Gail Ann Dorsey
In The Grace Note
Singer-songwriter Gail Ann Dorsey brings her powerful voice and soul-deep songs to The Grace Note on Juneteenth. Best known for her long collaboration with David Bowie, Dorsey offers a rare chance to experience a legendary artist up close, sharing music shaped by decades of brilliance, heart, and history.
Sophia Zhou & Friends play Gershwin
In Banning Hall
An evening of Gershwin comes to Stissing Center with celebrated pianist Sophia Zhou, celebrating music that feels both classic and fresh. From sweeping melodies to jazzy rhythms, Gershwin’s songs capture the spirit of America, brought to life here with warmth, elegance, and a deep love for storytelling at the piano by our former Director of Chamber Music, Sophia Zhou.
Susan Werner
In The Grace Note
Over her 25-year career, Susan Werner has earned acclaim as “one of the most innovative songwriters working today” (Chicago Tribune). A virtuoso of guitar, piano, and voice, her performances are one-woman master classes. Spanning folk, jazz, gospel, Latin, and musical theater, her wide-ranging songwriting showcases fearless creativity and dazzling musicianship.
The Dances of Chihuahua
In Banning Hall
The Dances of Chihuahua invites children into an interactive workshop exploring the vibrant cultural dances of this dynamic Mexican region. Led by Karina Powers of Red Hook's Dance and Theater Arts Center, young participants will experience authentic movement while learning about Mexican culture and geography. Part of Stissing Center's Summer Children's Series, this engaging program combines physical activity with cultural education through dance.
Bar None: Cannabis Redemption
In Banning Hall
The documentary Bar None: Cannabis Redemption explores how outdated marijuana laws impact formerly incarcerated individuals. Though cannabis is now legal in much of the U.S., hundreds of thousands still carry past convictions—tens of thousands remain imprisoned. This documentary follows 13 people who've transformed their lives by entering the legal cannabis industry as advocates, business owners, and community leaders. It's about second chances, equity, and what justice truly means.
Maryland State Boychoir
In Banning Hall
The Maryland State Boychoir, Maryland’s “Official Goodwill Ambassadors,” brings its rich choral tradition to Stissing Center for a special free performance. Founded in 1987, the ensemble now includes 130 singers ages 7–20 from diverse backgrounds, united by a shared commitment to music, discipline, and growth. Join us for an inspiring evening of choral music, open to all.
Stand-Up Comedy
In The Grace Note
Join us for a night of stand-up comedy, where the intimacy of the room creates a uniquely close connection for laughter, giggles and guffaws. Headliner Carolyn Castiglia, who has appeared on Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, and more, is a regular on New York stages from Joe’s Pub to The Bell House. Her quick wit and lively, unpredictable style make for a dynamic set that feels right at home in a small space. She’s joined by MothSlam winner Bridget O’Neill, and local favorite Shawn Hollenbach. Hosted by Jenny Rubin. A hilarious night of comedy in Pine Plains!
Estuary Tales: The Life & Times of the Hudson River
In Banning Hall
Arm of the Sea Theater presents Estuary Tales: The Life & Times of the Hudson River dives into the checkered history of “America’s River”. Giant sturgeon, eels and river otters play the stage, alongside steamboats, fishermen, immigrants, and citizen scientists. With whimsy and ingenuity, the show reveals the Hudson’s complex inner life and chronicles the long struggle to clean up the river.
Bada Swing!
In Banning Hall
Bada Swing! is a lounge-jazz musical comedy that reunites two deeply questionable 1960s crooners, Bobby Bingus and Tommy Linguini, for one last comeback concert. A hit at Joe’s Pub and the New York Comedy Festival, the show mixes live music, oddball storytelling, and sharp humor into a strange, slightly unhinged celebration of ego, nostalgia, and showbiz past its prime.
