Stissing Center 2024 Season Program

2024 Season

2950 Church Street, Pine Plains, NY 12567 thestissingcenter.org 2022 Season Program — 1

STISSING CENTER FOR ARTS AND CULTURE

Director of Programming

Liz Raum Chamber Music Director

Local Produce Director

Sophia Zhou

Darrah Cloud

Lighting Engineer Barry Cohen

Sound Engineer Trevor Kowalski

Steinway Piano on loan from Bindy Kaye

STISSING CENTER Volunteers Gregory Andracke, David Bisson, Adam Brightman, Jenn Brown, Barbara Chase, Darrah Cloud, Karen Culberth, Diana Devlin, Grace Dietrich, Brian Gerber, Peter Hage, Dora Hage, Kim Hand, Elaine Hutchinson, Betty Isler, Jo Ann Keeler, Matthew Kelly, Bobby Kennedy, Beth McLiverty, John Reeser, Valerie Reilly, Erin Robertson, Ann Ruark, Jeanine Sisco, Lea Stickle, Dorit Straus, Joan Taylor, Diana Toyas, Vivan Walsh, Natalia Zuckerman

Director of Operations

Marie Stewart

Executive Director

Brett A. Bernardini Board of Directors Patrick Trettenero, President, Sarah Chase, Vice-President, Jeanine Sisco, Secretary Robert Burden, Heather Dell’Amore, Doug Larson, Beth McLiverty, Josh Nathanson, Kate Osofsky, Brad Rolston, Dianne Will, Eileen Yajure Season Program advertising Sales handled by MCaseMedia, Inc. info@MCaseMedia.com

2024 Season Program

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From the Board President

Welcome to the Stissing Center for Arts and Culture. We are a relatively young organization, and so fortunate to occupy this historic building in the center of Pine Plains. Within these walls we now offer a growing array of arts and community programming, with more to come as we continue the building’s restoration. Here’s how it all started…

Nearly a century after its construction, and in order to save the building from demolition, Pine Plains Memorial Hall was purchased in 2014 at auction by local philanthropist Jack Banning as part of a trio of supporters. The goal was for the building to be restored and returned it to its original form and purpose, as the hub for the community and a beacon of cultural vibrance and Pine Plains civic pride.

The 1915 Pine Plains Memorial Hall, renamed the Stissing Center, is undergoing a transformation, restoring it back to life. The main auditorium, Banning Hall, has been revived into a beautiful, rustic-chic performance space with an accessible glass entryway and rebuilt proscenium stage.

Now, a next wave of construction has begun with a goal of finishing the building, fully restoring the upper and lower levels.

We’ll add state-of-the-art lighting and a digital film projector to Banning Hall. The lower level will be transformed into The Cellar at the Center, an intimate second performance stage and community multi-use space with a full kitchen. Here we will host youth programming, private gatherings, classes, meetings, and community events.

Upstairs, on the third level of our building, a new roof will help guarantee the building will be here for many years to come. The rear addition will include an elevator to access the new Broadhurst Gallery as well as office space for our staff and for other arts and community-focused non-profits.

Altogether, our ambition at the Center is to bring you world-class arts and culture, give community programs a home, and contribute to the economic growth and vitality of Pine Plains and the surrounding region. Your support helps bring this vision to life.

Welcome!

Patrick Trettenero Stissing Center for Arts and Culture

STISSING CENTER FOR ARTS AND CULTURE

2024 Season Program

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STISSING CENTER FOR ARTS AND CULTURE

Mainstage Series

MAINSTAGE SERIES

is a celebration of global, world-class artists!

The diversity of the performances - both in artist and genre - underscores our commitment to bring the world to Pine Plains and the Greater Hudson Valley. No matter what you like, you will always discover something new with our MainStage Series!

This following list respresents our programming for the first half of the year!

JANUARY 27, 2024

7PM

COMEDY NIGHT

featuring Marion Grodin, Allan Fuks, Kendra Cunningham and Cynthia Levin.

FEBRUARY 9, 2024 7PM CABARET

ALL IN THE FAMILY Debbie and Sam Gravitte

Join Tony Award winner Debbie Gravitte along with her son Sam (last seen on Broadway as Fiyero in WICKED) as they regale audiences with life among a family of entertainers.

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FEBRUARY 10, 2024

7PM

JUNGLE LOVE DANCE PARTY

Jungle Love, voted 2021 Best Band in the Hudson Valley, 2023 Best Party Band in the Hudson Valley and fronted by Cher, voted 2022 Best Singer in the Hudson Valley by Hudson Valley Magazine, is not just a band, they are an experience. THIS AND THAT FOOD TRUCK will be onsite to fuel your dancing energy!

FEBRUARY 17, 2024 7PM

LADY BLACKBIRD Lady Blackbird isn’t the Nina Simone of the Black Lives Matter era. But she is the talent, and the force-of-nature, and the talk-walking personality, that Gilles Peterson has dubbed “the Grace Jones of jazz”. The best new voice of 2021, a transcendent performer of songs old and new, an artist whose approach, outlook and vibe is summed up in the title of her stunning debut album. Black Acid Soul.

MARCH 2, 2024

7PM

THE GOONIES With brothers Mikey (Sean Astin) and Brand’s (Josh Brolin) house slated for demolition by greedy land developers, the boys decide their only hope lies in finding a long-lost treasure. They uncover a treasure map and with their friends descend to a subterranean sea and an abandoned galleon in this fun-filled, fast-paced adventure.

MARCH 8, 2024 7PM

THE SLOCAN RAMBLERS The Slocan Ramblers (2020 IBMA Momentum Band of the Year Award Winner & 2019 Juno Award Nominee) are Canada’s bluegrass band to watch. Rooted in tradition, fearlessly creative and possessing a bold, dynamic sound, The Slocans have become a leading light of today’s acoustic music scene. With a reputation for energetic live shows, impeccable musicianship and an uncanny ability to convert anyone within earshot into a lifelong fan, The Slocans have been winning over audiences from Merlefest to RockyGrass and everywhere in between.

STISSING CENTER FOR ARTS AND CULTURE

MARCH 23, 2024 7PM

JAY UNGAR & MOLLY MASON Jay Ungar and Molly Mason have become one of the most celebrated duos on the American acoustic music scene.

On radio and television, Jay and Molly have appeared on CBS Good Morning, The Rosie O’Donnell Show, All Things Considered, A Prairie Home Companion, and the BBC’s Transatlantic Sessions. And they have no shortage of future musical projects.

MARCH 24, 2024 4PM CHUCK IWANUSA JAZZ ORCHESTRA PREMIERE

THE MYSTIC SUITE The Mystic Suite is a 3-movement composition for jazz orchestra. The piece, commissioned by the Statewide Community Regrants Program, is a tribute to long-time mentor, colleague, and musical soulmate, award-winning Canadian trumpeter/composer Mike Malone.

APRIL 6, 2024 APRIL 7, 2024

7PM 4PM

AN EVENING OF MASTER CHOREOGRAPHY Diana Byer, founder and for over 40 years the Artistic Director of New York Theatre Ballet, presents an extraordinary evening of dance. The program features a distinguished chamber group of dancers performing both acclaimed classics and contemporary works. Byer explores how master choreographers align with their modern-day counterpoints in this one-hour celebration of dance.

APRIL 13, 2024 7PM

ALLA BOARA Alla Boara seeks to bring recognition and new life to Italy’s diverse history of regional folk music. With modern arrangements variously surprising, playful, mournful, tender, and bewitching, Alla Boara’s dynamic songs move audiences of all ethnic heritages to treasure their musical roots and consider historical songs’ contemporary cultural relevance.

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April 27, 2024

3 & 7PM

LIQUID STATES

CAVE DOGS SHADOW PUPPETRY

Cave Dogs presents a startling original way of telling a story.

Fluid shadows and images dance in wild imagination across the screen. Each performance promises a healthy dose of the sublime, the exciting, the absurd and the downright fun that will result in something infinitely compelling.

APRIL 28, 2024 4PM

NO HOPE FOR OZ

No Hope for Oz is a comedic review of the tragedy of growing up. In her debut performance, writer Heather Dell’Amore explores the relationship between our upbringing and those we raise, ourselves included. A childhood tethered to 90’s programming, Heather tells the truth about bad hair, big glasses, and Unsolved Mysteries.

She looks for light in Lilith Fair singers and finds unexpected darkness when the road leads her to Rome, NY.

MAY 11, 2024 MAY 12, 2024

3 & 7PM 3PM

TEA FOR THREE Particularly pertinent in an era of heightened politics, TEA FOR THREE humanizes the political scene with a story both whimsical and deeply moving – a behind-the-scenes look at Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon, and Betty Ford. Emmy Award-winning actress Elaine Bromka, starred as eight First Ladies opposite Rich Little in the PBS show The Presidents.

She went on with playwright Eric H. Weinberger to create this one-woman show.

MAY 18, 2024 7PM

MISTY BLUES

Founder and lead singer, Gina Coleman, entered the music scene in the early 90’s as the lead singer of the folk/ rock group Cole-Connection. It wasn’t until 1999 when she played a gospel singer in the Williamstown Theatre Festival production of A Raisin In The Sun that she was steered down the path of blues. The lead actor in the production, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, told Coleman that he felt her voice was well suited to sing classic blues. This sentiment was echoed by actor/singer, Mandy Patinkin, who sought her out after seeing the opening performance.

STISSING CENTER FOR ARTS AND CULTURE

JUNE 1, 2024 4-7PM

PRIDE TEA DANCE

Join DJ Trevor for an afternoon Tea Dance celebrating Pride Weekend in Pine Plains! Join your Brothers, Sisters, family, friends, neighbors and colleagues for a nonstop dance celebration of our local LGBTQ+ community!

