LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Chris Silva upon the occasion of his
designation for special recognition by the Exchange Club of Southern
Dutchess on May 8, 2012

WHEREAS, Individuals who give of their time and energies and serve the
best interests of their communities are an asset beyond remuneration and
cannot be sufficiently extolled; and
WHEREAS, Chris Silva has given not only of his time and energies but
also of his competence, intelligence and leadership and consequently has
been designated for special honor; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Chris Silva
upon the occasion of his designation for special recognition by the
Exchange Club of Southern Dutchess, to be celebrated at its 44th Annual
Meritorious Award breakfast on Tuesday, May 8, 2012, at the Poughkeepsie
Grand Hotel, Poughkeepsie, New York; and
WHEREAS, A major force in the regional theatre movement, in 1972 Chris
Silva graduated from San Francisco State College and immediately founded
the Eureka Theatre in a San Francisco commune; and
WHEREAS, While Chris Silva was artistic director, the theatre
presented west coast premieres of works by Sam Shepard, Athol Fugard,
Bertolt Brecht and Mark Medoff, among others; the theatre went on to
present the world premiere of Tony Kushner's "Angels in America"; and
WHEREAS, Chris Silva moved to New York City in 1978, and was hired by
Joe Papp's Public Theatre as Associate Director on the premiere of Sam
Shepard's "Curse of the Starving Class," which received an Obie Award as
Best Play; and
WHEREAS, The following year Chris Silva produced the United States
premiere of Nobel Prize winner Dario Fo's "We Won't Pay, We Won't Pay!"
which received the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Play; and
WHEREAS, Later that year, with several partners, Chris Silva took over
the management of the Chelsea Theatre Center in mid-town Manhattan,
forming the Westside Arts Theatre, a three theatre commercial off-Broad-
way complex which saw the premieres of Chris Durang's "Sister Mary Igna-
tius Explains it All for You," William Finn and James Lapine's "March of
the Falsettos," Farrah Fawcett in "Extremities," and "Penn & Teller,"
among many other plays and musicals; and
WHEREAS, In the early 1980s, Chris Silva founded a non-profit arm of
the Westside Arts Theatre called New Writers at the Westside where he
developed new works for scores of playwrights, including Arthur Miller,
David Mamet, Wallace Shawn and Donald Margulies; and
WHEREAS, In 1983, Chris Silva became supervising director on Sam
Shepard's "Fool For Love"; the play received three Obie Awards including
Best Play with a cast that included Ed Harris, Kathy Baker and Bruce
Willis; and
WHEREAS, At this time, Chris Silva also became Program Director for
New Dramatists, the nation's oldest playwrights' service organization,
where he helped to develop the plays of 40 member writers, including
August Wilson and John Patrick Shanley; and
WHEREAS, In 1985, Chris Silva became supervising director on Sam
Shepard's "A Lie of the Mind" which received the New York Critics
Circle, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Play; and
WHEREAS, In 1989, Chris Silva produced and directed Casey Kurtti's
play "Three Ways Home," which starred Mary McDonald, Malcolm-Jamal
Warner and S. Epatha Merkerson; and
WHEREAS, "Three Ways Home" was purchased by Columbia Pictures, and
shortly after the sale, Chris Silva moved with his family to Ulster
County; and

WHEREAS, In the early 1990s, Chris Silva freelanced as a producer and
director in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco and also partic-
ipated in festivals in Cuba, Berlin and Sundance, Utah; and
WHEREAS, In 1993, Chris Silva completed "MIA: Missing in America," a
short film about homeless veterans featuring Anne Meara; it premiered at
the Los Angeles International Film Festival, received an Award of
Special Merit from the Vermont EarthPeace Festival and an Excellence in
the Arts Award from the Vietnam Veterans of America; and
WHEREAS, A year later, Chris Silva became Executive Director of the
Bardavon 1869 Opera House in Poughkeepsie, New York; and
WHEREAS, Since arriving at the Bardavon, Chris Silva has overseen the
theatre's dramatic growth and the completion of capital projects; and
WHEREAS, Besides presenting illustrious artists as diverse as Itzhak
Perlman, Al Pacino, Patti LaBelle and Bob Dylan, Chris Silva has estab-
lished major events outside the theatre's walls, including the Hudson
River Arts Festival, Celebration of Lights and Kids Expo and has spear-
headed the expansion of the theatre's community outreach, daytime chil-
dren's programming and in-school residencies; and
WHEREAS, In 1999, Chris Silva oversaw the rescue from bankruptcy of
the region's oldest professional symphony orchestra, the Hudson Valley
Philharmonic, which the Bardavon now manages and presents; and
WHEREAS, In 2002, the Bardavon was honored to receive New York State's
highest cultural recognition, the Governor's Arts Award; and
WHEREAS, In May of 2006, the Bardavon took over the management and
operation of the Ulster Performing Arts Center (UPAC) in Kingston, New
York and is currently presenting in both venues; and
WHEREAS, Chris Silva and Bardavon Production Manager, Stephen LaMarca,
were operating consultants for two years during the creation of the
Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, New York, and they currently
serve as program and marketing consultants for the Mahaiwe Performing
Arts Center in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, and as operating
consultants during the development phase of the soon to be renovated
Ritz Theater in Newburgh, New York; and
WHEREAS, Chris Silva has been called upon to contribute his time and
talents to countless civic and charitable endeavors and has always given
of himself unstintingly; and
WHEREAS, Throughout the entire period of his community service, a
period of constructive involvement, Chris Silva has stood constant in
dignity, good grace and humor; and
WHEREAS, Rare indeed is the impressive dedication shown by an individ-
ual for the benefit of others which Chris Silva has displayed throughout
his life; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that those who
enhance the quality of life in their community and have shown a long and
sustained commitment to the maintenance of high standards in their
profession, certainly have earned the recognition and applause of all
the citizens of this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Chris Silva upon the occasion of his designation for special
recognition by the Exchange Club of Southern Dutchess on May 8, 2012;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Chris Silva.