Tompkins Corners
Theater Programs

Tickets are $25 and may also be purchased at the door. Students are free.

"A Christmas Carol"
Best Storyteller in the Hudson Valley
Friday, December 6th at 7:30 pm

Tompkins Corners will welcome master storyteller Jonathan Kruk back to our stage in a dramatic solo rendition of "A Christmas Carol."

Using a treasure trove of voices and gestures, Kruk creates over thirty characters to create Dickens’ classic. The result is a singular show, intimate, and imaginative. Performing in Dickensian garb, the storyteller creates gripping vignettes with dynamic dialogue. Kruk employs his legendary eloquence and wit, quickly transforming into Scrooge, Cratchit, Marley, Tiny Tim, and all the spirits. This singular show takes you from Humbug to hope, for redemption and joy.

Mr. Kruk’s theatrical storytelling has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, The Today Show, The Travel Channel, and at countless schools, libraries, festivals, and historic sites. He was selected “Best Storyteller in the Hudson Valley,” and The New York Times describes him as having “a way with the spoken word, the telling gesture, the sprinkling of humor, and the appropriate costume for a smorgasbord of stories.”

This unique program runs just under one hour with live musical accompaniment.
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GoJo Clan Productions is a small theater company run by Albi Gorn and Robin Anne Joseph in Westchester County. The group is devoted to producing high-quality contemporary plays that use primarily local actors. Albi and Robin have each been involved in theater for 50+ years in Westchester and New York City and have won multiple awards in playwriting, acting and directing.    

Bread & Roses
Short Plays by Local Women Playwrights
Sunday, November 17th at 3:00 pm

Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread, but give us roses.
Tompkins Corners Cultural Center will present Bread & Roses, a collection of short plays by local women playwrights. These actor-driven tales, from the intimate to the outrageous, are uniquely flavored with the unmistakable sensibilities of the feminine mystique, offering a diverse and fresh perspective.

The stories that they will tell range from a divorced couple meeting in a parking lot who discover that one of their car key fobs has remarkable powers, two clouds dealing with the ephemeral nature of their existence, a woman who finally has the courage to admit to her age, a daughter confronting her elderly father on his driving, a woman approached by a stranger who tries to get her to confront her heritage, and the ordeal of trying to have a child.

Mixing comedy with more serious themes, the hope is that this production will give access to the stage to an underserved community in theater: women writers.  Produced by GoJo Clan Productions, the plays will feature local actors and are directed by local directors, almost all of whom are also women, highlighting the rich talent within our local community. 
The practice is helpful to artists of any medium, athletes seeking to sharpen instincts, and stressed-out students who want to let go and release into a simpler and more playful self. Get ready to jump in and have fun!

Acting Improv Workshop for Teens
Led by Charise Greene
Actor, director, coach, teacher and playwright
Saturday, April 20st, 11:00 am

ompkins Corners Cultural Center will offer its first Acting Improvisation Workshop for Teens, led by Charise Greene, actor, director, professional coach, teacher, and playwright.

Charise has helped young people prepare monologues for B.F.A programs, H.S. theater and professional auditions, and she has taught acting and voice/speech at universities and training programs across the U.S. She has worked as a voice/dialect coach on sets for Showtime, Amazon, Hulu, HBO, Netflix, Apple TV, NBC, CBS, and many films. She wrote and starred in the short film Off the Grid, which won Best Short at the International New York Film Festival. She also stars in Full Disclosure, which has been an official selection at fourteen film festivals and is still riding the festival circuit.

In this hour-and-a-half workshop, students will work with Charise to open the voice and body for playful improv. Relaxation, listening, responding, saying "yes," and building the blocks of story are all taught and practiced as a group in this fun and energetic class. A warm-up will be taught, and games will be employed to free up the imagination. Whether you're new to improvisation or practiced at it, this class will be like a gym for the creative mind and body.