Cash Bar

JUNE 2, 2024 4PM

SEOUL-MATE

Korea Traditional & Contemporary Dance

Choreographers, award-winning Bo Kyung Lee, Jin A Kim, and Younghoon Oh from South Korean, present the timeless beauty of traditional Korean dance, as well as evocative, animated contemporary works. A duet based on 1000-year-old ritual duet contrasts with a boisterous and playful quartet and sensuous solo.

JUNE 8, 2024

7PM

SILENT FILM

Silents at The Stissing Center returns with the New York Theatre Organ Society. Enjoy a classic silent film accompanied by an original score on the Theatre Organ.

Film and artists to be announced.

JUNE 15, 2024 7PM

AMERICAN PATCHWORK QUARTET American Patchwork Quartet (APQ) is on a mission to reclaim the immigrant soul of American Roots Music. Comprised of four highly acclaimed artists, APQ showcases the dynamic diversity of contemporary culture by reimagining timeless songs from America’s past.

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JUNE 29, 2024 7PM CABARET

AN EVENING WITH SALLY MAYES Sally Mayes is perhaps best known for her performance in the Roundabout Theater revival of SHE LOVES ME for which she won Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations.

The NEW YORK TIMES calls her ‘incandescent, deliciously saucy.’ PEOPLE Magazine describes her as ‘the kind of rich theatrical voice that elevates a show tune.’ And TIME Magazine says ‘Sally Mayes renders songs as richly nuanced as one-act plays.’

August 17, 2024

7PM

THE WILDWOODS

The Wildwoods are an enchanting Folk/Americana trio based in Lincoln, Nebraska, whose flowing songwriting tandem has been praised by Paste Magazine as “focused and charmingly human”. The Wildwoods’ delicate melodies and descriptive lyrics come from nature, love, experiences from the road, and growing up in Nebraska.

August 30, 2024 7PM

RHAPSODY IN BLUE NORTHERN DUTCHESS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Featuring Pianist Paul Bisaccia Bisaccia’s extensive repertoire encompasses the great piano classics, and he holds the distinction of being the first artist to record the complete solo piano music of Gershwin. Millions have watched his PBS television show, “Gershwin by Bisaccia.” More Information & for tickets: www.ndsorchestra.org/gershwin100

September 28, 2024

8PM

ALAN CUMMING: UNCUT Alan Cumming is beyond eclectic. The Scottish-American polymath brings his all new tour-du-force performance!

Cumming has performed in concert halls across the globe, including the Sydney Opera House, the London Palladium, the Hollywood Bowl and Carnegie Hall. He’s played God, the Devil, Hitler, the Pope, a teleporting superhero, Hamlet, all the parts in Macbeth, and the Emcee in Cabaret in the West End and on Broadway.

STISSING CENTER FOR ARTS AND CULTURE

TOWER PIZZA & RESTAURANT Great New York style pizza, all the classic Italian-American dishes, amazing specials and catering for all occasions.

BACK BAR BEER GARDEN & THE CABIN. Lively Outdoor Sum-

mertime Beer Garden. Cozy Indoor Wintertime Bar. Follow us on Facebook & Instagram 2947 Church St. Pine Plains, NY 12567

518-398-7800

the bookloft & mahaiwe present:

live conversation with terry hayes year of the locust

ballet hispanico

samantha fish: bulletproof tour

mon feb 5 at 7pm

sat mar 2 at 3pm & 8pm

sat mar 16 at 8pm

sing & swing –

joanne shaw taylor

sat mar 23 at 8pm

fri arp 19 at 8pm

a jazz at lincoln center presents production

14 Castle St, Great Barrington, MA 01230 • 413.528.0100 • www.mahaiwe.org

STISSING CENTER for Arts and Culture

From the Executive Director

Dear Friends, It is my privilege and honor to welcome you to the Stissing Center for Arts and Culture! With so many things to see, do and explore here in Pine Plains and throughout the Hudson Valley, we are beyond grateful that you have decided to spend some time with us!

The Stissing Center takes our mission to support and serve this community with tremendous reverence and compassionate stewardship. We are moved to action by what we see: a need for social, emotional, and intellectual support for young people, our neighbors, our friends, and every one of our community-at-large members. This need – social, emotional, and intellectual support - is an essential element of an engaged and thriving community; something that rural America is deeply missing. By centering world-class arts and culture, we can begin the work of spotlighting and amplifying local culture, empowering community development, instilling civic pride, fostering critical thinking, and providing a forum for shared experiences and debate. Further, through a community culture of engaged philanthropy, we unleash ownership, enlarge placemaking, create belonging, and return meaningful investment to the community.

Before us is a seismic opportunity to create a new model for community engagement and economic vitality - for all of rural America - by centering world-class Arts and Culture opportunities, supported by a vibrant culture of engaged philanthropy.

While we have experience with, and a deep understanding of, Arts and Culture programming work, we are at the very beginning of this much larger journey of focusing our work on Pine Plains and rural America. There is so much to understand and to wrap our minds around to make a lasting and significant impact on our community and a model that can be replicated throughout rural America. We are still learning and discovering. While we do not have the answers today, we have a clear and exciting vision of what things look like when our journey is done; “A creative, engaged, diverse, supported, connected and thriving community of Pine Plains and the region, rooted in authenticity, discovery, celebration, critical and creative thinking and cultural identity.”

Thank you for being with us and I look forward to meeting you in the near future!

With much gratitude,

“Community development efforts in cities, towns and rural places across the country have demonstrated that artists, designers and cultural organizations can play an essential role in realizing community-driven transformation. Community development strategies that integrate the arts and culture are better equipped to draw on and support existing community assets, preserve and enhance the authentic character of place and ensure equitable outcomes for local stakeholders. Through creative placemaking, the arts and culture can strengthen communities by helping revitalize local economies, provide rich engagement for youth, advance educational outcomes, create spaces and places where people want to be, facilitate authentic engagement in community planning, reimagine uses for vacant properties and improve quality of life for existing residents.”

“Rural Prosperity Through The Arts & Creative Sector”, National Governors Association, 2019

Brett A. Bernardini Executive Director

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The PPBA Decorating Day Committee thanks The Stissing Center for warmly welcoming the community during our 38 th Annual Town Decorating Day & Parade of Lights.

Pine PLains Small Business Association PAGE 1

Your participation, along with the support of our donors, sponsoring local businesses & volunteers, have allowed Pine Plains to continue our well-loved holiday tradition of decorating the town together and gathering for our festive holiday parade.

Emerald Green Durst Organization Ginocchio Electric GE Construction & Landscaping Town of Pine Plains Eagle River Inc. Big Rock Farms Stissing Center Pine Plains Police Dept Mirror Lake Retreat Pine Plains Hose Co Pine Plains Central School Liberta Brothers Rural Center Refillery Tananwanda Rod & Gun Club Factory Lane Automotive C. Blackburn Inc Pine Plains Veterinary Hugs and Kisses Bank of Millbrook Herman’s Lawn Care J Meiller’s Slaughterhouse Moose on the Loose Santiago’s Garage Pine Plains Liquor Corp Hammertown Kennels T.L. Cie

LoNan Farm Crown Energy Berlinghoff Contracting Pine Plains FFA Rooster’s Rte. 82 Pine Plains Pharmacy JIC Properties Pine Plains Barber Shoppe Pine Plains Auto Body Stissing House El Guacamole Mexican Grill Superior Sanitation Minuteman Press - Red Hook

We appreciate all of your support!

Ibis Guzman & Carl Baden, Decorating Day Committee Co-Chairs

STISSING CENTER for Arts and Culture

Join in making our town sparkle!

Put the

Saturday after Thanksgiving on your calendar.

Decorating, Music and Santa Visits start at 3 pm Parade starts at 5 pm ollow Pine Plains Decorating Day & Parade of Lights for details!

PARTICIPATE - Join in decorating and participate in the parade.

VOLUNTEER - Volunteers needed before hand and on the day of.

CONTRIBUTE

- Contribute to offset the cost of lights, crayons, coloring books, cocoa and other necessary supplies for this all volunteer event. (Volunteers even collect, paint and wire the pine cone decorations and hand tie the ribbons!) Checks can be mailed to: Pine Plains Business Assoc. - P.O. Box 651, Pine Plains, NY 12567 Please make checks payable to “PPBA Christmas Fund”.

Season Subscriptions

NEVER MISS A PERFORMANCE

Season Subscriptions are the most affordable way to make sure you always have a seat! Subscriptions also make great gifts for friends, family and business associates!

With so many exceptional performances to choose from, a season subscription guarantees you not only the lowest price per ticket, but also guarantees your seat!

CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES 6 world-class performances PLUS 2 Master Classes / Educational opportunities.

Available through March 30, 2024

MAINSTAGE SERIES Exceptional, professional artists from every genre! From Jazz through Americana, this series guarantees a year of world-class entertainment! (Does not include Alan Cumming event)

Available through January 31, 2024

LOCAL PRODUCE PLAY READING SERIES New plays by Hudson Valley playwrights, performed by Hudson Valley talent.

Available through January 31, 2024

PRODUCERS PASS One pass gets you admission to LOCAL PRODUCE READINGS, 3 PROFESSIONAL THEATER PERFORMANCES and 2 CABARET performances.

Available through January 31, 2024

V

VIP PASS One pass gets you into EVERYTHING, all year-long at The Stissing Center; from Cabaret to Chamber Music, from MainStage to Local Produce Play-reading series, The Stissing Center is your go-to for a full, year-long, calendar of “to-do” events and performances! (Does not include Alan Cumming event)

Available through January 31, 2024

STISSING CENTER FOR ARTS AND CULTURE

ALAN CUMMING

Saturday, September 28, 2024 8PM

VOLUNTEER Stissing Center for Arts & Culture relies upon the exceptional generosity of our volunteers! It is their kindness, appoachability, compassion and generosity of the heart that makes Stissng Center a place that people WANT to be at!

