Sag Harbor Venue Grants First Theater Residency to Local Company
The Church in Sag Harbor has signed a two-year deal with Accabonac Theater Project, giving the group dedicated space and a budget to develop original East End theater.
By Riya Zhao ·
The Church in Sag Harbor has named the Accabonac Theater Project its first official theater company-in-residence. The agreement runs from October 1, 2026, through December 31, 2027.
The residency provides the company with dedicated time and space to write, meet, collaborate, and rehearse. It also includes a modest annual budget to support their creative work.
Accabonac Theater Project was founded by Jonathan Shoemaker, Nick Weber, and Tracey Tommey McQuade. The group focuses on a hyperlocal approach to theater. They use the East End, its people, landscapes, and histories as a setting to explore themes in American life.
Sheri Pasquarella, the executive director of The Church, described the partnership in a statement. She said the venue had previously supported individual playwrights. This new arrangement allows a full company to develop work together over time. She compared The Church to a Globe Theatre, a creative home where artists can gather and experiment.
The Church has hosted individual artists in the past. James Anthony Tyler and Mfoniso Udofia have served as playwrights in residence. Udofia’s play creation stories and all the important importants recently premiered at Lincoln Center Theater. This new deal is the first time the venue has provided a long-term residency to an entire theater company.
Accabonac Theater Project has produced three staged readings and two full-length theatrical productions in the past year. These works were original productions. They included This Land Is Your Land at Hoie Hall and Signs (This Land Is My Land) at the Bridgehampton Museum Tractor Barn. The company is currently developing its next full-length production, Sanctuary, which is planned for presentation in winter 2027.
Shoemaker spent 30 years in film and television before founding the company. Weber works as a producer, director, actor, and painter. McQuade is a writer, director, actor, singer, and yoga teacher. The residency is designed to benefit both the company and the East End community by creating a consistent place to develop ideas.