Dirt
Play directed by Alice Jankell
Saturday, March 23rd at 7:30 pm
Sunday, March 24th at 3:00 pm

A New Play by the Putnam Theatre Alliance
All the land in Putnam County (and its mineral rights) used to belong to the Philipse family. Before that, the Wappinger people cultivated the rich soil of the Hudson River Valley for generations. The struggle for that land as it changed hands is the theme of a new play, Dirt, produced by the Putnam Theatre Alliance to reveal the little-known history of our region, which will be presented around the county in March.

Dirt arrives at Tompkins Corners Cultural Center on Saturday, March 23 at 7:30 and Sunday, March 24 at 3 pm after its opening weekend at the Philipstown Depot Theatre in Garrison March 8-10, and performances at Arts on the Lake in Kent March 15-17.

On the verge of the American Revolution, Daniel Nimham, chief of the Wappinger tribe, Mary Philipse Morris, landowner, and Cesar, a miller enslaved by the Philipse family, had to decide which side they would support in order to preserve their homes: the British rule or the American colonies. Faced with life and death choices, Mary (Maia Guest), Daniel (Dylan Carusona), and Cesar (Hasan Gray) struggle with their families and their allegiances in this professional production, directed by Alice Jankell. Other cast members include Jaz Astwood, Jolie Cloutier, Devin Gibbs, Damien Hughes and Gabriel Pages.

Dirt is the culmination of a two-year project, written by established playwrights Kate Moira Ryan, Vickie Ramirez, and Nan Nelson-Ewing. Each playwright wrote a one-act play that was previously presented in readings as Pay Dirt. Audiences responded with questions and suggestions, leading to the interweaving of the shorter plays into a single whole.
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It's a Wonderful Life
Live Radio Play
Holiday Party to Follow!
Saturday, December 16th, 2:00 pm $20

Apple Tree Productions and TCCC will present “It’s a Wonderful Life” as a live radio play by Joe Landry.

The production of this beloved holiday classic will include a cast of nine, Bill Lance on the piano, and live sound effects, replicating a live radio show circa 1946. Directed by Apple Tree founder Judy Allen, veteran cast members Chris Blossy, Elizabeth Breslin, Nancy Maloy, Joe Niola, Simon Skolnik, and Lew Zwick will be joined by newcomers Sam Bass, Isabella Bertram and Mae Rum.

Apple Tree Productions has performed “children’s theater for grown-ups too” in Putnam County and the tri-state area since 1993. Previous productions include “Jack and the Beanstalk,” “Cinderella, the Trashy Musical “ (about recycling and environmental awareness), and “Two Chinese Folk Tales” which debuted at the annual 4-H Fair in Putnam County’s Veterans Memorial Park.

The suggested donation for the performance is $20, which will include a holiday party with refreshments after the show, celebrating our volunteers who work all year long to bring our programs to the public. Tickets are available HERE or at the door. Students are always free.

A Christmas Carol
Master Storyteller Jonathan Kruk
Friday, December 1st, 7:30 pm $20

Tompkins Corners will welcome master storyteller Jonathan Kruk back to our stage in a dramatic solo rendition of "A Christmas Carol."

Using a treasure trove of voices and gestures, Kruk creates over thirty characters to create Dickens’ classic. The result is a singular show, intimate and imaginative. Performing in Dickensian garb, the storyteller creates gripping vignettes with dynamic dialogue. Kruk employs his legendary eloquence and wit, quickly transforming into Scrooge, Cratchit, Marley, Tiny Tim, and all the spirits. This singular show takes you from Humbug to hope for redemption and joy.

Mr. Kruk’s theatrical storytelling has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, The Today Show, The Travel Channel, and at countless schools, libraries, festivals, and historic sites. He was selected “Best Storyteller in the Hudson Valley,” and The New York Times describes him as having “a way with the spoken word, the telling gesture, the sprinkling of humor, and the appropriate costume for a smorgasbord of stories.”

This unique program runs just under one hour with live musical accompaniment.
In honor of Veterans Day, George and Ruth: Songs and Letters of The Spanish Civil War will be presented at Arts on the Lake in Kent on Saturday, November 11, at 7:30 pm and Sunday, November 12, at 2 pm at Tompkins Corners Cultural Center in Putnam Valley.
 