We are always looking for exceptional people to join our Volunteer Family!

Teenagers through adults, if you are a people person, have a good sense of humor, enjoy helping others and have time to share, we would love to talk with you!

Stop by the Box Office for more information or to schedule an interview!

A New Leaf Used Books

POUGHKEEPSIE KINGSTON

NEWBURGH WAPPINGER MIDDLETOWN adamsfarms.com

STISSING CENTER FOR ARTS AND CULTURE

(518) 398-6607

RR 199, Pine Plains, NY 12567

Sponsorship Opportunities

SPONSORSHIPS KEEP TICKETS AFFORDABLE!

Offering businesses and organizations the perfect audience to engage with, while ensuring that ticket proces remain affordable and accessibile!

Stop by the Box Office for more information or contact our Executive Director!

SEASON SPONSORSHIPS

The SEASON sponsorship for the business who believes in the value of Arts and Culture to make a lasting difference! Your SEASON sponsorship achieves maximum visibility while ensuring that ticket prices remain affordable for everyone!

(1 opportunity each) Marquee Level Producing Level Diamond Level

SERIES OR EVENT SPONSORS

Sponsor one of our SERIES or EVENTS versus our entire season.

Your sponsorship will directly impact a SERIES or EVENT of your choice, showcasing your business/organization!

2024 PROGRAMS and EVENTS include: Local Produce, Chamber Music, Mainstage Series, Notable, Dance Series, Theater Series, Summer Children’s Series, Community Movie Nights or our Dance Parties

Lead Sponsor (2 each Series or Event) Co-Sponsor (3 each Series or Event) Supporter (Unlimited for each Series or Event)

CONTACT Brett A. Bernardini Executive Director 518-771-3340 Brett@thestissingcenter.org

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Our History

PINE PLAINS MEMORIAL HALL HISTORY Memorial Hall was constructed in 1915 and given to the Town of Pine Plains in memory of John McIntyre, his wife, Elizabeth Hauver and their children by their philanthropic granddaughter, Mary Ellen Lapham Saunders who grew up in Pine Plains with her grandparents.

The building is an example of Second Empire architecture that included a large auditorium, and was originally built to be the home for theatre performances, light opera and concerts as well as community events.

According to the original certificate of incorporation, Memorial Hall was: “...to be used for the purpose of lodge meetings, lectures, concerts, banquets, fairs, celebrations, play, entertainments, political meetings, religious meetings, and public and private meetings of any kind permitted by law, and for public libraries, reading rooms, gymnasiums and for the filing and storing and keeping of the records and papers and property of the Town of Pine Plains, and for offices, places of business and rooms for the Town of Pine Plains and for any official of department of the Town of Pine Plains and for any purposed deemed beneficial for the public and for any lodge, society, body, organization, church club or association of persons or corporation.”

The Hall immediately became a focal point of community life in Pine Plains supplying meeting rooms and entertainment facilities. The auditorium was a venue for the showing of silent movies beginning in 1918 after a projection booth was installed. It also served as a draft board facility during WWI. In 1935 it was remodeled and reopened as “The Pine Plains Theatre” where it became a first run movie house showing Hollywood fare until the late 1950’s. It then sat vacant until it was sold in the 1970’s where it was subdivided and used as a coffee shop, hair salon, offices and a Laundromat. In the 1990’s it was again sold for development, which never took place,.

Purchased at auction by three business partners - Christian Eisenbeiss, Ariel Schlein and Jack Banning - with the intention to restore it and return it to its original purpose: an engine for economic growth, a beacon of cultural vibrance and to instil civic pride. The building was renovated and relaunched as The Stissing Center on Saturday, September 7, 2019 with an opening concert featuring Wynton Marsalis.

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Mainstage Series

THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE 2 performances that captures the heart of the rich American Immigrant Experience!

Part of the MainStage series, these two opportunities celebrate the deep connection to immigrant culture that has added depth and texture to the American Arts and Culture tapestry!

APRIL 13, 2024 7PM

ALLA BOARA Alla Boara seeks to bring recognition and new life to Italy’s diverse history of regional folk music. With modern arrangements variously surprising, playful, mournful, tender, and bewitching, Alla Boara’s dynamic songs move audiences of all ethnic heritages to treasure their musical roots and consider historical songs’ contemporary cultural relevance.

JUNE 15, 2024 7PM

AMERICAN PATCHWORK QUARTET American Patchwork Quartet (APQ) is on a mission to reclaim the immigrant soul of American Roots Music.

Comprised of four highly acclaimed artists, APQ showcases the dynamic diversity of contemporary culture by reimagining timeless songs from America’s past.

LEGACY

Why do we tell our stories through music? Why do so many immigrants teach the songs of their countries of origin? Why do these stories remain popular? What songs/ music today will be informing future generations of who we are today?

STISSING CENTER FOR ARTS AND CULTURE

THE ‘WHY’ OF OUR WORK We are moved to action by what we see: a need for social, emotional, and intellectual support for young people, our neighbors, our friends, and every one of our community-at-large members. This need – social, emotional, and intellectual support - is an essential element of an engaged and thriving community; something that rural America is deeply missing. By centering world-class arts and culture, we can begin the work of spotlighting and amplifying local culture, empowering community development, instilling civic pride, fostering critical thinking, and providing a forum for shared experiences and debate. Further, through a community culture of engaged philanthropy, we unleash ownership, enlarge placemaking, create belonging, and return meaningful investment to the community.

Why?

The need for a replicable model of world-class arts and culture in rural America – from the economic perspective alone – is urgent. Expanding that model to address the neglected issues of social, emotional, and intellectual support for young people, our neighbors, our friends, and every one of our community-at-large members, is critical.

Before us is a seismic opportunity to create a new model for community engagement and economic vitality - for all of rural America - by centering world-class Arts and Culture opportunities, supported by a vibrant culture of engaged philanthropy.

Pine Plains is the hidden gem of Dutchess County and The Inn at Pine Plains is the perfect home base for exploring the Hudson Valley, the Litchfields Hills, the Berkshires and beyond.

3036 Church Street, Pine Plains, NY

518-771-3117

MILLERTON 26 Main St.

www.innatpineplains.com

RHINEBECK 6422 Montgomery St.

OBLONG BOOKS oblongbooks.com

Summer Childrens Series

SUMMER CHILDREN’S SERIES

a celebration of learning, discovery and entertainment for young people and their families!

Thanks to our sponsors and generous donors, this all tickets to these performances are Pay-What-You-Can-Afford!

BINDLESTIFF FAMILY CIRKUS

HUDSON VALLEY REPTILES & RESCUE

Our Mission is to create original, collaborative circus experiences that nurture transformation in people and communities by centering joy, wonder, healing, beauty, and learning.

Are you fascinated by the incredible world of reptiles?

Get up close and personal with these amazing creatures.

Learn about their unique behaviors, habitats, and conservation efforts.

Saturday, May 18

Saturday, June 15

10AM

10AM

FIRE & ICE

GREECE LIGHTNING

MAD SCIENCE

In this fast-paced romp, you will meet some of the most amazing characters from Greek history and learn about some of the incredible myths and legends that make the Greeks so interesting.

Saturday, July 13 10AM

Join us for SAFE and scientific fun with fire and ice! Learn about the amazing properties of fire and combustion. Then, cool off with spectacular demonstrations involving dry ice! Check out the “Big Burp”, the “Screwdriver Sizzle” and the famous “Mad Science”.

Saturday, August 10 10AM

TWO BY TWO ANIMAL HAVEN Two by Two Zoo was established in 1993 by the Iannucci Family; Peter, Heather, Jessica and Casey. In 2020 we have changed our name and we are now Two by Two Animal Haven Inc. We are a traveling animal program whose purpose is to educate the public about animals, their welfare and conservation. Our programs foster kindness and empathy for all living things.”

Saturday, August 17 10AM STISSING CENTER FOR ARTS AND CULTURE

38TH SEASON

June 23rd - July 28th 2024

POWERHOUSE THEATER

AT VASSAR COLLEGE

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NORTHERN DUTCHESS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA KATHLEEN BECKMANN MUSIC DIRECTOR

A Tribute to Gershwin SAVE THE DATE Friday, August 30, 2024 | 7:00 p.m.

Featuring Pianist Paul Bisaccia Bisaccia’s extensive repertoire encompasses the great piano classics, and he holds the distinction of being the first artist to record the complete solo piano music of Gershwin. Millions have watched his PBS television show, “Gershwin by Bisaccia.”

More Information Coming Spring 2024. www.ndsorchestra.org/gershwin100

Our concert season is made possible, in part, through funding from the County of Dutchess and Dutchess Tourism, which is administered by Arts Mid-Hudson and by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

Mainstage Series Dance curated by Catherine Tharin

DANCE

3 ensembles that celebrate artistry and creativity!

APRIL 6, 2024 APRIL 7, 2024

7PM 4PM

AN EVENING OF MASTER CHOREOGRAPHY Diana Byer, founder and for over 40 years the Artistic Director of New York Theatre Ballet, presents an extraordinary evening of dance. The program features a distinguished chamber group of dancers performing both acclaimed classics and contemporary works. Byer explores how master choreographers align with their modern-day counterpoints in this one-hour celebration of dance.

JUNE 2, 2024 4PM

SEOUL-MATE

Korea Traditional & Contemporary Dance

Choreographers, award-winning Bo Kyung Lee, Jin A Kim, and Younghoon Oh from South Korean, present the timeless beauty of traditional Korean dance, as well as evocative, animated contemporary works. A duet based on 1000-year-old ritual duet contrasts with a boisterous and playful quartet and sensuous solo.

