A Battle of Art vs. Commerce—Told in Iambic Pentameter!

Bridge Street Theatre presents Polishing Shakespeare, a razor-sharp satire by Brian Dykstra. When a billionaire offers a struggling theatre a fortune to “modernize” Shakespeare, an idealistic playwright, a pragmatic artistic director, and a moneyed mogul clash in a dazzling war of words. Packed with wit, searing social commentary, and a masterful command of language, this exhilarating comedy is a gem for theatre lovers and Shakespeare fans alike.

Bobby Previte leads a quartet exploring free improvisation.

Keith Pray - Saxophones
John Esposito - Piano
Otto Gardner - Acoustic Bass
Boby Previte - Drums

Every 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Sunday at 6 p.m. upstair at the Avalon Lounge!

You can visit the library for board games, cards, and more. Meet old friends and new for light refreshments, fun and games. All ages and skill levels welcome!

Dates/Times: Tuesdays, through April 29, 4 – 6pm

Location: In person, Hudson Area Library Community Room

Registration: No registration required.

A partnership with Verdigris Tea.

Opera by G.F. Handel, premiered at the King’s Theatre in London, 1724
Sung in Italian with English supertitles
Production by R.B. Schlather
With early music band Ruckus

April 19, 23 (matinee), 26, 27 (matinee), 30 (matinee), May 2, 2025

Opera director and Hudson resident R.B. Schlather reunites with early music band Ruckus in April 2025 for six performances of Handel’s baroque blockbuster GIULIO CESARE. Repeating the successful alchemy of RODELINDA (2023), Schlather brings together area residents, rising young stars, and some of the finest baroque interpreters today to share his passion for Handel in the intimacy of New York State’s oldest surviving theater.

From Director, R.B. Schlather:
“These characters may have ancient names, but they’re completely modern. Giulio Cesare is a wild ride—packed with intrigue, danger, seduction, sharp wit, and gut-wrenching drama. Think of it as Handel’s version of a pulp fiction thriller, inspired by Julius Caesar’s high-stakes escapades in Egypt and his scandalous love affair with the young, cunning Cleopatra. Back in Handel’s day, performers rocked contemporary fashion, played against minimal backdrops, and lit up the stage with raw charisma. People came for the thrill—the singers, the spectacle, the physicality, and the sheer energy of the music. That’s the vibe for this Handel series in Hudson: bold, visceral, and unapologetically thrilling.”

Rodney Alan Greenblat plays the Moog and electronics to create micro ambient works and Bliphop.
https://rodneyalangreenblat.bandcamp.com/

Rich Panish composes impressionist minimalist pieces with Adam Bert Schneider on guitar and Meghan Mercier on cello.
https://www.richpanish.com/about

You are invited to join us for songs, stories, and fun moves led by local musician, Abby Lappen, as we continue this joyful storytime. All are welcome! Date/Time: Thursdays, through June 26, 4 – 5pm (except June 19) Location: In person, Hudson Area Library Community Room Registration: Registration is appreciated, but not required. Email youth@hudsonarealibrary.org or call 518-828-1792 x101.

In partnership with the Jacob Leisler Institute, the Hudson Area Library presents a talk with Professor Jennifer Anderson exploring the historical transformations of Hempstead Plains–the only prairie in the northeast. Celebrated as a natural wonder by early Dutch and English settlers, these vast grasslands were initially regarded as a valuable shared resource, then as a barren wasteland, and now–long vanished–as one of the United State’s most populous suburbs.

Date/Time: Thursday, April 24, 6-7:30pm

Location: Hudson Area Library Community Room

Registration: No registration required. All are welcome.

A partnership with the Jacob Leisler Institute

A Battle of Art vs. Commerce—Told in Iambic Pentameter!

Catskill, New York's Bridge Street Theatre presents Polishing Shakespeare, a razor-sharp satire by Brian Dykstra. When a billionaire offers a struggling theatre a fortune to “modernize” Shakespeare, an idealistic playwright, a pragmatic artistic director, and a moneyed mogul clash in a dazzling war of words. Packed with wit, searing social commentary, and a masterful command of language, this exhilarating comedy is a gem for theatre lovers and Shakespeare fans alike.

