Tompkins Corners
Theater Programs
Bread and Roses is a collection of short plays by local women playwrights. Mixing comedy with some more serious themes, the hope is that this production will give access to the stage to an under-served community in theater, women writers.
The plays will feature local actors and are directed by local directors, almost all of whom are also women. The stories that we 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. The evening will range from the intimate to the outrageous in these actor-driven tales flavored with the unmistakable sensibilities of the feminine mystique. |
Bread & Roses
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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!
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Acting Improv Workshop for Teens
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Dirt
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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. |
It's a Wonderful Life
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A Christmas Carol
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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. |
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. |
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Putnam Theatre Alliance: Pay Dirt
New Scenes
Saturday, October 14th, 5:00 pm
At the Putnam Arts Council, 521 Kennicut Hill Road, Mahopac, NY
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.
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.
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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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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 |
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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.
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
View our Press Release HERE: Putnam Theatre Alliance Press
Part 3
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Part 2
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Part 1
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