Happenings
May 13-15 The Church of St. John and St. Mary’s ‘Spring Festival and Craft Fair’
Macbeth at Horace Greeley High School: April 27, 28
The Horace Greeley Repertory Company will perform Macbeth on Wednesday, April 27th and Thursday, April 28th. Performances are at 7 p.m. in the Horace Greeley Theater. The kids seen in these photos are hard at work at rehearsals. It is sure to be an offbeat, riveting evening.
In the pictures Alexander Newman stars as Macbeth, Rebecca Ozer is Lady Macbeth and Violet Gautreau, Lindsay Shiner and Megan Warshofsky are the Witches.
SongwritingWith:Soldiers
Free Community Event on Wednesday, May 11
Pleasantville, NY – In celebration of 15 years of uniting community around the media arts, the Jacob Burns Film Center presents The Power of Story, a special evening in partnership with SongwritingWith:Soldiers on Wednesday, May 11 at 7:30. The program will feature conversation, film clips, and live music inspired by the work of this groundbreaking organization to celebrate the transformative power of story and music. Panelists include Mary Judd, Darden Smith, filmmaker Jon Siskel, and Staff Sergeant Rob Spohr, along with a Live Musical Performance by singer/songwriters Darden Smith and Mary Gauthier.
Darden Smith, who is founder and creative director of SongwritingWith:Soldiers, along with Executive Director Mary Judd, have been dedicated to improving the lives of soldiers since 2012 by pairing veterans, active-duty service members, and military families with professional songwriters in retreat settings to craft songs about military experiences and the transition home. Along with Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Mary Gauthier, filmmaker Jon Siskel, and SW:S veterans, they will share the stories, images, film clips, and collaborative songwriting which defines SongwritingWith:Soldiers as a home for creativity, connections, and strength.
Presented with support from Community Partners at WFUV 90.7 Public Radio, Fordham University.
This is a free community event. Please RSVP to ssoliman@burnsfilmcenter.org with the subject line “SW:S at JBFC,” your first and last name, and the number of tickets needed. (Limit is 4 tickets per person)
In conjunction with the evening, there will be a Media Exhibition of participating veterans’ portraits by Michael O’Brien in the JBFC Theater’s Jane Peck Gallery on the third floor.
The Jacob Burns Film Center is a nonprofit cultural arts organization dedicated to: presenting the best of independent, documentary, and world cinema; promoting 21st century literacy, and making film a vibrant part of the community. Located on a 47,500 sq. foot, three-building campus in the center of Pleasantville, the JBFC is just 30 miles outside of New York City. Since the opening in 2001, over 2,000,000 people have seen over 5,400 films from more than 40 countries The campus includes the 27,000 sq. foot Media Arts Lab, the JBFC’s state-of-the-art education center, a creative and educational community for storytellers in the digital age, offering one-time workshops, intensive courses, and weekend programs for children and adults of all ages. To learn more about the Jacob Burns Film Center, visit www.burnsfilmcenter.org.
MAY we Suggest? Things to Do In and Around Town!
With Spring turning to summer and the school year winding down, here are three ideas of things to do in Armonk and three more to do around Westchester County in May…and for some, in June and beyond.
In Town
1. Get to the pool. Now is a good time to get your swimming gear from the attic. The North Castle Pool opens on Saturday, May 28, with the town holding an opening day event with free admission, a DJ, music, and pool contests. Free snacks will be offered from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pool season runs until September.
2. Go (back) to the theater. In our last issue, we listed some of the great upcoming performances on the stage in Armonk. The next couple months will give you even more chances to check out your local theaters. Hudson Stage Company’s “Animals Out of Paper,” a love story about a high school teacher and an origami artist, runs until May 14 at Whippoorwill Hall Theatre at the North Castle Library. The following weekend, on May 20 and 21, Lighthouse Youth Theatre will perform “Urinetown” (LYT will perform “Legally Blonde” the following month, June 10-12). From June 3 to 11, you can catch The Armonk Players performance of “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged),” as three actors put on the Bard’s 37 plays in 97 laughter-filled minutes. Finally, catch Spotlight Theatre Company’s production of “The Producers” June 17-26.
3. Check out your first ‘First Thursday.’ If you’ve never been to Armonk’s ‘First Thursday’ celebration’s before, this spring is the perfect time to enjoy a wonderful local event for the whole family that helps promote commerce. Held on the first Thursday of each month (for this issue, May 5 and June 2), live entertainment is provided in the Hamlet’s downtown from 5 to 9 p.m.; many businesses will offer promotions. First Thursdays are hosted by the Armonk Chamber of Commerce.
Around the County
1. Visit Playland. Not all communities are lucky enough to have an amusement park like Rye Playland just a 20-minute drive away. Whether it’s been years since your last trip to the 88-year-old amusement park or just a few months, now’s the time to go back. Opening day at the park is Saturday, May 7, so you won’t have to wait long to ride the Dragon Coaster again.
2. Embrace local arts. Just as you don’t have to go to Manhattan to see great theater, there’s no need to cross the county line to explore New York’s art scene. For starters, make your way to White Plains for ArtsWestchester’s exhibit “SHE: Deconstructing Female Identity.” The exhibit, which opened in March to celebrate Women’s History Month, is on display through June 25. Also check out the Neuberger Museum of Art in Purchase, the Clay Art Center in Port Chester, the Canfin Gallery in Tarrytown, the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, and the Katonah Museum of Art.
3. Go hiking. Last issue, we mentioned Betsy Sluder Nature Preserve off Old Route 22 as a great spot for hiking, and if you haven’t made it to the trail yet, it should be high on your list. But Betsy Sluder is just one of many great hiking trails in Westchester. You can also head to Peekskill to try Anthony’s Nose, one of the area’s best trails leading to a beautiful view of the Bear Mountain Bridge. Then, make your way through the Cranberry Lake Preserve in New Castle, next to the Kensico Reservoir. Yorktown’s Hilltop Hanover Farm and Environmental Center is another great option. For a list of hiking trails throughout Westchester,visit
parks.westchestergov.com.
The writer is a lifelong Westchester resident and the guest editor of Inside Armonk Magazine.