Garrison Starr
In The Grace Note
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Garrison Starr brings her powerful voice and finely crafted songs to The Grace Note. Known for blending pop sensibility with Americana edge, her music has appeared in shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Nashville. With a career spanning decades and a deeply engaging live presence, this is a chance to hear an accomplished artist up close in an intimate setting. “A Lucinda Williams for Gen X’ers.” -NPR
Beethoven's Piano in Concert
In Banning Hall
Experience Beethoven’s music as it was meant to be heard, performed by Daniel Adam Maltz on a replica of the composer’s own Viennese fortepiano. This early instrument offers a strikingly different sound from the modern piano. Hailed as “the foremost performer in the world of the fortepiano,” Maltz brings clarity, nuance, and insight to this rare and intimate concert.
Theater Organ Fun! featuring Zach Frame
In Banning Hall
Theater Organist of the Year (2022) Zach Frame brings the magic of the theater pipe organ to young audiences in this lively, family-friendly program. Presented with the New York Theater Organ Society, this interactive introduction invites children to discover the sounds, history, and mechanics of this remarkable instrument through music, storytelling, and demonstration.
Rally Caps
In Banning Hall
Filmed on the ballfields of Pine Plains and directed by local native Lee Cipolla, Rally Caps stars Judd Hirsch, Amy Smart, and Carson Minnear. The film follows a young boy named Jordy as he overcomes a serious injury sustained during a youth baseball tryout and helps bring his camp team together for a championship. It’s an inspiring, family-friendly story about resilience, teamwork, and finding your way back.
Kazemde George Jazz Trio
In The Grace Note
Kazemde George returns to Stissing Center, this time in the intimate setting of The Grace Note. A Brooklyn-based jazz saxophonist, composer, and educator, he plays the full spectrum of musical styles blossoming from the African Diaspora, including Afro-Cuban, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Brazilian, and African-American traditions. His performances combine rich improvisation, rhythmic vitality, and soulful expression, creating an unforgettable experience for jazz lovers and new audiences alike.
Jorge Glem and Sam Reider
In Banning Hall
Jorge Glem and Sam Reider, Latin GRAMMY nominees, are a dynamic duo blending Venezuelan and American musical traditions. Glem, the GRAMMY-nominated Cuatro player of Venezuelan musical ensemble C4 Trio, and Reider, the acclaimed accordionist and composer, met in New York in 2016. With performances including Lincoln Center and NPR Tiny Desk, their collaboration celebrates cultural exchange. Their debut album, Brooklyn-Cumaná (2022), earned a 2023 Latin GRAMMY nomination.
Will Lawrence
In The Grace Note
Will Lawrence is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in Millerton. His fifth studio album, Rooftops in the Centerfold (September, 2025), showcases his reflective, melodic style. Beyond his solo work, Lawrence is known as the drummer for The Felice Brothers and has performed with John Early and the Lemon Squares, among others. Stissing Center is proud to welcome him back—this time to The Grace Note.
Persephone
In Banning Hall
Part of Stissing Center’s Summer Children’s Series, The Myth of Persephone offers children a chance not just to watch the show—but to be in it! The morning begins with a workshop and rehearsal at 10:00am, where young participants will learn songs, movements, and the role of the Greek chorus. Then, at 11:00am, they’ll join Grumbling Gryphon’s lively presentation of this classic myth. Through masks, music, and storytelling, children help rescue Persephone while discovering the ancient story behind the changing seasons - a celebration of creativity, environmental awareness, and the joy of performance.
Opera Uncorked
In Banning Hall
Opera Uncorked is a lively evening of wine and music. Expect drama, romance, and a curated wine list from Italy, France, Germany, and the U.S. Sip and swirl your way through an unforgettable evening of opera and wine. Each musical selection is paired with wine chosen to enhance the mood, flavor, and drama of the music. It will be a night of bold voices and beautiful pours. Presented in partnership with Fulton and Forbes Wine and Spirits in Ancram, this event invites you to experience opera in a whole new way!
Spencer LaJoye
In The Grace Note
Spencer LaJoye brings their intimate, captivating songwriting to The Grace Note for an evening of music that is as heartfelt as it is quietly disarming. With crystalline vocals, acoustic guitar, and looped layers, they create a sound that feels both expansive and close at hand. Wry, thoughtful, and deeply human, LaJoye invites listeners into a shared space where humor, vulnerability, and connection unfold in real time.
