A Turning of the Tide
Siena University, NorthEast Theatre Ensemble, Mabee Farm, and Shaker Heritage Society team up to bring premiere of site-specific immersive play with music to the Capital Region May 22- June 7.
At a Glance:
A Turning of the Tide
By Krysta Dennis and Simon Meisel
Directed by Michael Anderton-Stuart
Music Direction by Jayden Wojcik
Choreography by Hassan Laing
Costume Design by Sharon Greene
May 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, 31 at Mabee Farm Historic Site 1100 Main Street, Rotterdam Junction NY 12150
June 5, 6, 7 at Shaker Heritage Site 25 Meeting House Road, Albany NY 12211
Tickets: $20
Ticket Link: bit.ly/turningofthetide
Run time: 90 minutes
ALBANY NY- May 19, 2026- Siena University and NorthEast Theatre Ensemble are proud to present the premiere of A Turning of the Tide, an immersive, site-specific play with music, written by Krysta Dennis and Simon Meisel. In this production, audiences will step into the Capital Region on the eve of the Battle of Saratoga. Throughout Mabee Farm and the Shaker Heritage Site, the audience will encounter the American Revolution as it unfolds from multiple, often unheard perspectives. Women navigating their role in the war. Immigrants and Black Americans confront a fragile promise of freedom. Hessian mercenaries, far from home, find their way through the wilderness. Shakers preach a radical gospel of pacifism. And British soldiers face the realities of war. In this production, the audience does not simply observe the past; they walk through it, experiencing the human cost, moral complexity, and emotional urgency of the moments that shaped the nation.
Dennis, a theatre professor at Siena, has teamed up with London-based former student Simon Meisel to bring this piece to life. “a central premise of the work is that it contains multiple narratives- a moment in history seen from different viewpoints. It seemed logical to work collaboratively in order to achieve this goal.” Anderton-Stuart, who recently returned to the United States from completing his MFA in Directing at Edinburgh Napier in Scotland, is also a former student of Dennis’. The choreographer, Hassan Laing, and music director, Jayden Wojcik, are both current Siena students. Hassan and Jayden have some familiarity with the Shaker Heritage site, having previously guided guests through Manifestations: A Shaker Ghost Tour, written by Meisel. Dramaturg Aiden Peterson is also a Siena student, as well as stage manager Sam Rubinstein. The performers are a mix of professionals and Siena students.
Dennis states of the play: “We are all familiar with the founding fathers narrative- and yes, this is important- but we joked that there would be no ‘great men in wigs signing things’ in this exploration of the time period. Simon and I were interested in the bigger picture of social history- what was it like to be in the British army? Who were all of these Hessians? What was it like to be a woman in this time? A pacifist? A free Black continental soldier? A formerly enslaved Black continental? What about the lesser known war heroes- the immigrants who ‘get the job done?’ What about First Nation people? Those narratives are the ones we landed on, ultimately using music from the time period to best situate the production in its context.”
Dennis and Meisel used a variety of period accounts such as those written by Roger Lamb and Federike Von Riedesel to construct the world of the play. The music featured is popular English and American music of the time.
The production was generously funded by the Albany County AmRev250 Commission.
Siena University Theatre: The Siena Theatre Program is a creative, collaborative community that offers individualized educational experiences in theory, craft, and the discipline of theatre. The program offers a major with three tracks- performance, design and technology, or management, as well as a theatre minor and theatre certificate.
NorthEast Theatre Ensemble: A non-profit theatre company working regionally in New York’s Capital Region, partnering with historic properties to produce site-specific works.
Shaker Heritage: The Shaker Heritage Society is a non-profit organization that offers award-winning educational programming about the Shakers, their innovative spirit and their influence on American culture. The Society is actively concerned with preserving the integrity of the Watervliet Shaker National Historic District, site of America’s first Shaker settlement.
The Church Family site, where the Society’s offices are located, is the heart of the 770-acre Historic District. The property includes nine remaining Shaker buildings, herb garden, open fields, apple orchard, Ann Lee Pond nature preserve, and the Shaker cemetery where the founder, Ann Lee is buried.
Schenectady County Historical Society: The Schenectady County Historical Society is a private, nonprofit institution founded in 1905 to share and preserve Schenectady County’s history. Today we bring history and culture to life through exhibits, programs, research, and community events. SCHS manages three sites: Mabee Farm, Brouwer House Creative, and the SCHS museum and library.