Arts on the Lake tickets are available HERE.   A percentage of proceeds will be donated to ALBA – The Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives.

 

​George and Ruth: Songs and Letters of The Spanish Civil War
Veterans' Day Program at Arts on the Lake and TCCC
Sunday, November 12th, 2:00 pm

Directed by Katie Schmidt Feder, the play is a recitation of letters between newlyweds George and Ruth Watt during George’s time as a volunteer in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. Folk songs from the period, selected and adapted by Tony Saletan, and performed by singer/guitarist, Albi Gorn accompany actors Nick Nazario and Emrigael Alpern. Photographic images from the period, including many by Robert Capa, are projected during the performance.

George’s son Dan Lynn Watt discovered the letters between his parents in 1997, and with his wife, Molly, wove them into dialogue illuminating the experiences of young Americans who volunteered to fight in the Lincoln Brigade against the Nazi-supported forces of General Franco. Ruth, who remained in New York City as both office worker and anti-war activist, provides the perspective of war’s homefront, while George's letters reveal his passionate commitment to the cause of freedom and democracy.
 
The play is “a powerful tribute to the courage and resilience of those who fought for justice and freedom during this pivotal moment in history," says Schmidt Feder. "It's a reminder of the profound sacrifices that individuals and communities make in the face of injustice and oppression.”

This version of the piece was originally produced by The Capa Space photography center in Yorktown, NY in conjunction with their This is Robert Capa! Exhibition. That exhibit is now moving to Arts on the Lake where it will be open weekends from Saturday, November 4 through Sunday, November 26. The book, Spain in Their Hearts, signed by author Adam Hochschild, will be available at a discount in both places.


Our Town
A reading by White Pond Community Arts Theater
Sunday, October 22nd, 3:00 pm

According to famed playwright Edward Albee, Our Town is “the greatest American play ever written,” illuminating the everyday lives of fictional small-town residents in the early 20th century. The reading is directed by Deborah Feinstein  of the White Pond Community Arts Center Stage theater company and includes performances by local talent.

“I’m very excited to welcome WPC Arts to our space,” said Judy Allen, director of the Theater Program at TCCC. “This is the first of what we hope will be an ongoing partnership, engaging a wider community of both performers and audience. And Thornton Wilder’s classic is the perfect way to begin.”
 
The White Pond Community Arts Center, with its successful Pied Piper Youth Theater, is developing a Center Stage theater program to include adults. Artistic Director Carolyn Nielsen, who has been involved in theater and teaching for over 40 years, plans to create fully staged productions with local talent of all ages. www.pipertheater.org.


Putnam Theatre Alliance: Pay Dirt
New Scenes

Saturday, October 14th, 5:00 pm
At the Putnam Arts Council, 521 Kennicut Hill Road, Mahopac, NY

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The Putnam Theatre Alliance will present scenes from their new play Pay Dirt. The Alliance is Arts on the Lake, the Philipstown Depot Theatre, and Tompkins Corners Cultural Center, acting as a unit to present more ambitious programming than the organizations could do on their own. Their “Pay Dirt Project” is a commissioned full-length play written by Nan-Lynn Nelson, Vickie Ramirez, and Kate Moira Ryan, and directed by Alice Jankell. 
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Pay Dirt focuses on the struggle over land in what would become Putnam County just before the American Revolution when property changed hands and soldiers changed sides with ferocity and speed. The main characters include landowner Mary Philipse, the Philipse family’s enslaved miller Cesar, and Wappinger Chief Daniel Nimham.