Open Mic
In The Grace Note
Join us for Open Mic Night at The Grace Note, a welcoming evening for music, spoken word, comedy, and every kind of self-expression. Artists of all ages and experience levels are invited to share. Come perform, listen, and cheer on friends and neighbors as creativity, courage, and community meet on one stage together here tonight.
Monster Intelligence
In Banning Hall
Part of our Summer Children’s Series, Monster Intelligence follows Melvin, a young monster eager to earn his license to scream. With help from his friend Red the Rat, he sets off on a lively quest to learn and grow. Filled with colorful characters and original songs spanning rock, jazz, pop, and Broadway, this family-friendly musical celebrates different ways of learning and encourages kids to discover their own “monster intelligence.”
Windborne
In Banning Hall
An Evening with Windborne showcases the group’s striking vocal harmonies and globally inspired repertoire. Known for music rooted in social justice traditions, Windborne weaves together songs of struggle, resilience, and hope with selections from cultures around the world. Their close, powerful singing creates an immersive experience—at once intimate and far-reaching—inviting listeners to connect through voices that carry both history and a shared sense of purpose.
Christopher Hoffman
In The Grace Note
Christopher Hoffman brings a wide-ranging creative practice to The Grace Note, blending cello, composition, and improvisation into a singular live experience. Drawing from his solo work (REX) and collaborations across jazz, experimental music, and film—including with Henry Threadgill, Yoko Ono, and Martin Scorsese—Hoffman creates performances that feel both cinematic and immediate. His playing moves fluidly between structure and spontaneity, inviting listeners into a richly textured, deeply expressive sound world.
Frankenstein
In Banning Hall
Experience Frankenstein (starring Boris Karloff) like never before, with the world premiere of a chamber ensemble score by composer Michael Shapiro, performed live by the Argus String Quartet with pianist Steven Beck—called “vivacious” by The New Yorker. Shapiro’s haunting score reimagines the bond between creator and creature, blending dark, Herrmann-esque tension with moments of unexpected tenderness, revealing the monster not as horror, but as a soul in search of connection. The evening begins with a Q&A with our special guest, Boris Karloff's daughter, Sara.
PG-13 by David Simpatico
In The Grace Note
Seven comic pieces ranging in length from one minute to 20 minutes. A Young Man comes out to his Father—12 different ways. A beleaguered daughter brushes up her euthanasia skills, just in case. A mismatched dance team prepares for a nationally televised talent competition. Two high school girls discover the perfect diet—vampirism! And a nefarious alien plans to take over the world through Starbucks and Facebook threatens the planet! These, and several other short plays, shine a spotlight on the darker side of comedy.
House of Hamill
In The Grace Note
House of Hamill delivers a high-energy blend of original folk, Celtic influences, and tight three-part harmonies. Known for captivating festival audiences across the U.S., the Pennsylvania-based trio pairs inventive songwriting with virtuosic playing and an engaging stage presence. Their latest album, Wildfire, showcases lyrical depth and irresistible hooks, while their viral violin-driven arrangements have reached millions. From driving jigs to rich ballads, House of Hamill creates a performance that is both lively and memorable.
The Limeliters
In The Grace Note
The Limeliters bring their signature vocal sound and spirited performance style to The Grace Note. Formed in 1959 at the height of the folk revival, the group remains a lively presence with a current lineup featuring Andy Corwin, Steve Brooks, and C. Daniel Boling. Blending rich harmonies, humor, and timeless songs, The Limeliters continue to connect with audiences in an intimate setting perfectly suited to their enduring appeal.
Pumpkin Patch Dance Party
In Banning Hall
The first-ever Pumpkin Patch Dance Party at Stissing Center! Join friends and neighbors in beautiful Banning Hall for a lively night with beloved dance band Jungle Love, back by popular demand. Promising great music and great vibes, come spend an autumn evening boogie-ooogie-oogieing on the dance floor.
Stissing Center 2nd Annual Art Auction
In Banning Hall
Stissing Center's 2nd Annual Art Auction features exceptional pieces donated by collectors and celebrated artists from around the world and around the corner. This is your opportunity to acquire extraordinary art while directly supporting the arts in Pine Plains. All proceeds benefit Stissing Center's vital arts and cultural programming, ensuring creativity continues to thrive in our community. Bid on remarkable works and invest in Pine Plains' artistic future.