October 4 & 5, 2024 7PM

THE BANG GROUP

We’re a rhythm-driven, contemporary dance company at the intersection of percussive, classical, modern and social dance forms to which we’ve added a few that didn’t exist before we made them up. Choreographer David Parker has diversified the root impulses of percussive dance embracing a full-bodied, and wide-ranging vision of dance and rhythmic expression that makes room for humor, classicism, drama, and a brawny intellect.

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HOW TO UNDERSTAND OUR NEW BRAND As our programming evolves, it is crucial that our branding does the same. Our new SC Monogram embraces the symmetry and geometry of our previous “mountain mark,” while more clearly planting a new flag as a leading cultural institution.

MOUNTAIN

LAKE

The custom typography fuses modern geometric forms with the organic features of the fountain pen.

The updated color palette takes its cues from the building itself, both internally and externally.

ARSENIC GREEN

3—

STISSING CENTER FOR ARTS AND CULTURE

Secondary logo lockups give us maximum flexibility across various applications.

The Arts & Culture sub-line is introduced for clarity, and serves as a differentiator between other properties that carry the Stissing name.

The monogram serves as a “series designator”, anchored in the top left corner of any marketing asset.

4 — 2024 Season

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Donor Opportunities

YOU ARE OUR HEART

Donors are the heart of Stissing Center! Your generosity makes our world-class programming happen and keeps the lights turned on!

In 2024, more than 90% of our budget will come from donations!

GIVING LEVEL RECOGNITION FRIEND ($50-$99) Name on printed donor list FIRETOWER ASSOCIATE ($100-$249) name added to website donor list DRIVING PARK CLUB ($250-$499) Individual tickets at 10% off PINE PLAINS FARMERS ($500 - $999) Reserved seating (depending on setup) P.T. BARNUM CIRCLE ($1000 - $2499) Reserved STAR parking for two cars MARQUEE D’LAFAYETTE ($2500 - $4999) Discount on refreshments BOWMAN OPERA HOUSE GUILD ($5000 - $9999) Complimentary tickets SAUNDERS BENEFACTORS ($10,000 - $24,999) Complementary VIP PASS MEMORIAL HALL SOCIETY ($25000 - $49,999) 2 Tickets to Annual Gala

STISSING CENTER FOR ARTS AND CULTURE

2024 Season

THE STORIES WE TELL “God made Man because He loves stories” - Elie Wiesel, The Gates of the Forest

Here at the Stissing Center for Arts and Culture, our work is more than JUST world-class Arts and Culture opportunities. We take our commitment to support and serve this community with tremendous reverence and compassionate stewardship. We believe in Pine Plains and, more broadly, we believe that rural America deserves world-class Arts and Culture opportunities.

We also acknowledge that we are at a major inflection point in this country. To do “what we can” without challenging ourselves to “do more” is to accept that outdated, negative, and reductive mindsets are immutable.

We choose to capitalize on this moment of inflection by challenging ingrained perceptions and barriers that inhibit social, emotional, and intellectual prosperity.

2024, all our offerings are curated around the theme of “Legacy: the stories we tell”. We needed to ask important questions, not just for ourselves as a nonprofit arts organization but to uplift and build an inclusive community. how do stories promote our sense of place AND enlarge our capacity for inspiration? what do stories of the immigrant experience promote belonging and understanding? how do stories from other places apply to Pine Plains, the Hudson Valley and to us as individuals?

What are the stories we each tell and what does the telling of those stories say about us? how does “art” tell stories that transcend time? what are the specific stories of Pine Plains and how do they show up? what are our stories, in this moment that advance understanding and build community? what stories are we passing down/on and why?

By centering world-class arts and culture, we can begin the work of spotlighting and amplifying local culture, empowering community development, instilling civic pride, fostering critical thinking, and providing a forum for shared experiences and debate. Further, through a community culture of engaged philanthropy, we unleash ownership, enlarge placemaking, create belonging, and return meaningful investment to the community.

Yes! Join us for this exceptional year of programming and be entertained! But…IF you want more, our themed, curated year-long programming offers you a much deeper experience.

What is YOUR legacy? What are the stories YOU tell?

STISSING CENTER FOR ARTS AND CULTURE

2 9 8 0- 2 9 8 4 Eas t Chu rc h S t reet , P i ne P l ai ns , NY 1 2 56 7 demeter-home.com

STISSING CENTER

2024 GUARANTEE! (or we will return your money!)

If, within the first 20 minutes of a performance that you are attending, you do not feel the performance is worth the money you paid, we will refund your tickets, without question! Stop by the Box Office on your way out of the venue, (within the first 20 minnutes of a performance), tell us you would like a refund, and we will do so, on the spot, without question!

2023 Donors (as of December 28, 2023)

OUR HEART

Donors are the heart of Stissing Center!

LEGACY CIRCLE Dyson Foundation Anne and Bernard Spitzer Charitable Trust Estate of Mary F. Perkins FOUNDERS CLUB Irene & Jack Banning MEMORIAL HALL SOCIETY Goldman Sachs Gives SAUNDERS BENEFACTORS Steve and Judith Benardete Jim and Zibby Tozer Pauline Wamsler Eliot and Roxana Spitzer Ellen (Wendy) Curtis Stephen and Belinda Kaye Jorge and Eileen Yajure BOWMAN OPERA HOUSE GUILD Dionis Fund of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation Gwen Greene David and Sarah Stack Barbara Tober The PHFFoundation, Inc Gold Family Giving Fund Elizabeth Gilmore Falconwood Foundation, Inc. Ian MacTaggart Trust

MARQUIS D’LAFAYETTE Ragnar and Laureen Knutsen Weeden Foundation Oblong Books Kathleen Vuillet Augustine Llewellyn and N.J. Nicholas Patrick MacMurray and Patrick Trettenero Larson Architecture PLLC P. T. BARNUM CIRCLE Factory Lane Auto Repair, Inc. The Durst Organization Pendleton Gorman Ellen Petersen Joshua Ginsberg Esther Evans Helen Chang and Andreas Kaubisch Barry and Rosie Chase Craig Kaplan and Anne Hess Tully Lyons and Louis Loeb Jacqueline and Oakleigh Thorne Kelly A. Morgan Charitable Fund David P. Nolan Charitable Trust Christopher & Claire Mann Fund Frederic and Elena Howard Helene Marsh Karen Klopp Helen Vandervoort Susan Crossley and Joan Redmond Patricia O’Shea Dick Hermans & Pricilla Herdman Chip and Susan Fisher

Daniel Goldhagen and Gordon Miller The John Doar Foundation Pyne-Corbin Charitable Trust Armin and Lynne Allen Dennis and Juana Selinger John and Constanza Low Stephen and Sally Clement Gerald C. and Renee K. Petrfes Charitable Fund Anne Delaney Arts Mid-Hudson Inc. PINE PLAINS FARMERS Linda Ahlin Black Sheep Hill Farm, LTD Gladys Bucove Olivia Van Melle Kamp Central Hudson Elizabeth Shequine J. Keith Kennedy Juliet Heyer Edith Greenwood Frederick Butler and Marie Claude Gil and Emily Raviv Fred and Serena Whitridge Hathaway Family Foundation Jonathan K. Greenburgh Bernheim Foundation Inc. Steven and Judith Benardete Charitable Trust Abe and Ann Effron Donor Advised Funds of the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley Fajgenbaum Family Fund

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The Monteiro/Blackman Fund Sarah Chase James Petrie Allan Rubenstein Leland Wood Dave and Eileen Moody Johannes and Nancy Vanderlee Keith and Jeanine Sisco Josh Nathanson and Brett McCormack Brian Gerber and John Reeser Gonzalo and Kathleen De las Heras Rose Hill Farm Ronnybrook Farm Dairy Phil Balshi and Pamela Scott Edward and Elaine Hutchinson Grace Angela Henry Helene and John McQuade DRIVING PARK CLUB Sally Brody Joan Taylor Dianne Will Fraleigh & Rakow James Kent Broadhurst Johanna Triegel James Matheson and Esther Han Richard Tofel and Julie Seymour American Endowment Foundation George T. Whalen Jr. Foundation Patricia Cadley Marigot and Susan Brandt Vaughn Fritts and Mary Jenkins Ronald and Rachel Minkoff Derek Scott Hoxby Johannah and Stephen Dadoly Philip Oppenheimer Peter Salerno and Amy Rothstein Gloria E Fieldcamp Maria Sullivan Murphy Birdsall and Keith Reamer John and Judy Allen Sean and Tricia Devine

STISSING CENTER FOR ARTS AND CULTURE

Lois Mander Eugenia Zukerman and Richard Novik Marc Gollub Richard and Jean Osofsky Peter and Dora Hage Ari David Kardasis FIRETOWN ASSOCIATES D. Miles Price Jennifer Dowley Champetre Melinda & Paul Heady David Bean Margaret Kuras Laura Gilhooly Renee Burgevin Georgia De Haveron Lenore Champagne and Robert Lyons John and Valerie Shanley Roger and Ruth Cohn Richard and Katharina Cerreta Joe McDonnell and Maryann Jordan Steven and Denise Chickery Jon and Anne Postyn Charles Currie and Martha Holmes Farnham and Anne Collins Russell Frehling and Debra Blalock John and Margaret Bonneville Donn and Beth Potter Jim and Margo Jackson Frederick Berliner Moore & More Printing Laurie Trettenero Ali Denise Stowell Nan and Richard Davis Family Fund Mitchell Klein Margaret King Cynthia Livingston Diana Niles King Sherry Salman Harvey Stratton Eric Pliner