The presentation at the Putnam Arts Council will include key scenes, key characters, and a plan for how the production will be realized and tour the three theaters in March 2024. It is expected to last about an hour, but the gallery will remain open, and the audience will be invited to share refreshments with the producers and the diverse cast of actors. 
Those planning to attend, please reserve your place.
* Enriching Theater Programming in Putnam County. Putnam Theatre Alliance is a new collaboration of our county’s leading arts organizations: the Depot in Garrison, Arts on the Lake in Kent, and Tompkins Corners Cultural Center in Putnam Valley. The Alliance was founded in 2020, believing that together, our three small theaters can create more ambitious, daring theater projects than any one of us can do on our own -- and by doing so, we can position Putnam County as a hub for developing new, top-quality productions. The Alliance launched in 2021 with The Freedom Project, pairing 1940s radio plays with original plays on freedom and democracy. Pay Dirt builds on the success of that first initiative. 


Putnam Theatre Alliance: Pay Dirt Update
"A peek behind the curtain"

Sunday, April 16th, 3:00 pm
​Free! Refreshments will be served

The Putnam Theatre Alliance* invites you to an afternoon reception as we kick off Phase Two of PAY DIRT. Enjoy watching scenes and snippets of the play and mingle with the creative team over refreshments to explore the next steps of this developing project. ​

Last year, the Putnam Theatre Alliance commissioned three established playwrights to write three one-act plays featuring Daniel Nimham, Mary Philipse and Cesar, an enslaved miller. The three plays were presented as readings at Tompkins Corners last November. Phase Two has begun as the three writers and our director, Alice Jankell, weave the stories together to make one epic play about land struggles in the Hudson Valley just prior to the Revolutionary War.
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If you are moved to support this unfolding story of lives upended and land changing hands in the Hudson Valley, all donations will be gratefully appreciated. Our goal is to move forward with the writing and rehearsal process and to mount a fully staged production at all three theatres in March of 2024.
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The Putnam Theatre Alliance Presents
"Pay Dirt"
Sunday, November 6th, 3:00 pm

The Putnam Theatre Alliance* invites you to an afternoon reception as we kick off Phase Two of PAY DIRT on Sunday, April 16th, at 3 pm at Tompkins Corners.
Last year, the Putnam Theatre Alliance commissioned three established playwrights to write three one-act plays featuring Daniel Nimham, Mary Philipse and Cesar, an enslaved miller. The three plays were presented as readings at Tompkins Corners last November. Phase Two has begun as the three writers and our director, Alice Jankell, weave the stories together to make one epic play about land struggles in the Hudson Valley just prior to the Revolutionary War.
Enjoy watching scenes and snippets of the play and mingle with the creative team over refreshments to explore the next steps of this developing project. If you are moved to support this unfolding story of lives upended and land changing hands in the Hudson Valley, all donations will be gratefully appreciated. Our goal is to move forward with the writing and rehearsal process and to mount a fully staged production at all three theatres in March of 2024.

Click HERE for All the Details
At each step, audience input will be welcomed and greatly appreciated by the Alliance.  The reading will also be presented at Arts on the Lake in Kent on Friday, November 4th at 7:30 pm, and at the Philipstown Depot Theatre on Saturday, November 5th at 7:30 pm.
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Arm-of-the-Sea Theater presents
"ONE BLUE SKY"
Sat, October 23rd  1:00 pm
Suggested donation $10 -  Bring the kids in costume!

Enjoy this collection of visually-rich tales performed in the magical realm of mask and puppet theater. Designed to delight family audiences, this new show about humanity’s shared hopes and dilemmas was developed with support from the Jim Henson Foundation.

Now in its 28th season, Arm-of-the-Sea is an award-winning theater company whose mission is to inspire wonder, offer insight, spark joy and enrich the public imagination.  See a preview HERE.

"One blue sky above us, One ocean lapping all our shore, One earth so green and round, Who could ask for more" - Pete Seeger

A Contemporary Fable for a Changed World

Writer: Chance Muehleck
Director: Melanie S. Armer
Composer & Sound Designer: Chad Raines
Lighting Designer: Chris Rosen
Costume Designer: Tyler Carlton Williams


The Nerve Tank Presents
Saturn's Return
Fri, Aug 20 and Sat, Aug 21 at 7:30 pm


​LIVE THEATRE RETURNS TO TOMPKINS CORNERS!
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The people of Barthos are suffering. Not long ago, everyone had plenty to eat and plenty to trade. Rivers ran full of fish, crops grew without effort, and lifespans increased by decades. Then – with the disappearance of a very special prisoner – everything changed.

