The forest, singing to the streams

GRAHAMSVILLE, NY — Arm of the Sea Theater will present “How the Forest Sings to the Streams” at the Grahamsville Fairgrounds on Saturday, September 3, beginning at 11 a.m. 

It is billed as “a performance for all ages, on the rivers and creeks that flow through our Catskill community.”

There is no charge for the performance. 

It’s sponsored by the Neversink parks and recreation department, Time and the Valleys Museum, the Daniel Pierce Library and the Rondout Neversink Stream Program. 

The fairgrounds are located at 8230 State Rte. 55.

For more information, contact Time and the Valleys Museum at 845/985-7700.

Artistic expression as a democratic principle

YOUNGSVILLE, NY — Domesticities will hold an opening reception for its new exhibit, which is titled “Four/For: supporting artistic expression as a democratic principle.” It takes place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, September 3.

Works in painting, drawing, eco printing and photography celebrate the freedom of expression.

The exhibit runs through Friday, September 30. 

“Four/For” features works by artists Miriam Hernandez, Marjorie Morrow, Alexis Siroc and Gail Tuchman. The artists have been “inspired to express their love of freedom and the need to preserve and protect our democracy,” a press release noted.

Hernandez started training as an artist at age 14. “Putting hands and tools to a receptive surface,” she said, “I employ the creative process as a way to mark time and events, in order to confirm my own impermanence.” She draws on influences from political events, environmental concerns and Buddhist symbology.

Morrow is an abstract painter who moved permanently from Manhattan to the Upper Delaware in 2018. Her paintings and prints have been exhibited nationally and internationally since 1968. 

Morrow focuses on developing special projects and collaborations. While abstract, her work is inspired by diverse sources, she said—music, literature and contemporary cultural and political environments.

Siroc “weaves visual meditations and narratives into artwork,” a press release stated. As an art director, she works in multiple design fields. As a scene painter and theater designer, her theatrical creations have appeared in productions by the RAPP Theater Company and for the Liberty Free Theatre. 

Her art has been exhibited in New York City, the Hudson River Valley and the Upper Delaware River Valley. She has co-curated two shows at the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance—“Paint by Pixels” and “Night Watch.”

Tuchman began making art in childhood with a Brownie Hawkeye box camera and Jon Gnagy’s Saturday morning TV drawing lesson. She took multiple degrees in art and studied Chinese painting under Kwo Da-Wei. She exhibits here in the Catskills, in NYC and beyond. An award-winning children’s and adult author, Gail has published many books on art.

Domesticities is located at 4055 State Route 52, and is open Friday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit thecuttinggarden.org. 

 Learn about regenerative organic farming 

LAKEWOOD, PA — Friends, families and neighbors are welcome to attend an immersive program with the Cooperage Project, titled “At The Farm,” on Saturday, August 27 at 3 p.m. 

The program will be held at Two Creek, a regenerative organic farm, and is open to people of all ages. 

“At the Farm” is a community program of the Cooperage Project that “connects people to local food producers and the foodscape of the region,” according to a press release. 

Visitors will learn about Two Creek's livestock—sheep, pigs, chickens and turkeys. The farmers will discuss their agritourism business and the philosophies around regenerative farming. 

There will be activities for children, including meeting the farm's animals, face-painting and a hay-bale ride. 

The program will conclude with a visit to the Two Creek market and light refreshments. Participants will receive NEAR Cash vouchers, which can be redeemed at the Two Creek market or at local farmers’ markets. 

Visitors are asked to dress for the weather and to use appropriate footwear for walking around the farm. People are encouraged to bring their own reusable water bottles. Water and snacks will be provided. 

Two Creek Farm is located at 65 Woods Rd. 

For more information, visit www.thecooperageproject.com.

 Of love and art

ONLINE — The Wayne County Arts Alliance (WCAA) has opened the online auction for its “HeARTS Alive in Wayne County” summer outdoor art project.

All summer long, the heart-shaped artworks have been on display throughout Honesdale and in Wayne County, PA. 

Now you have a chance to own one. 

“You can set up the sculpture as-is,” on its post, a press release stated, or you can take the hearts off the post and display them.

The hearts are each 24 inches wide on a six-foot post, and include an umbrella base and two optional sandbags.

There are 51 artworks to bid on. The purchase will benefit the WCAA.

The “HeARTS Alive in Wayne County” project was organized by WCAA board member Ellen Silberlicht.

Local businesses and people sponsored the works in 51 locations all over Wayne County. Each artwork was painted or created by a different local artist.

The auction began Wednesday, August 24 and will continue through Friday, September 9. Afterward, winners will be contacted to pick up the artwork.

To bid, visit www.biddingowl.com/WayneCountyArtsAlliance.

Learn more, including details about artists and sponsors, at waynecountyartsalliance.org.

Immersive dance and theatrical performance at the Tusten Theatre

NARROWSBURG, NY — The Delaware Valley Arts Alliance (DVAA) invites one and all to celebrate female voices at “Night of the New Moon,” an HX Theatre production.