Children's Stop-motion Animation Workshop
In The Grace Note
Stissing Center's Summer Children's Series launches with a free Children's Animation Workshop led by teachers from The Art Effect in Poughkeepsie. This pay-what-you-can event coincides with Pine Plains' Community Day celebration, offering young artists hands-on creative exploration. Explore the wild and wacky world of humanimation, which is stop-motion animation using only our bodies to create the illusion of movement! Capturing live-action footage in stop-motion animation format is a fun and freeing way to get creative without making a mess. Make yourself float in mid-air, experiment with silly movements, and create a fun and funky video to share and enjoy. All participants receive their animations by the workshop's end.
Helpful Neighbors by Robert Lyons
In The Grace Note
Stissing Center is pleased to continue its tradition of introducing audiences to new plays with a staged reading of Helpful Neighbors, a sharp, funny, and thought-provoking new work byplaywright Robert Lyons.
For decades, Lyons has been a leading force in New York's downtown theater scene as the artistic leader of the acclaimed New Ohio Theatre in Manhattan. Now a resident of Pine Plains and a valued member of Stissing Center’s Advisory Board, he brings his latest play to our community for a special evening of theater.
Helpful Neighbors centers on Gloria, who is getting on in years and could use a little assistance. Her longtime neighbor helps manage her finances, while a new neighbor lends a hand in the tomato garden. Before long, Gloria finds herself caught in a surprisingly cosmic struggle between good and evil—but determining who is who may not be so simple.
This special reading features a cast of local performers and community members: Grace Dietrich, Vaughn Fritts, Mary Jenkins, and Jamie Gerber.
Photo: Patrick Grego / The New Pine Plains Herald
RoundTop Burlesque Revue
In Banning Hall
Behold a bevy of beauties, bananas, back hair, burlesque, & more! The RoundTop Burlesque Revue returns to Stissing Center for its second year, celebrating the timeless tradition of burlesque with humor, glamour, and surprise. Enjoy a playfully entertaining evening of comedy, striptease, and theatrical flair from a bold cast of performers. Adults only.
Willy Porter
In The Grace Note
For more than 30 years, singer, songwriter and master guitarist Willy Porter's songs have traced the fragile, funny, luminous edges of being human. Drawing from 13 albums, Porter invites listeners into a living, breathing ritual where stories shimmer, grooves settle deep, and songs feel like home. A solo show with Porter is part concert, part conversation, part gentle reckoning — music as ritual, humor as grace, and connection as the point.
The Bang Group
In Banning Hall
We are delighted to welcome The Bang Group back to Stissing Center for an evening of innovative, surprising, humor-ridden, rhythm driven, dramatically anarchic choreography.
High Horse
In The Grace Note
Join us for a raucous night of music, weaving together Celtic and Bluegrass threads with the energy of alternative rock! High Horse, the Boston/Colorado based quartet with guitar, bass, cello, and fiddle, will take us all on a wild ride that will have you hooting just as loud as you holler!
Taylor Ashton
In Banning Hall
Taylor Ashton makes his Stissing Center debut with a live show that’s thoughtful, funny, and quietly moving. A shape-shifting songwriter with a warm baritone and playful wit, Ashton blends folk-rock intimacy with surprising twists, drawing listeners into songs that feel like short stories—honest, generous, and easy to love.
Amanda Forsyth
In The Grace Note
Experience world-renowned cellist Amanda Forsyth as you’ve never heard her before. Step beyond classical tradition into a one woman extravaganza of hilarious stories, lush melodies, and irresistible musical surprises, directed by Doug Fitch and joined by pianist Danny Zelibor. With this new program, Amanda brings passion and playfulness to every note for a performance that will thrill, charm, and captivate.
Tablao Flamenco
In Banning Hall
Tablao Flamenco brings the spirit of southern Spain to Stissing Center in an intimate, up-close performance. Master singers, dancers, guitarists, and percussionists share flamenco in its raw, emotional form—full of rhythm, storytelling, and feeling. Expect an evening that’s fiery, human, and deeply moving.