Brian Keeler & Peggity Price Louisa Ruby Christopher Scholz Mark and Leevi Lagus Maryann Stoorvogel Brian Coons Catherine Howard Marge Blaine The Hudson Company Harvey Schussler Alison Paalz Jane Stewart Martha Moran Karin Martin and Karin Shrubsole Enid Ain and Richard Rizzo Burt Hanback and Lois Lenehan James Sie The Farmer’s Wife Foods LLC Stephen Andors and Ann Sheehan Debra Hair Nan Morrison Gretchen and Beat Baudenbacher Dave Owens and Darrah Cloud Judy Coons Larry Chernicoff Victoria Polidoro Melinda Mount Susan Galaskas Esther Williams Marian Heller John Brett James and Susanne Houston James Blakney and Kelly Preyer Michael and Martha Nesbitt Lawrence Shapiro and Beth Ledy Jane Waters and Peter Caldwell Curtis and Ann Simmons Joseph Willey Lynn Favrot Nolan Family Fund Clinton Smullyan and Catherine Kinsey Jeanne Valentine-Chase and Scott Chase Lawrence Walsh and M. Gael Doar

Brian McNally Bran Raskovic and Bernadette Murray Gilman Park and Constance Sayre Kathleen Levin Steven Patterson and Christi Acker FRIENDS Lynne Perrella Conrad Levenson Jo Ann Keeler Kate Osofsky Marticia Madory Sarah Laliberte Victoria Doyle Dennis Wedlick and Curtis DeVito Eric and Allison Galliher Michael and Sandra Hecht Dorothy Denny and William “Gully” Stanford John and Leslie Farhangi Kevin and Vivian Walsh Karl Marquardt Ted Altshuler Don Denne Marjorie Mazzei Raggo William Trettenero Tom McElroy Lawrence Scanlon William Baldwin Millicent Roth Kathryn Chow Ann Ruark Maureen King Nancy Schaefer Mary Cagney Will and Elizabeth Hewitt Frances Hill Caitlin Rider Nichole Reyes Thomas Cox Joshua Davis Warren Sherman Donald and Marjory Pickering

Kirsten Westphal and Nicolas Arauz Elizabeth Sarles Matt Motley Richard Peck and Vincent Gallerani Michael Palermo Kathryn King Pamela Berkeley and Bill Reed Ward and Wendy Duffield John Bogart Arlene Christensen Sylvia Case Elizabeth Jones William Boris-Schacter Liza Dawson KYLE LOUGHEED Amanda Novoa klougheed@ginocchioelectric.com M. Stella Ryan Ginocchioelectric.com Peter Spruyt 518-398-1995 Gary Strait 2380 State Rt 82 Ancram NY Marie Stewart 12502 Laurie Posner Matthew Tuck

Scan QR code below to become a member of our donor family!

Printed donor recognition will be updated June 2024.

Please check at Box Office for most up-to-date information!

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NORTHERN DUTCHESS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2023/2024 SEASON

Kathleen Beckmann • Music Director

Latin Itinerary

Sunday, October 29, 2023 3:00 p.m., The Culinary Institute of America

A musical journey to Mexico, Spain, Brazil, and Peru.

Winter Wonderland

Saturday, December 2, 2023 3:00 p.m., FDR High School, Hyde Park

A magical wintry theme with your favorite holiday classics.

Fantasy Worlds

Saturday, February 10, 2024 8:00 p.m., The Culinary Institute of America

Music from movies and shows that transport us to extraordinary worlds.

Genji

Saturday, April 20, 2024 7:30 p.m., Rhinebeck High School

Featuring Genji: A Concerto for Koto and Orchestra and other audience favorites.

The First Ladies of Song

Saturday, June 15, 2024 7:30 p.m., Rhinebeck High School

Celebrating the music of the First Ladies of Song. www.ndsorchestra.org • 845-635-0877 • info@ndsorchestra.org

Mainstage Series

THEATER Join us for THREE exciting theater performances that celebrates the fine art of storytelling!

April 27, 2024

3 & 7PM

LIQUID STATES

CAVE DOGS SHADOW PUPPETRY

Cave Dogs brings together visual artists, musicians, puppeteers, and storytellers in the spirit of interdisciplinary collaboration. The performances consist of innovative, large-scale shadow projections cast onto a screen from props, costumes, puppets and the human body. Cast shadows move in concert with projected video imagery, spoken narrative, and an original soundtrack. High intensity, hand held lights create dynamic, unusual and distorted shadows of varying scale onto a translucent scrim. The mobility of the light source allows Cave Dogs to create multiple, richly layered visual tableaus, and produce effects that conjure both the dreamlike quality of early experimental film and the humor of contemporary animation.

The text, visuals, and sound track of our performances together make up a rich artifact that documents and celebrates important cultural voices, social identities and environmental perspectives.

Cave Dogs work involves combining movement, form, manipulated light and shadow to explore the process of creating unusual and surprising visual effects and produce imagery that consistently delights and challenges the viewer. We use scale to create complex dynamics between objects, the figure and the audience. We use images to enhance meaning in sound.

We coax trees to grow and teach whales to sing.

We embrace the collaborative process, posses a strong work ethic and are invested in creating and sustaining community. We are dedicated to expanding and strengthening our technical and conceptual skills to produce innovative work.

Each member has specific strengths, but we also each take on most elements of creating a performance. We are a self-reliant group and each member routinely alternates between performing, puppeteering, lighting, gripping, running tech and crewing during a performance. Together, we acknowledge the unexpected, celebrate the surprise, and allow the work to take shape from it.

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MAY 11, 2024 MAY 12, 2024

3 & 7PM 3PM

TEA FOR THREE TEA FOR THREE: Lady Bird, Pat & Betty reveals life and love in the White House.

Particularly pertinent in an era of heightened politics, TEA FOR THREE humanizes the political scene with a story both whimsical and deeply moving – a behind-the-scenes look at Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon, and Betty Ford.

Share the journey of each as she deals with the fishbowl of First Ladydom.

Emmy Award-winning actress Elaine Bromka, with over thirty years in film, television, Broadway and Off-Broadway, starred as eight First Ladies opposite Rich Little in the PBS show The Presidents. Intrigued by their stories, she went on with playwright Eric H. Weinberger to create this one-woman show.

A tale of a remarkable trio in a most unusual job – and eighty minutes of heartwarming delight!

What is it like for a woman when her husband becomes the president of the United States—and she is suddenly thrust into the spotlight? This witty, sly and deeply moving script explores the hopes, fears and loves of Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon and Betty Ford. In three scenes taking place in the family quarters of the White House just prior to the end of living there as the wife of a president, each of the women confides alone to the audience. Secrets are spilled about their early years, their husbands’ rise to power, their romances with the men, their unique paths as wives in the White House, and their feelings about imminent retirement. Lady Bird Johnson, while preparing a tea for Pat Nixon, defends her husband’s quirks but finally admits to herself, “Politics is his oxygen.”

Mrs. Nixon, drinking tea alone in her room on the eve of her husband’s resignation, works on her mail, picks at her food and guardedly recalls happier times before exploding in anger about Watergate and the political world. Betty Ford is discovered reading a TIME magazine in her bathrobe. Forestalling preparations for tea with Rosalyn Carter, Betty lightheartedly recalls past escapades, but eventually admits to being quite lost about life after the White House. Defiantly pushing back the fear, she sails out the door to meet Mrs. Carter. Each of the three portraits becomes intimate, by degrees, as the women wrestle with what Pat Nixon called “the hardest unpaid job in the world.”

NOVEMBER 10, 2024

3 PM

THE ACCIDENTAL HERO The Accidental Hero is a multi-media one-man show about Lieutenant Colonel Matt Konop, a WWII American officer who miraculously liberates the Czech villages of his grandparents. It’s a true story written and performed by his grandson, Patrick Dewane. ​ Patrick’s grandfather refused to talk about his service in the war. When he died, his basement yielded a treasure trove of typewritten accounts, photos, and rare film footage. ​ Dewane brings this archival material to glowing life as an enthralling, humorous and heartwarming tale of miraculous escapes and astonishing coincidences. This touching show runs from belly laughs to tears. Dewane takes on a dozen different roles as he powerfully recounts his grandfather’s journey from Omaha Beach, the Battle of the Bulge, and the end of WWII. In the last week of the war, Konop’s story turns away from a soldier’s survival tale to something from mythology.

He discovers his lost identity and is embraced by the tribe he never knew in an epic homecoming. As he freed the Czechs, he too, was liberated.

Audiences across the US and the Czech Republic have thrilled to this remarkable, uplifting story from The Greatest Generation. Konop’s grandparents had left the Old Country in the 1860s to chase the American Dream. Konop was raised with their language, Czech, but expected to “become American.”

To get ahead, he needed to discard the old ways and his first language. Dropped into WWII, his fluency in Czech got him the dangerous assignment of commanding the Advance Party to liberate Czechoslovakia. And once at the Czech border, his curiosity drew him into the country of his grandparents, well ahead of the rest of his division. What he found changed his life. The Czechs couldn’t believe the miracle of “being liberated by one of our own.” He couldn’t believe the hero’s welcome that greeted him. It deeply changed his notion of what it meant to be both Czech and American.

However, like many of his generation Matt Konop didn’t talk about the war when he returned. His story vanished with passing time.

Along with his war manuscript were reels of color and black and white film he shot during the war on a Kodak 8mm handheld camera. Konop’s grandson, Patrick Dewane, became obsessed with what was found and turned the story, film footage and period music into The Accidental Hero, a 90-minute oneman show.

STISSING CENTER FOR ARTS AND CULTURE

This performance is FREE for Veterans and their families!

