Name: Phil Kline: Force of Nature (Crellin Park)
Start: 2026-08-15T19:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-08-15T20:00:00+00:00
Location: PS21 : Center for Contemporary Performance

Description

Force of Nature (Crellin Park) is a mobile, living sound sculpture in which YOU are the performer—roaming the contours of Crellin Park and playing the music on cassette players, portable speakers, and cell phones. The inspiration came from listening to people playing music around the neighborhood on a summer day, hearing all of the different songs and sounds at the same time, and thinking: wouldn't it be cool to orchestrate the whole thing?

Join us on Crellin Park Day as we process through the park, playing an electronic score celebrating summer and incorporating recordings of the voices of local children, including from the Columbia County Youth Theatre, coordinated by Edgar Acevedo. Everyone is welcome to participate in this celebration of community, summer, and sound!

Free & Family-Friendly

All ages are welcome—bring your friends, family, and curiosity for sound and community. No musical experience required!

To Participate

Step One:

Reservations are encouraged (or just show up at Crellin Park Day)

Step Two:

Download the FORCE OF NATURE app on Apple or Android

Step Three:

Charge and bring a bluetooth speaker linked to your phone. You can bring a cassette player and be provided with a cassette, or borrow one of Phil’s (but they will go fast!). A limited number of bluetooth speakers will be available at the event if you don’t have one.

Step Four:

Wear clothing and shoes appropriate for the weather and for walking on a summer afternoon.

Schedule

Saturday, August 15

3:00 PM Assemble in Crellin Park at the PS21 table to prepare

3:30 PM Force of Nature procession

Duration 33 minutes

Force of Nature is a music and sound art project created by legendary downtown New York composer and Spencertown resident Phil Kline, made specifically to be experienced at PS21, and now in Crelin Park. The first Force was presented in February, with over two hundred people participating (and a very cool write up in The New York Times!), followed by Force of Nature (June) for which 90 people gathered at sunrise to ring in summer on the longest day of the year. Force of Nature (Crellin Park) is a reprise of the June performance, reconceived for the fields and paths of Crellin Park.

Force of Nature app designed by Josh Parmenter.

Commissioned by PS21 : Center for Contemporary Performance.

Date & Time

Sat, Aug 15, 2026 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Venue Details

PS21 : Center for Contemporary Performance

2980 New York 66
Chatham, New York 12037

PS21 : Center for Contemporary Performance

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About PS21

A vibrant center for contemporary performance in the Hudson Valley, PS21 “presents work that challenges and invites” (The New York Times). Our adventurous productions by leading and emerging American and international artists showcase what’s new and thought-provoking in music, contemporary circus, dance, theater—and in entirely new genres. Largely supported by our generous donors, we’re a must-see, must-experience destination for performances that you won’t find anywhere else, at ticket prices that welcome all.

Photography

PS21 will take photos of this event for use in social media and on our website. The photos sometimes include audiences. Your attendance at this performance indicates you consent to appear in PS21 photography. If you would prefer not to appear in any photos, please let a staff member know, and we will be glad to accommodate your request.

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