Rachael Kilgour
In The Grace Note
Rachael Kilgour brings heartfelt indie folk to The Grace Note stage, pairing warm melodies with lyrics that are honest, brave, and deeply human. Praised for her “unapologetic lyrics” and “master crafted indie folk,” Kilgour invites listeners into songs that feel personal, generous, and quietly powerful.
Peter Wiley & Anna Polonsky
In Banning Hall
Stissing Center opens its 2026 Classical Music season with cellist Peter Wiley and pianist Anna Polonsky, two towering chamber musicians. Wiley, former cellist of the Beaux Arts and Guarneri Quartets, joins Polonsky, a sought-after soloist and Lincoln Center favorite, for an evening of intimate, masterful music-making that brings depth, warmth, and experience to the stage.
The Artist
In Banning Hall
In the 1920s, actor George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is a bona fide matinee idol with many adoring fans. While working on his latest film, George finds himself falling in love with an ingenue named Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo) and, what's more, it seems Peppy feels the same way. But George is reluctant to cheat on his wife with the beautiful young actress. The growing popularity of sound in movies further separates the potential lovers, as George's career begins to fade while Peppy's star rises.
Jody Redhage Ferber Trio
In The Grace Note
The Jody Redhage Ferber Trio performs music from their new album EcoTones: Beings of the Air, inspired by the flying beings of the Hudson River Valley. Developed during her ongoing performance project EcoTones Concerts, Jody’s compositions and arrangements live in a transition zone between chamber music and jazz improvisation, and are inspired by the tremendous biodiversity found in natural ecotones.
Hudson Valley Puppet Slam
In Banning Hall
The 2nd Annual Hudson Valley Puppet Slam returns to Stissing Center for a night of bold, playful, and wildly inventive puppetry. Enjoy a fast-paced mix of short acts bursting with humor, surprise, and imagination. From strange to beautiful to laugh-out-loud funny, expect the unexpected in this anything-goes celebration of puppetry. Adults Only!
The Grace Note Open Mic Night
In The Grace Note
Join us for Stissing Center’s very first Open Mic Night, a welcoming evening for music, spoken word, comedy, and every kind of self-expression. Artists of all ages and experience levels are invited to share. Come perform, listen, and cheer on friends and neighbors as creativity, courage, and community meet on one stage together.
Hosted by local duo Roger & Lenny
Bees in the Barn
In Banning Hall
Bees in the Barn fires up the stage with high-energy acoustic playing and a musical interplay that’s downright contagious. Their inventive, genre-bending compositions keep audiences on their toes and hungry for more. Anchored in bluegrass but pushing far past its boundaries, they craft a “beyond grass” sound—an exhilarating mix of colors, rhythms, and heart-pounding joy.
The Tom Duffy Band
In The Grace Note
The Tom Duffy Band is a local band that hits the sweet spot where Classic Rock meets high-energy performance. They seamlessly weave through rock history, delivering hard-hitting classics that read like the soundtrack of your life.
Selected Shorts
In Banning Hall
The long-running public radio program Selected Shorts returns to the Stissing Center for an afternoon of funny and poignant tales about the people who live just beyond the next door. Presented by Symphony Space, acclaimed actors Jane Curtin (Saturday Night Live, 3rd Rock From the Sun), Joanna Gleason (Into the Woods, Hannah and her Sisters), Michael Emerson (Lost, Person of Interest), Deborah S. Craig (And Just Like That… , Elsbeth, Funny or Die) bring to life short fiction that celebrates the unexpected bonds, everyday tensions, and quiet acts of connection that shape our communities.
Our greatest actors transport us through the magic of fiction, one short story at a time. Sometimes funny. Always moving. Selected Shorts connects you to the world with a rich diversity of voices from literature, film, theater, and comedy.
(Actors are subject to Change.)