The show takes place at 6 p.m. on Saturday, August 27 at the Tusten Theatre. 

“Draped in a tapestry of light and shadow, sound and silence, dance and stillness, ‘Night of The New Moon’ explores the fascinating and provocative voices of female figures from ancient history to the present,” a press release stated.

The performance includes the music of Hildegard von Bingen and the story of Joseph Lobdell, born in the early 19th century as Lucy Ann Lobdell. 

Performers include Mary Beth Hansohn, James Graber, Amanda McCormick, Ramona Kelley, Amy Piantaggini and Kristin Fayne-Mulroy.

For non-DVAA members, tickets cost $25 in advance and $30 at the door. For members, tickets cost $20 in advance and $25 at the door. There is no charge for children aged 12 and under.

HX Theatre and DVAA offer an Equal Pay discounted ticket at 87 percent of the regular admission price, for those affected by the gender wage gap. 

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to a local women’s shelter.

COVID safety protocols apply to DVAA events. 

To purchase tickets, call 845/252-7576 or visit www.delawarevalleyartsalliance.org.

Monologues, funny and serious

PORT JERVIS, NY — The Presby Players Community Theater will perform “Talking Heads,” an evening of monologues like you’d hear at auditions. 

The performance will take place at 7 p.m. on Friday, August 26 and at 7 p.m. on Saturday, August 27. Both shows will be held at Marsh Hall.

Artistic director Jeffrey Stocker said that the monologues let the audience get an inside look at how his students train. 

“The performance will be presented as a class,” he said, “beginning with breathing exercises in which the audience can participate. Each actor will introduce themselves the way they would at an audition.”

The actors include four teens from the young adult class as well as eight people from the adult class. 

Stocker said that the title, “Talking Heads,” comes from “the British TV series in which monologues were filmed up close.” He added that actors are expected to “perform word-perfect—exactly how it’s written. It’s part of the challenge.”

Tickets for the performance cost $10 at the door. 

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Masks are not required but are recommended. 

Marsh Hall is located at 60 Sussex St.

Acting classes for adults are held at Marsh Hall on Mondays from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and for young adults on Sundays from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Classes cost $10 each.

For more information, call the Presby Players at 845/856-1231.

Celebrating women writers

HOBART, NY — The Hobart Festival of Women Writers will present its 10th annual festival from Friday, September 9 through Sunday, September 11. 

Sixteen professional and published women writers, working in different genres, will gather in Hobart, aka the Book Village of the Catskills, to offer a range of writing workshops and public readings over the course of three days. 

Writers participating for the first time include Laurie Lico Albanese, Myriam J.A. Chancy, Marina Antropow Cramer, Ysabel Y. Gonzalez, Kaliah D. Pitts, Jane Schulman and Suzanne Strempek Shea. Returning writers include Cheryl Boyce Taylor, Nana Brew-Hammond, Alexis De Veaux, Bertha Rogers, Elizabeth Searle, Mecca Sullivan and Lisa Wujnovich.

Participants can join five-hour intensive workshops and two-hour skill workshops. The workshops will address topics such as the use of mythology, writing the Japanese poetic form zuihitsu, writing and illustrating books for children, telling a good story, developing voice and setting in fiction, using dreams in poetry and characterizing “home” in fiction.

In all, the festival will offer 13 workshops, interspersed with five public author readings. The readings are free of charge and open to the public.

All workshops and readings will take place in the Village of Hobart. 

To register for the festival, visit www.hobartfestivalofwomenwriters.com for the link to the festival’s Eventbrite site.

The festival is supported in part by New York State Council of the Arts Decentralized grants, the O’Connor Foundation and individual donors. 

Email Cheryl Clarke at bdpoet@gmail.com for more information.

Crawford Library book sale continues

MONTICELLO, NY — The Friends of the E. B. Crawford Library book sale will continue through Wednesday, August 31. 

There are books, DVDs, audiobooks, CDs and more.

Sale items are available in the Robert Norris Community Room, whenever a program is not in session. Books will be moved to the hallway, if possible, so that you can continue to browse while a program is in session.

Materials are not priced individually. You just pay what you wish. Collect your items and pay for them at the front desk.

All proceeds help support the library.

For more information, call the Crawford Library at 845/794-4660.

Archery night with Vet2Vet

JEFFERSONVILLE, NY — Vet2Vet of Sullivan County is sponsoring an archery night every second Wednesday of the month from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Catskill Outdoorsman. 

Catskill Outdoorsman is located at 4882 Rte. 52. 

The next session is Wednesday, September 14.

Veterans and current service members are welcome. 

Vet2Vet is a peer-support program for veterans, connecting them to services and giving support. It is run by veterans and is offered through Action Toward Independence (ATI).

Call ATI to register at 845/794-4228. 

