Copake, NY – Local theater company Taconic Stage Co. (TSC) presents “Your Town,” a play with music written to celebrate Copake’s bicentennial in April. The script and lyrics are by TSC Founder and Producing Artistic Director Carl Ritchie with music by Wayne Moore and Chuck Pelletier. Music director and pianist is Joe Rose and costumes are thanks to Kevin Draves. The light-hearted show has romance, songs and laughs for the whole family.
This celebration of Copake’s 200th anniversary was inspired by Thornton Wilder’s play, “Our Town,” as well as by the actual minutes from the first town meeting in April 1824. It stars Craig Addams, Diedre Bollinger, Susan Fullerton, Andrew Joffe, and Constance Lopez, as well as some local luminaries.
Performances will be held the weekend of April 5th – 7th at the historic Copake Grange, 628 Empire Road in Copake, NY. Sponsored by the town as part of its 200th bicentennial celebration, admission is free, but reservations are needed – for all four performances!
Since its founding in 2009, TSC has delighted audiences with shows such as the hilarious, originals end-up of growing older, Senior Moments, a spoof of the local vs.weekender mentality, “The Real (Desperate) Housewives of Columbia County” and a celebration of middle-age, “I Know I Came in Here for Something,” all written and directed by Ritchie. Other productions include “Private Lives,” “The Belle of Amherst,” “The Last Flapper” and “A Lady of Letters,” just to name a few.
Carl Ritchie (script & lyrics, director) was born in New Brunswick, Canada and began his career as a child actor. After playing Oliver in a 1000 seat venue in his hometown, he insisted–at age 11–on moving 1000 miles away to Toronto to pursue an acting career. Subsequently, after living as a teen in Burma and graduating from high school in the Himalayas of northern India, he attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Ritchie has acted, written and directed for theaters worldwide, from Rangoon to Soho. He is the author of over 20 plays, which have been performed in well over a hundred theatres in the US, Canada, and as far away as New Zealand. He and his husband, Christopher Grant, have had a home at Copake Lake since the mid 90’s and have been full-time residents for nearly twenty-five years.
Performances will beheld at the Copake Grange, 628 Empire Road, Copake, NY, 12516 on Friday and Saturday, April. 5th & 6th at 7:00 pm and Saturday and Sunday, April 6th & 7th at 2 p.m. Tickets are FREE but reservations must be made at www.copakegrange.org.
Although this production is sponsored by the Town of Copake, Taconic Stage Company has been sponsored by Herringtons, Inc and Kneller Insurance Agency since Day One. Through thick and thin they have been by our side and we truly appreciate it. Big thanks, Ed Herrington as well as Kirk Kneller.