A Battle of Art vs. Commerce—Told in Iambic Pentameter!

Bridge Street Theatre presents Polishing Shakespeare, a razor-sharp satire by Brian Dykstra. When a billionaire offers a struggling theatre a fortune to “modernize” Shakespeare, an idealistic playwright, a pragmatic artistic director, and a moneyed mogul clash in a dazzling war of words. Packed with wit, searing social commentary, and a masterful command of language, this exhilarating comedy is a gem for theatre lovers and Shakespeare fans alike.

Opera by G.F. Handel, premiered at the King’s Theatre in London, 1724
Sung in Italian with English supertitles
Production by R.B. Schlather
With early music band Ruckus

April 19, 23 (matinee), 26, 27 (matinee), 30 (matinee), May 2, 2025

Opera director and Hudson resident R.B. Schlather reunites with early music band Ruckus in April 2025 for six performances of Handel’s baroque blockbuster GIULIO CESARE. Repeating the successful alchemy of RODELINDA (2023), Schlather brings together area residents, rising young stars, and some of the finest baroque interpreters today to share his passion for Handel in the intimacy of New York State’s oldest surviving theater.

From Director, R.B. Schlather:
“These characters may have ancient names, but they’re completely modern. Giulio Cesare is a wild ride—packed with intrigue, danger, seduction, sharp wit, and gut-wrenching drama. Think of it as Handel’s version of a pulp fiction thriller, inspired by Julius Caesar’s high-stakes escapades in Egypt and his scandalous love affair with the young, cunning Cleopatra. Back in Handel’s day, performers rocked contemporary fashion, played against minimal backdrops, and lit up the stage with raw charisma. People came for the thrill—the singers, the spectacle, the physicality, and the sheer energy of the music. That’s the vibe for this Handel series in Hudson: bold, visceral, and unapologetically thrilling.”

Mini Horse Mania at the FASNY Museum of Firefighting in Hudson, NY! First, visit the adoption barn and learn all about how firefighters cared for fire horses. Then pick your own stuffed horse to adopt and call your own! Finally, meet the minis! You can visit our website for more information.

Downing Park Urban Farm hosts Newburgh Urban Farming Fair, a celebration of urban agriculture, sustainability, and community! Family-friendly activities, gardening workshops, local vendors, fresh food, and more!

Granja Urbana de Downing Park acogerá La Feria de Agricultura Urbana de Newburgh, una celebración de la agricultura urbana, la sostenibilidad y la comunidad. ¡Disfrute de actividades familiares, talleres de jardinería, vendedores locales, comida fresca y más!

More information is available at NUFFI.org.

THAT TIME OF YEAR is a quarterly-ish reading series featuring writers sharing work around a theme. April’s theme is “Wild cards.” Featuring writers Gideon Jacobs, Rachel Lyon, Lynne Tillman

GIDEON JACOBS writes fiction and nonfiction, contributing to The New Yorker, The New York Times, Artforum, BOMB Magazine, The LA Review of Books, and others. He is currently working on a novel about images.

RACHEL LYON is the author of Self-Portrait with Boy, a finalist for the Center for Fiction's 2018 First Novel Prize, and Fruit of the Dead, which the NY Times called “superb” and “refreshing.”

LYNNE TILLMAN’S recent books include Men and Apparitions, MOTHERCARE, and Thrilled to Death, published this spring. Her essays and stories appear in Aperture, Bookforum, Frieze, N+1, Granta, among many others. Tillman has received a Guggenheim Fellowship and The Academy of Arts & Letters Katherine Anne Porter Prize for contributions to literature.

THAT TIME OF YEAR is hosted by Andrea Kleine.

More information: on Instagram @thattimeofyearseries and on the web at thespottydog.com

A Battle of Art vs. Commerce—Told in Iambic Pentameter!

Bridge Street Theatre presents Polishing Shakespeare, a razor-sharp satire by Brian Dykstra. When a billionaire offers a struggling theatre a fortune to “modernize” Shakespeare, an idealistic playwright, a pragmatic artistic director, and a moneyed mogul clash in a dazzling war of words. Packed with wit, searing social commentary, and a masterful command of language, this exhilarating comedy is a gem for theatre lovers and Shakespeare fans alike.