Contact the Box Office for reservations!

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS Patrick Trentennero President Sarah Chase Vice President Jeanine Sisco Secretary Heather Dell’Amore Doug Larson Beth McLiverty Josh Nathanson Kate Osofsky Brad Rolston Dianne Will Eileen Yajure

ADVISORY BOARD Murphy Birdsall Matt Brimer Lenora Champagne David Conte Priscilla Herdman Dick Hermans Jim Jackson Robert Lyons Curtis Moore Joan Osofsky Keith Reamer Diana Woolis Eugenia Zukerman Jack Banning President Emeritus

Brett A. Bernardini Executive Director

Mission / Vision / Values Board of Directors

MISSION IMPACT. PARTNER. CREATE The Stissing Center seeks to positively impact our community by partnering with artists, individuals, and organizations to create meaningful programs, events, and opportunities.

As a center for diversity, culture, and civic life in a small town, The Stissing Center aims to support local economic revitalization and job creation in Pine Plains and the surrounding Hudson Valley region.

VISION

A creative, engaged, diverse, connected and thriving community of Pine Plains and the region, rooted in authenticity, discovery, celebration, critical and creative thinking and cultural awareness.

OUR VALUES COMMUNITY CULTURAL ACCESSIBILITY We create a diverse, inclusive and equitable Accessibility is accessing everyday obcommunity with our patrons, partners, educa- jects such as buildings, information, and tors, students, volunteers and donors by plac- technology. Culture adds filters depending ing significant value on organizations at the on where we were born and raised. Filters town, county, Hudson Valley level. We prioritize such as language and traditions can have a supporting the people and organizations of huge impact on how we access different Pine Plains. types of information and the way in which we expect information to be presented.

CREATIVITY We value imagination and original ideas. We FUN embrace risk to find the best solution Our work is centered on community and rooted in authenticity of expression and AFFORDABILITY joy.

Prioritizing the broadest engagement possible, we produce diverse, world-class opportuWELCOMING nities, mindful of the balance between the fis- We create, grow and sustain “welcoming” cal health of the organization and affordability through engagement and learning from for our patrons. our “community”, through the public statements we make, the partners we choose, DIVERSITY the programming we support and by the We embrace divergent viewpoints to find the actions/behaviors of our Board, Staff and best solutions. We create a welcoming and Volunteers collaborative environment that prioritizes all ideas, perspectives, and preferences. Our programming is reflective of the diverse community we work to create and the diversity of creative innovation we embrace.

Local Produce Series

LOCAL PRODUCE SPONSORS

Our popular LOCAL PRODUCE STAGED READING SERIES staged readings of new plays by Hudson Valley Playwrights, performed by Hudson Valley Talent - happens because of our sponsors!

STISSING CENTER FOR ARTS AND CULTURE

Mainstage Series

CABARET SERIES 3 Broadway stars get upclose and personal with their acclaimed Cabaret shows!

FEBRUARY 9, 2024 7PM CABARET

ALL IN THE FAMILY Debbie and Sam Gravitte

Join Tony Award winner Debbie Gravitte along with her son Sam (last seen on Broadway as Fiyero in WICKED) as they regale audiences with life among a family of entertainers.

JUNE 29, 2024 7PM CABARET

AN EVENING WITH SALLY MAYES Sally Mayes is perhaps best known for her performance in the Roundabout Theater revival of SHE LOVES ME for which she won Tony,Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations. The NEW YORK TIMES calls her ‘incandescent, deliciously saucy.’ PEOPLE Magazine describes her as ‘the kind of rich theatrical voice that elevates a show tune.’

And TIME Magazine says ‘Sally Mayes renders songs as richly nuanced as one-act plays.’

Chamber Music Series

CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES

Bringing International Classical Music soloists to Pine Plains!

The Stissing Center brings together some of the most sought-after classical musicians from the international stage and phenomenal rising-star soloists for an exciting new season. Come experience the magic of music-making and the passion shared by world-class musicians!

ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES TO BE ANNOUNCED!

MAY 4, 2024

4PM

YCA STISSING AWARD WINNERS SHOWCASE Chaeyoung Park Oliver Neubauer

2022 and 2023 Young Concert Artist Stissing Award Winner, Korean pianist Chaeyoung Park and American violinist Oliver Neubauer join forces to open the 2024 season for Chamber Music at TSC. Together they present a program of music by Mozart, Debussy, Rachmaninoff, Richard Strauss and Ellen Taaffe Zwilich.

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JUNE 9, 2024

7PM

THE FORGOTTEN OCTET

Graeme Steele Johnson, Bixby Kennedy Charles Overton, Kristin Lee & Siwoo Kim, Matthew Lipman, Audrey Chen, Sam Suggs

In April 2020, clarinetist Graeme Steele Johnson discovered the unpublished manuscript to a forgotten, 127-year-old Octet in the archives of the Library of Congress by the Berlin-born, Boston-based composer Charles Martin Loeffler (1861-1935), one of the most performed American composers of his time. Johnson spent a year reconstructing the Octet’s score from the 75-page manuscript, creating the first critical edition of the music and revealing a kaleidoscopic piece, newly recorded and performed by a stellar lineup of the most sought-after soloists of classical music world today.

JUNE 28, 2024

7PM

ALL ABOUT SONGS Daniel McGrew Katherine Beck Sophia (Shuhui) Zhou

American tenor Daniel McGrew ( “Viciously beautiful timbre” – BOSTON GLOBE) and mezzo-soprano Katherine Beck (Metropolitan Opera, Lyrical Opera of Chicago, Arizona Opera) are reuniting at The Stissing Center after their first collaboration at Stephen Sondheim 86th-birthday concert with Boston Pop Orchestra.

Together, they will present a wide range of repertoire from gorgeous European art songs to beloved American musical theater classics, assisted by pianist and musical director Sophia (Shuhui) Zhou.

AUGUST 31, 2024 4PM

MUSICIANS FROM THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC

Quan Ge, Cong Wu, Nathan Vickery, Sophia (Shuhui) Zhou

The three virtuosic musicians, including Cong Wu (assistant principal violist) and Nathan Vickery (youngest cellist ever joined NY Phil in 2021), will fully explore the brilliance and lyricism of string repertoire, from the Schubert’s most treasured miniature gem, Francaix bright and crisp string trio with a hint of 1933 Parisian buoyancy to Panderecki’s gloomily witty and virtuosic composition. Joined by pianist and director Sophia Zhou, the evening will conclude with Gabriel Faure’s consummate Piano Quartet No. 1 in c minor, the crown jewel of French Romanticism.

OCTOBER 13, 2024

7PM

OPUS ILLUMINATE Nathan Meltzer Geneva Lewis Jordan Bak Jonathan Swenson Sophia (Shuhui) Zhou

Discover the rare gems of chamber music repertoire from historically underrepresented communities and heritages, as well as the piano quintet by the celebrated American film composer Danny Elfman( Tim Burton films, “ Spider Man”, “Men in Black “series, “Doctor Strange in the multiverse”, etc.)

Opus Illuminate was founded by American violinist Nathan Meltzer (2023 Concert Artist Guild winner) and violist Devin Moore ( Isidore Quartet), with the mission to expand and enrich the classical music industry by performing works by composers of historically underrepresented communities and heritages.

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PROUD PARTNER in the

Stissing Center Capital Campaign.

Hyalite Builders is honored to play a part in the continued revitalization of this local landmark and the surrounding communities of Dutchess County.

MILLERTON, NY | www.hyalitebuilders.com | 845.789.5445

Mainstage Series

COMMUNITY MOVIE NIGHT 3 evenings of FREE fun for the entire community!

Bring your blankets, pillows, wear your pajamas and enjoy a classic family movie! (We’ve got the popcorn!)

MARCH 2, 2024

7PM

THE GOONIES With brothers Mikey (Sean Astin) and Brand’s (Josh Brolin) house slated for demolition by greedy land developers, the boys decide their only hope lies in finding a long-lost treasure. They uncover a treasure map and with their friends descend to a subterranean sea and an abandoned galleon in this fun-filled, fast-paced adventure.

OCTOBER 18, 2024

7PM

IT’S THE GREAT PUMPKIN,

CHARLIE BROWN

Join us for a night of pumpkin making, halloween snacks and a classic movie with Charlie Brown and the gang:

DECEMBER 14, 2024

7PM

MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET “Look Doris, someday you’re going to find that your way of facing this realistic world just doesn’t work. And when you do, don’t overlook those lovely intangibles. You’ll discover those are the only things that are worthwhile.”

- Fred Gailey

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Pine Plains: a snaPshot in time

By Jesse DeGroodt info@mainstreetmag.com For many, the name “Pine Plains” Pine Plains a plenty evokes a dot on the map while driving So, Pine Plains. What of it? As it turns along the Taconic State Parkway, but out, for a town of 2,128 as of the to relegate the Hudson Valley town to 2020 census, plenty. a bypassing point on a map is to comThere’s no mystery concerning mit a history lover’s faux pas. what gave rise to the name: When For those who have benignly wan- formed from the Town of North East dered into that particular offense, and on March 26, 1823, plains of pines I’m forced to include myself, there’s where the village now stands instantly no time like the present to immegave rise to the moniker. The best diately begin righting this breach of guess is that settlements first sprung amateur historian etiquette. For those up in the area in 1740. Between then keeping score at home, the Town of and the formal establishment of the Pine Plains this year celebrates its town, meetings would be held of what bicentennial, and those looking to was known as the Northeast Precinct, Pine Plains Hose Company at The Pines. Photo: courtesy LNPHS. bolster their Pine Plains knowledge where various and sundry decisions base need look no further than Satur- would be reached, including the everday, September 9. critical right of all hogs to run on the County, published in 1877. Adds the know better things than he did, but Music, food, games, programs, common if ringed and yoked.

