What’s on in Rockland County in September and beyond? Check out our selected listings of plays and films you don’t want to miss. And don’t miss the section below called On the Radar so you know what’s coming up. If you have additional films and theater performances that you’d like to see included in our next roundup, email us at info@nyacknewsandviews.com.
SPOTLIGHT: Rivertown Film, “Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World”
September 16, 7:30 p.m., The Nyack Center, 58 Depew
Celebrated poet, Pulitzer Prize winner, lover of dogs and long walks in the woods, openly queer and intensely private Mary Oliver is known for her insightful writing about nature, beauty, and love. “Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World” explores her early days as a writer, the people (including Whitman and Emerson) and places that inspired her poetry, and the award-winning work that launched her to wide acclaim.
Directed by American documentary filmmaker, feminist, and educator Sasha Waters, the film features archival footage, never-before-seen personal photos, notebook pages, and original new interviews with Maria Shriver, John Waters, and former U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limon, as well as poetry readings by Helena Bonham Carter, Stephen Colbert, Steve Buscemi, and Oprah Winfrey.
Poet H.E. Fisher will read some of Oliver’s poetry as well as her own writing. Buy tickets
On Stage in Rockland
Antrim Playhouse
“The Dining Room”
September 18 – October 4
32 Old Tappan Road, Tappan
Set in the dining room of a typical well-to-do household, “The Dining Room” is a mosaic of interrelated scenes — some funny, some touching, some rueful — which, taken together, create an in-depth portrait of a vanishing species: the upper-middle-class WASP. The actors change roles, personalities, and ages with virtuoso skill as they portray a wide variety of characters, from little boys to stern grandfathers, and from giggling teenage girls to Irish housemaids. Written by A.R. Gurney, directed by Steven Bell. Buy tickets
Elmwood Playhouse
“I Hate Hamlet”
September 18 – October 10
10 Park Street, Nyack
TV star Andrew Rally has come to New York City to play Hamlet in Central Park. He moves into an apartment that was inhabited — and now haunted — by the legendary actor John Barrymore. Comedy and chaos ensue as they battle over questions of fame, romance, ambition, and art. As he wrestles with Barrymore and with his own conscience, Rally is forced to choose between Shakespeare and television. The play was written by Paul Rudnick (who lived in the real-life apartment while writing the play) and is directed by Kathleen Mahan. Buy tickets
The ArtsRock Reading Series
Staged Reading: “The Exonerated”
September 24, 7:30 p.m.
The Angel Nyack, 18 South Broadway
Culled from interviews, letters, transcripts, case files, and the public record, “The Exonerated“ tells the true stories of six wrongfully convicted survivors of death row. Moving between first-person monologues and scenes set in courtrooms and prisons, six interwoven stores show an American criminal justice system gone horribly wrong. The show features Tony winner Danny Burstein, Adam Goldberg, Frankie Faison, Stephen Tyrone Williams, James Udom, and others to be announced. It’s directed by Elliott Forrest. Buy tickets
Penguin Rep Theatre
“In Plain Sight,” world premiere of a new play by Michael McKeever
September 25 — October 18
7 Crickettown Road, Stony Point
The author of “Daniel’s Husband” and “Mr. Parker” returns to Penguin to ignite the stage with his customary wit, humor, savvy, and gut-wrenching twists. After 11 years together, Elliot and Alan are about to tie the knot. Or are they? How do you reconcile choices made to escape an unforgiving past when they undermine who you are today? The past, present, and future collide as one family attempts to deal with buried secrets and a rapidly changing world. World premiere. Buy tickets
On Screen in Rockland
Nyack Library
Movie Matinee: “A Real Pain”
September 2, 2:00– 3:30 p.m., 58 South Broadway
Mismatched cousins reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother, but their old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history. Free but register here.
Movie Matinee: “Trenque Lauquen” (with subtitles)
September 16, 1:00 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. (with a 15-minute intermission)
With the strange disappearance of Laura, two men, Rafael and Ezequiel, who both love her, go on the road to find her, and learn of their recent discoveries, which may help them locate her. However, the story is bigger and stranger than they could imagine. Free but register here
Friday Night Film School Hosted by Professor Geoff Klock
“Blue Velvet” (rated R, adults age 18 or older)
September 18, 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
College student Jeffrey Beaumont returns home after his father has a stroke. When he discovers a severed ear in an abandoned field, Beaumont teams up with the detective’s daughter to solve the mystery. Geoff will pause along the way to appreciate and discuss cinema when it fires on all cylinders. Popcorn will be served.
Lafayette Theater
“La La Land”: 10th Anniversary Screening
September 25 and 27
97 Lafayette Ave., Suffern
A struggling jazz pianist and an aspiring actor meet and fall in love while chasing their dreams in Los Angeles. There are organ performances on Sundays at 3:30 p.m for those with 4:00 p.m. tickets. Buy tickets.
“An American in Paris”: 75th Anniversary Screening
September 26 and 27
This classic, award-winning film swept the Academy Awards in 1951. It’s the story of two Americans in Paris: a struggling painter (Gene Kelly) and a piano student (Oscar Levant), and feature Gershwin’s iconic songs, including “I Got Rhythm” and “S’Wonderful,” plus the famous 18-minute ballet production starring Kelly and Leslie Caron. Buy tickets.
On the Radar
The 5th Annual Phoenix Festival
Live theater, dance, music, and more
October 8 through 25 in several Nyack locations
The Phoenix Festival returns to Nyack for its 5th season of world-class live performing arts featuring theater, music, dance, improv, family entertainment, and more from October 8 to 25. Three weekends, four venues, fifteen shows, and only one performance of each. Buy a flex pass and see six shows, or buy individual tickets. See their website for what’s on when and where. Buy tickets
Rivertown Film
Annual Inspired event
Save the date: October 10
People who create are inspirations to us all. But what inspires them? Find out at Rivertown Film’s annual Inspired event on October 10. This year, the organization’s 25th anniversary, the event will focus primarily on local people working in film, who will share the sources of their inspiration. More details and tickets coming soon.