humanity, their own and others, as their first and most precious priority while providing art and education to the greater community.

HAROLD CLURMAN FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS SCHEDULE

Friday, May 5 - Monday, May 8, 2006
• At The Stella Adler Studio of Acting, 31 W. 27th St., New York City

Friday, May 5, 2006
• 6:30pm Ronald Rand in Let It Be Art! - Harold Clurman's Life of Passion!
• 8:15pm Symposium - Harold Clurman's affect on theater and art with panelists Roy Scheider, Zoe Caldwell, Lois Smith, Elaine Stritch, moderated by Howard Kissel

Saturday, May 6, 2006
• 12:30pm Poetry reading with Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott and Grace Schulman
• 1:45pm David Amram plays Kazan/Amram collaborations (with the grand finale Anatolian spontaneous dance with students improvising on the spot as they did a year ago)
• 4:45pm Harold Bloom will introduce a poetry reading with Charles Wright and Martha Serpas
• 8pm The Harold Clurman Laboratory presents a staged reading of "From Elizabeth to Betsy" by Elizabeth Parrish

Sunday, May 7, 2006
• 1pm Laurence Gingold, pianist, playing Aaron Copeland
• 2pm Marian Seldes in a reading of Ellen M. Violett's play Dorothy Parker Gets the Last Word with Elizabeth Parrish and Joby Earle, directed by James Tripp
• 3pm Ned Otter, Jazz Music
• 4:15pm Marian Seldes in a reading of Ellen M. Violett's play Dorothy Parker Gets the Last Word followed by a panel discussion
• 5:45pm Harold Clurman Lab Theater presents Robert Collier Sublett in Calacas
• 7:30pm Ellen Adler presents the inaugural Harold Clurman Spirit Award to Steven Scheuer

Monday, May 8, 2006
• 7pm Symposium - Harold Clurman's affect on playwrights with panelists Edward Albee, John Guare, Horton Foote, Israel Horovitz
• 8:30pm Marian Seldes presents the inaugural Harold Clurman Lifetime Achievment Award to Edward Albee

Proceeds from this event will benefit The Stella Adler Studio Scholarship and Building Funds. The Stella Adler Studio of Acting is a 501(c)3 not for profit organization. Visit website for tickets or other information: www.stellaadler.com