The story is spun by four crisscrossed souls. Each has their personal stake in the truth and each is desperate to know the full picture. Because in Barthos, what you believe is as important as who you listen to – and why.

Tompkins Corners is pleased to present The Nerve Tank’s production of Saturn’s Return, a contemporary fable about loss, sacrifice, and ordinary magic, in a site-specific performance created for our historic carriage barn. Written by Chance Muehleck and directed by Melanie S. Armer, it features acclaimed professional actors, live music, and immersive visual design.
This project was made possible, in part, through the Putnam Arts Council’s Arts Link Grant Program with public funds provided through the NY State Council on the Arts, with support from Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the NY State Legislature and with public funds from Putnam County.

Putnam Theatre Alliance

The Freedom Project
Three Exciting Pairings of Plays

The Putnam Theatre Alliance is a new collaboration among a trio of Putnam County’s leading arts organizations: Arts on the Lake, the Philipstown Depot Theatre, and Tompkins Corners Cultural Center. Our mission: Work together to deliver daring theatre to the Hudson Valley and present the region as a hub for the development of top-quality productions.

View our Press Release HERE:  Putnam Theatre Alliance Press

Part 3
"Above Suspicion"
and
More Beautiful

Streaming June 24-27

The Fourth Amendment to our Constitution guarantees “the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures.”

How does that look in 1940? In The Free Company’s play, “Above Suspicion,” directed by Donald Kimmel, a young man from Nazi Germany visiting his American relatives is terrified by a knock on the door.

And in 2021, Craig Lucas has written a brilliant response, More Beautiful, in which we see that families, like nations, can be torn apart in Civil Wars. To the drumbeat of competing news sources, one nuclear family goes nuclear. Alice Jankell directs this gem of a short play.

Tompkins Corners Cultural Center is thrilled to join the Putnam Theatre Alliance along with Arts on the Lake and the Philipstown Depot Theatre to provide the Hudson Valley with relevant, vibrant and original plays, musical performances, and events. The Freedom Project presents a series of radio plays written in 1940 paired with original plays written during the pandemic as on-screen readings.  Q&A to follow.

Part 2
Miracle of the Danube
and
Expression of Regret

Streaming June 3-6

This second Alliance streamed reading pairs The Miracle of the Danube by Maxwell Anderson written in 1940 with Expression of Regret written in 2021 by Christine Toy Johnson. Both plays directed by Jason Beckmann.

"Miracle of the Danube" cast: Annemette Andersen, Sean Cleary, Patrick Dunning, Claudia Godi and Joseph Somma.

"Expression of Regret" cast: Michelle Liu Coughlin, Diane Huey and Yan Xi.

More info at Arts on the Lake

Part 1
His Honor, the Mayor
and
The Secret Secrets of Wonderland County

Streaming May 13-16

Great theatre in the comfort of your home!

Join us for the first episode of THE FREEDOM PROJECT! 

His Honor, the Mayor, which Orson Welles wrote as a radio play in 1940, focuses on a small-town mayor who finds himself caught in a deep tension within his community when he looks to defend the rights of a fascist group that wants to hold a public meeting against the will of many of townspeople who want to stop it from taking place.

The Secret Secrets of Wonderland County a new play John Pielmeier wrote during the pandemic, follows Alice, who, in an attempt to help effect change in her community, gets lost in a twirl of bureaucratic machinations seemingly trying to keep her out.

This first episode features Peter Gerety, Shona Tucker, John Pielmeier, Linda Speziale, Robert Convertino, Nancy Maloy, Liz Keifer, Robert Lincoln, Ron Schnittker and John Christian Plummer.
Alice Jankell and Donald Kimmel direct.
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