Little Nine Partners Historical Society, he did not know where to find them,” a visit from historic character Isaac “The establishment of the Moravian according to Out of the Wilderness.

Moravian mission Hunting, fiddlers, and other activimission at Shekomeko in the 1740s With that, precisely a month after ties highlight that Community Day/ Now, let’s return to 1740, specifically remains the single most important arriving in New York City, Rauch set July 16, when Moravian missionary Bicentennial Celebration, while on event in Pine Plains history. It is also about working with the Mahicans in Friday and Saturday, October 27-28, Christian Henry Rauch arrived in probably the least understood.” Prior what was then known as their village the Pine Plains Free Library and Little New York City, having been disto the arrival of the Moravians, here of Shekomeko, later part of Pine patched by Moravian Bishop August lived Algonkian-speaking woodland Nine Partners Historical Society Plains. On his first visit, Rauch was Gottlieb Spangenberg to preach and people, the Schaghticoke-Mahicans. treated “with true Indian hospitality,” will conduct an historic Evergreen convert any native peoples he could Cemetery Lantern Tours fundraiser.

Rauch, it might be noted, was but things quickly went south. “The In between, a host of other bicenten- find. likely not expecting clear sailing in his next day when he spoke with them he Eventually, this would yield what nial activities are on tap. To get all pursuit of Christianizing the Native perceived, with sorrow, that his words the low-down on what’s what as this became known as “the first successAmericans, having been informed excited derision; at last they openly yearlong celebration winds down, visit ful mission to the heathen in North that they were “universally of such laughed him to scorn,” wrote Smith.

America,” according to Philip H. http://lnphs.com/events. a vicious and abandoned character “He was not discouraged; he perSmith’s General History of Dutchess that all efforts for their improvement sisted in visiting them daily in their would be dangerous, as well as utterly huts, representing to them the evils in vain.” of sin, and extolling the grace of God It was indeed something less than revealed in Christ and pointing out an auspicious beginning: “In New the way of salvation. In these labors York at the time was an embassy of he encountered many hardships. He Mahican Indians on business with the lived after the Indian manner, travelcolonial government, probably regard- ing on foot from one place to another ing some land concerns. Rauch sought through the wilderness. Suffering out the Indians but found them in a from heat and fatigue, he was often wild, intoxicated condition … They denied even the poor shelter of an came to understood here was a white Indian hut for refreshment and rest.” man who wanted to come to their vilContinued on page 25 … lage and teach them. Tschoop (Wassamapah), who was one of the chiefs in attendance, is said to have remarked that he frequently felt disposed to

Early photo of the Ketterer Hotel. Note the child standing outside of the second story porch railing. Photo: courtesy LNPHS. MAIN STREET MAGAZINE 23

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history

region, and pursuing work outside of Fortunately for Rauch, the worm one’s immediate area became possible. began to turn, to the extent that by March 13, 1743, Holy Communion It also opened up travel opportunities.

Prior to the railroad, how did folks was administered to some of those get about with a trip of any distance? at Shekomeko, and in July 1743, Stagecoach and the use of waterways the new chapel at Shekomeko was finished and consecrated. “At the close were primary options. “In 1830,” of 1743, the congregation of baptized according to the LNPHS, “the first Indians at Shekomeko numbered six- stagecoach route, with a team of four ty-three persons,” Smith noted. What horses, was established in Pine Plains, led to this change of heart? “It seems carrying both mail and passengers that one day Rauch fell asleep in the twice a week from Pine Plains to dwelling of Tschoop, who was greatly Poughkeepsie, returning the next day. astounded that this white man would This was along what is State Route sleep so soundly and trustingly under 82 and US Route 44 today. It was an Indian's roof. Tschoop concluded slow (the average speed five miles per hour), the roads were not very good, that such a man must be worthy of The circus train and the driving park (racetrack). Photos: courtesy LNPHS. hearing. This change of heart cleared and space was limited.”

Let’s not forget that, among the the way for Rauch to gain ground in observations at that time was the idea his preaching,” observed Out of the that the train would travel so quickly Wilderness.

Passenger trains out of Pine Plains Fast forward a couple decades later, it would become difficult if not imToday, the Moravian Christian ceased in 1933, with freight service possible for humans to breathe – and and along came the short lines. FolMissionary Monument stands continuing until 1937. In an odd lowing the short-lived Poughkeepsie the entire operation surely was the between Halcyon Lake and Conklin & Eastern Railroad, incorporated on little twist and perhaps a nugget for work of the devil.

Hill. If nothing else, it’s been said, Early on, two long-distance north- April 23, 1866, came the Dutchess & potential Jeopardy contestants to file the Moravians intended to give the away, in 1938, a scant three years Columbia Railroad, which came to Shekomeko Indians hope for a better south routes were “built to take advantage of the western trade from the life on September 4, 1866, and which preceding the bombing of Pearl Harlife for their people. The past few Great Lakes and the Erie Canal. The ran on 43 miles of track that spanned bor, the crossing at Pine Plains’ South paragraphs, obviously, present little Main Street was torn up and sold for from Dutchess Junction alongside New York & Harlem Railroad went more than an on-ramp for a more scrap to the Japanese. the Hudson River to Millerton. It from Manhattan to Albany through in-depth look at the fascinating history of the Moravian Mission and the the Harlem Valley of eastern Dutchess was completed by 1869. However, by 1874, foreclosure proceedings had What was the overall effect of County, and the Hudson River Shekomeko. railroading on Pine Plains? begun on the company – it would Railroad hugged the Hudson River In the words of the LNPHS, “EmThe railroad shoreline from Manhattan to Albany. be reorganized as the Newburgh, Along with many hamlets, villages, Both lines were completed by 1852,” Dutchess, and Connecticut Railroad ployment opportunities increased as and towns up and down the Hudand ultimately acquire as a nickname men and women were able to take according to the LNPHS. Efforts in son Valley, the railroad – used here “The Never Did & Couldn’t.” Merg- the train into Poughkeepsie. Farms 1833 and 1836 to erect a railroad expanded: Now that raw milk could generically – came along in the 1800s from Poughkeepsie through Pine ers, foreclosures, bankruptcies, and be shipped by train, production had and connected urban and rural life the like would symbolize the early Plains to Connecticut had failed, each in dramatic fashion. On the business for the same reason: people wanted a days of railroading in and around Pine to increase to meet demand, which meant farmers had to increase the size side of things, farmers were suddenly canal instead. What they received was, Plains. of their dairy herds.” The society notes able to peddle their wares outside the well, neither.

“During the years of World War that the Briarcliff Farms “operation I and after,” wrote Victor Westman, most likely would not have relocated “the Central New England Railway considered its main line between Pine from Briarcliff Manor to Pine Plains without the railroad. The railroad also Plains and State Line, New York, to made the Pine Plains hamlet a viable be that of the former Poughkeepsie location for Borden’s Milk Company.” & Eastern via Ancram lead mines Other industries, such as apple and Boston Corners due to its lower drying and barrel making, grew in grades. Next best was the former popularity. And during the peak railRhinebeck & Connecticut route via Silvernails, Copake, and Boston Cor- road years, the hamlet of Pine Plains ners. The heavy grades over Winchell supported two drug stores, two large Mountain via the former Newburgh, hotels and several boarding houses, Dutchess & Connecticut route from Millerton via Shekomeko became the Continued on next page … least desirable.”

Briarcliff Farms Valley with old Morris Graham stone house in foreground.

Photo courtesy LNPHS.

MAIN STREET MAGAZINE 25

history

Above, top to bottom: Halcyon Hall built ca.

1840, Mashomack Clubhouse today.

Dutch Shultz, 1931 mugshot. Mr. Law in the gigantic corn.

Photos courtesy LNPHS.

before use. The dairy building itself is and Little Nine Partners Historical the model of cleanliness. The cows are Society. At least four characters are on milked regularly at 3am and 3pm, and tap for the tour: the regulations have to be rigorously followed by the milker, who must don •William Stewart Eno (1827-1902), a lawyer and president of Stissing a clean white uniform and cap and clean the udder of each animal before National Bank (now the Bank of Millcommencing. Each man has charge of brook) from 1863-1896. He and his about 21 cows – prior to milking each wife built Pine Plains’ grandest home and called it The Pines. he is mandated to wash his hands.

• Bea Patchin (1881-1989) – her Inside the barns, no laughing, loud talking, smoking, or expectorating is father, Mark Patchin, started Patchin’s Mill, one of the oldest mills in the permitted.” area. Bea lived to be over 108 years A fun fact: Horse breeding has a long tradition in Pine Plains. Perhaps old, and her former home and mill building are still standing today. The the most important early American mill building has been undergoing thoroughbred stallion, Messenger, renovations by The Friends of Stissing stood here for several years after his part-owner, Cornelius W. Van Ranst, Landmarks and was open for tours this summer. The bridge at Patchin’s brought him to his Pine Plains farm in 1796. In addition, horse racing was Mill was famous for being lined with lit up pumpkins on Halloween that popular in the early 1800s and Pine were carved by local kids, young and Plains even had its own racetrack, old. which was located on the empty lot • Alfred Brush (1792-1872), who between Stissing Avenue and Lake dry goods merchants and general owned the historic Graham Brush Road. stores, a boarding school, and mulhouse from 1829 until his death.