Fred at the Rock Valley Schoolhouse

ROCK VALLEY, NY — On Sunday, August 28 at 4 p.m., Fred, the Nameless Group will perform at the Rock Valley Schoolhouse.

The group features faces and names you might have heard before, “playing tunes you probably know, but can’t quite remember, but you will never forget,” wrote a spokesperson. 

Kurt Rohde, Tim Allen, Jennifer Coates, Eric Bianchi and David Humphrey will perform, the spokesperson wrote, something “new/old/different/unexpected/fun-filled/charming/delightful & thoughtful.”

A donation of $10 per person is recommended, to support the performers and the schoolhouse. 

The schoolhouse is located at 9598 County Hwy. #28.

Learn more about the Rock Valley Schoolhouse at therockvalleyschoolhouse.com.

‘Opera! Pike! Park!’ in Milford

MILFORD, PA — Live opera will fill the air on Sunday, August 28 in a free concert on the lawn of the Ann Street Park.

The performance begins at 4 p.m.

Classic arias, Broadway tunes and other songs will be performed by singers from the Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA) in Philadelphia.

“Opera! Pike! Park!” is part of the Music in the Park series presented by Milford Borough’s parks and recreation committee.

Concerts are free, family-friendly and open to the public. The AVA was established in 1934 to train young artists with the potential to become international opera soloists. Four singers and a piano accompanist entertain residents this year.

Maria Farrell, a member of the Milford Borough Council, praised “Opera! Pike! Park!”

The event is “a great opportunity to bring people from all walks of life together. There is a certain community solidarity and feeling of inclusiveness when we hold events like this,” she said. “To be able to bring in the level of talent we have seen in past years is really remarkable for the borough. Milford has developed a reputation for providing wonderful cultural experiences and I believe establishing a strong town identity is important, particularly for smaller towns.”

“Opera! Pike! Park!” attendees are encouraged to bring blankets, snacks and beverages. The concert is free for anyone to attend, but reservations are required to obtain a program. There also are a limited number of seats in folding chairs under the tent. 

For more information, visit Pike Opera at pikeopera.com.

Register with Eventbrite at bit.ly/3QFPJr0.

Bettering people’s lives

MONTGOMERY, NY — The Orange County Rural Development Advisory Corporation (RDAC) will host its legacy dinner at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 1.

The dinner will be held at the Venue at Winding Hills.

Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress and Michele McKeon will receive the Alice Dickinson Legacy Award.

Pattern for Progress is a nonprofit policy, planning, advocacy and research organization.

McKeon is the COO of the Regional Economic Community Action Program (RECAP).

"Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress… promotes regional, balanced and sustainable solutions that enhance the growth and vitality throughout the region,” said Faith Moore, executive director of RDAC. “Michele McKeon has an unmatched dedication to gender violence, social justice and anti-poverty issues with a genuine love for the community." 

RDAC encourages vital, healthy and stable communities by providing and preserving a broad array of attainable and sustainable housing opportunities for people with a wide income range, according to its website. The group also promotes and supports related community issues as they influence shelter, quality of life, economic opportunity and diversity.

Tickets to the dinner cost $95, and include a cocktail hour with wine and beer, full buffet dinner, a signature ice cream bar and a silent auction. A variety of sponsorship opportunities are available, as are a few tickets. 

For additional information, call Faith Moore at 845/713-4568 or email faithmoore@ocrdac.org.

‘Writing About Rock & Roll’ at the Milford Readers & Writers Festival

 MILFORD, PA — On Saturday, September 17, the fifth annual Milford Readers and Writers Festival will feature a conversation—titled “Writing About Rock & Roll”—with Sheila Weller and James Greer.

Weller is the author of “Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon – and the Journey of a Generation.”

Greer is a novelist, screenwriter, musician and critic. 

The discussion will be moderated by Milford resident Bob Guccione Jr., creator and publisher of Spin Magazine. 

Weller and Greer will offer insights and anecdotes that illustrate how writing about rock 'n' roll is about much more than songs and concerts. They will share examples of how history, the larger-than-life personalities and culture are also part of the story. 

The festival will take place Friday, September 16 to Sunday, September 18 at the Milford Theater and Performing Arts Center on Catharine St.

Other festival highlights include Len Cariou, Tony award-winner and star of the TV series “Blue Bloods,” and his wife, Heather Summerhayes Cariou. She is a writer, actor and activist, and they will read the two-character Pulitzer Prize-winning play “The Gin Game.”

Writer Nelson DeMille and his son Alex DeMille will discuss writing and collaborating. 

“What is American Food?” will feature historian Paul Freedman, author of “Ten Restaurants That Changed America” and “American Cuisine - And How It Got That Way.” He and author/foodie Richard Morais will talk about what makes American food unique.

Morais wrote “The Hundred-Foot Journey,” which was made into a major motion picture that starred Helen Mirren.

All Main Stage programs will include an opportunity for conversation between the authors and the audience.

Learn more at milfordreadersandwriters.com.