And we’d be remiss not to add a tiple entertainment venues. Doctors The house still stands in the center few other Pine Plains noodlings: and lawyers abounded. In the early of Pine Plains and has been restored 1900s, at its peak, 18 trains on three and maintained by The Little Nine • In the late 1800s, the Barnum & railroads daily traveled in and out of Partners Historical Society, which Bailey Circus boarded show animals the town. holds historic reenactments and other over the winter at local farms for $5 Agriculture programs there throughout the year. per month per animal, with a circus If one is fixin’ to talk about agriAlfred was a tailor and instrumental employee boarding with the farmer culture in the Pine Plains vicinity, in forming the Pine Plains Baptist for $10 per month. the aforementioned Briarcliff Farms • Stissing Mountain, the town’s most Church. wouldn’t be a bad place to start. In • Julia Duxbury Slingland Jordon visible landmark at 1,403 feet, is a 1907, when Walter William Law unique geological formation, a block (1887-1976) spent summers at the endeavored to move his operation family home in Hammertown, which of 1.1-billion-year-old Precambrian from Briarcliff Manor to Pine Plains, gneiss “floating” on top of younger still stands today, and winters in New he purchased 12 farms on both sides shale and sandstone.

York City, where her father had his ofof the Pine Plains-Stanford Road fice. Her first love was music, and she • Bootlegger and racketeer Dutch (today’s state Highway 82) about two Schultz (real name Arthur Simon Fle- was an early sponsor of Tanglewood miles south of the hamlet of Pine concerts. Upon her husband’s death genheimer), taking advantage of the Plains, totaling 3,249 acres, as well as area’s isolation, ran an underground in 1948, she took over and managed other small farms, according to the distilling operation at Harvest Home- his insurance company for 29 years.

LNPHS, which added that this action stead Farm during Prohibition. It Throughout her life she served her “no doubt transformed the quaint, was raided in 1932. Schultz was later community on many boards and pastoral character of the region.” gunned down by the mob hit squad, was a life member of the Pine Plains Mr. Law was fastidious about his Murder, Inc. at the Palace Chophouse Chapter of the Order of the Eastern farm, stocked with a herd of 800 in Newark, NJ, in 1935. He was 33. Star. • Jerseys, of which 200 were considered To learn more visit lnphs.com. “highgrades” and the rest pure bred.

And here we are, back in 2023. For Sources: Vol. 5: Out of the Wilderness. A “All milk cans, bottles, whatever is a fun-filled, spooky, but nonetheless History of the Hamlet of Bethel in the Town used in the dairy, are thoroughly lively look at some of the folks who of Pine Plains, New York. “General History sterilized at a temperature of 212°F made the wheels go around in Pine of Dutchess County,” Philip H. Smith, Plains in the 1700s and 1800s, don’t 1877. Vol. 4: Pine Plains and the Railmiss the Evergreen Cemetery Lantern roads, Bicentennial Publication, Lyndon A. Tours fundraiser on October 27-28 Haight, 1976. Wikipedia. The Gazette and presented by Pine Plains Free Library Courier, Greenfield, MA.

26 MAIN STREET MAGAZINE

STISSING CENTER FOR ARTS AND CULTURE

2024 Season Program

54

Local Produce Series

LOCAL PRODUCE

8 staged readings of new plays by Hudson Valley playwrights, performed by Hudson Valley talent!

sponsored by Oblong Books

Black Sheep Farm, Chaseholm Farm and Ronnybrook Farm

OCTOBER 15, 2023

3PM

WAITING FOR THE BALL TO DROP

by David Simpatico

Seven friends in NYC survive 9/11, and the rest of 2001, facing their demons and dreaming of a better life two hours north in the Hudson Valley.

NOVEMBER 19, 2024

3PM

MOZART’S WIFE

by Anne Undeland

On December 5, 1791, Constanze Mozart drags the stillwarm but very dead body of her husband, Wolfgang Amadeus, into the basement. She has just lost the love of her life and one of the world!s great geniuses, but with creditors pounding at the door and two young children to feed, the perennially-underestimated Constanze’s immediate problem is survival.

DECEMBER 17, 2023

3PM

DIG WE MUST

by Paul Allman

A black comedy about Sarah and Kenny, who attempt to hold their world together in the aftermath of an unimaginable tragedy sparked by their only son, who is on Death Row awaiting execution. Blindsided by every aspect of this development and besieged by the media, Sarah and her husband Kenny are shunned, shamed, and torn by what has become a profound dilemma: should they still hold their annual Christmas party?

JANUARY 21, 2024

3PM

FIERY SWORD OF JUSTICE

by Lauren Latellier

Set in the chaotic, high-octane world of a big-time NYC PR agency, this is a harrowing and hilarious look at the similarities between dysfunctional families and the dysfunction in corporate America. Can childhood coping strategies developed in the former translate into the skills needed to survive – and thrive – in the latter?

FEBRUARY 18, 2024

3PM

THE HAT AND THE PAWN

by Lenora Champagne and Dave Owens

Hat Trips: A hat takes a walk. From the wide world to the interior of a musty closet, this hat (and others) have adventures, trials, and relationships. Sometimes the hat wearer speaks up.

The Pawn: A True Story Based Loosely On The Staunton Chess Set: a fresh, dystopian, look at the Game of Chess from the viewpoint of the lowliest chess piece on the Chessboard.

MARCH 17, 2024

3PM

SHATTERING

by Juhanna Rogers A solo poetic performance piece that reflects on the journey of a young girl, known affectionately as Nicole, as she grows up to be Juhanna. Young Nicole struggles with blazing her own trail and meeting everyone’s approval of who they believe she should be. Juhanna feels the weight of becoming her own woman and transitioning into the successful Dr. Juhanna Rogers.

STISSING CENTER FOR ARTS AND CULTURE

2024 Season Program

56

APRIL 21, 2023

3PM

MONARCHS

by Danielle Friman

How is this night different from all other nights? In, uh, a bunch of ways... welcome to the Motek Family Seder! Monarchs is a coming-out, coming-of-age story that sheds light on the links between our inherited shame and our greatest fears, and proudly reclaims Peter Pan as the queer icon she’s always been to those of us who knew to look.

MAY 19, 2023

3PM

UPSTATE UNTITLED

by Robert Lyons

The story of an elderly homeowner in a rural town in upstate NY forced to leave her home after a lifetime in it.

JAMES WILBUR

Painting, Sheetrock, Taping, Carpentry

845-520-0666

HOTELS, INNS AND B&B PROFILES INN

The Millbrook Inn 3 Gifford Rd · Millbrook, NY 845.605.1120 · www.themillbrookinn.com In a building over 100 years old, set on a country road dotted with lush farmland and grazing horses, you will find The Millbrook Inn: our serene retreat located in the heart of the Hudson Valley. Filled with authentic furnishings, high-end fabrics, and a mix of found objects and eclectic art, each of our nine rooms at our Hudson Valley Inn tells a unique story. They bring to mind an iconic American Colonial home, but are freshly reimagined with a modern twist. Each of our well-appointed accommodations feature luxurious ensuite bathrooms and high-end modern amenities including complimentary WiFi. Every stay includes our locally sourced farm-fresh breakfast each morning. Our restaurant, The Vintage, features a woodburning fireplace in our bar and a glass conservatory-style dining room. We serve hyper-local American cuisine: elevated, but unfussy.

STISSING CENTER FOR ARTS AND CULTURE 38 June 2023 P www.hvmag.com

PA RT N E R C O N T E N T

2024 Capital Campaign

Room for Everyone ushers in a new era for the Stissing Center for Arts and Culture

What makes a community stand out? Perhaps the number of people who are proud of their home.

Proud to be from Pine Plains. Proud to be New Yorkers.

At its heart, what really makes a community special is how it invests in its future to sustain its strength, liveliness, and sense of belonging—that feeling of home.

We are moved to action by what we see: a need for social, emotional, and intellectual support for young people, our neighbors, our friends, and every one of our community-at-large members.

This need – social, emotional, and intellectual support - is an essential element of an engaged and thriving community; something that rural America is deeply missing. By centering world-class arts and culture, we can begin the work of spotlighting and amplifying local culture, empowering community development, instilling civic pride, fostering critical thinking, and providing a forum for shared experiences and discovery.

STISSING CENTER FOR ARTS AND CULTURE

P.O. Box 1024

(518) 771-3340

Pine Plains, New York

info@thestissingcenter.org

12567

Room For Everyone is a bold invitation to those who believe that rural America should have access to world-class Arts and Culture opportunities.

We have three bold community-centered goals that will enhance our community’s financial and social vitality by

establishing The Stissing Center—and Pine Plains—as the esteemed hub for arts and culture in the Hudson Valley.

Three CommunityCentered Goals 01.

To create a place where people of all ages can engage in creative and cultural activities.

02.

To promote individual achievement and leadership in rural America.

• Launch The Laundromat Project

to support Pine Plains artists and

neighbors to be change agents in their own community.

• Full renovation of 19,942 square

• Establish the Pine Plains Arts

• Increase the technical capacity of

with a major university and

feet

Memorial Hall (lighting, projector,

screen, etc.).

• Transform the lower level of the Hall into The Cellar at The Center, an

intimate second performance and

gathering space with a kitchen and bar.

• Add the Kent Broadhurst Art Gallery to the third floor.

Leadership Program in collaboration nationally recognized Arts partner.

• Create the Annual Conference On Arts Leadership.

• Establish TSC Studio – a one-year

mentorship and teaching residen-

cy program for creatives from rural communities.

03.

To invigorate Main Street and create economic vitality for Pine Plains and the Hudson Valley.

• Partner with Pine Plains and

Dutchess County to communicate

the economic impact of the creative

sector.

• Create and convene Arts and Business events to promote belonging

and inclusiveness throughout our region.

• Establish a Northern Dutchess

County Arts and Culture Group to

build a unified approach to increase tourism and local participation

across the region.

Investment: $2.3 M

Investment: $2.54 M

Investment: $4.97M

2024 Season Program

62