Leslie Mendelson
In The Grace Note
Leslie Mendelson brings her soulful voice and deeply personal songwriting to Stissing Center for an intimate evening of music and connection. Blending folk, pop, and Americana, her songs feel timeless yet grounded in the present—warm, honest, and quietly powerful. It’s a chance to hear a remarkable artist up close, sharing stories and songs that linger long after the night ends.
Pasquale Grasso Trio
In Banning Hall
Italian-born jazz guitarist Pasquale Grasso is a rising star known for his virtuosic, piano-like approach to the guitar. Winner of the inaugural Wes Montgomery International Jazz Guitar Competition, he records for Sony Masterworks and frequently collaborates with Grammy-winning vocalist Samara Joy. Grasso performs worldwide and is touring in support of his 2025 release Fervency.
Beauty Lou and the Country Beast
In Banning Hall
Beauty Lou and the Country Beast is an original country-western adaptation of the classic Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, created by the Missoula Children's Theatre. The cast will feature area children, who will learn and perform the show -- all in one week!
Set in the American West, the musical follows Beauty Lou, the daughter of a bronc-bustin' balladeer named Buck. To save the family farm, Beauty Lou must befriend a miner from her past whom she calls Beast.
Beauty Lou and the Country Beast
In Banning Hall
Beauty Lou and the Country Beast is an original country-western adaptation of the classic Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, created by the Missoula Children's Theatre. The cast will feature area children, who will learn and perform the show -- all in one week!
Set in the American West, the musical follows Beauty Lou, the daughter of a bronc-bustin' balladeer named Buck. To save the family farm, Beauty Lou must befriend a miner from her past whom she calls Beast.
Hundreds of Beavers
In Banning Hall
Hundreds of Beavers is a 19th-century "supernatural winter epic" that functions as a silent, black-and-white slapstick comedy. The plot follows Jean Kayak, a drunken applejack salesman whose brewery is destroyed by beavers, leaving him stranded in a surreal wilderness with only his wits. To win the hand of a local merchant’s daughter, Kayak must transform into North America’s greatest fur trapper and defeat hundreds of beavers in a world where all animals are portrayed by actors in full-sized mascot costumes.
“It’s that rare thing in the current film landscape: a genuine cult classic.”
- Time Out
Out of The Mist...A Dragon
In Banning Hall
A proud samurai seeks a husband for his daughter at the shrine of Benten, goddess of good fortune. When a humble fisherman is chosen instead, love follows—and conflict soon turns him into a dragon. Using beautifully crafted Bunraku-style puppets and folk traditions from around the world, this poetic tale unfolds as a journey of love, courage, and self-discovery.
In the Deep Heart's Core: A Mystic Cabaret - from the Works of W. B. Yeats
In The Grace Note
“In the Deep Heart’s Core” is at once a poet’s autobiography and a deeply moving journey through the romantic imagination and the national soul of Ireland. It follows the life of the Celtic visionary poet and activist William Butler Yeats, moving through dreams and heartbreaks toward ultimate spiritual triumph.
Darrah Carr Dance
In Banning Hall
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the championship Irish dancers of Darrah Carr Dance! Featuring live music on the fiddle and accordion, this spirited performance of Irish traditions features high-energy selections that are enjoyed by a broad audience! The exuberant energy of the performers is quickly picked up by the audience. Lucky volunteers get a chance to join the excitement onstage!
Laura Zarougian
In The Grace Note
Laura Zarougian and the Little Tree band present an evening of music in the Folk/Americana genre interwoven with stories of her songwriting journey and life as an Armenian cowgirl in the Hudson Valley.
Makin' Cake
In Banning Hall
"Makin' Cake" is more than a performance-- it's an experience! Through powerful storytelling, Dasha Kelly Hamilton takes the stage to slice into history, unpacking race, class, and culture in a way that's as thought-provoking as it is engaging.
For most of human history, baking required patience, resources ... and luck. Ingredients were scarce and expensive; chemistry was fickle; and the chain of procedures required days. When our nation began experiencing abundance for the first time, most Americans couldn’t afford basic cake ingredients.
This one-night-only event includes delicious conversation after the show and cake for all.
RiverBlue
In the Grace Note
RiverBlue combines the musical talents of Ron Minkoff (vocals/rhythm guitar/percussion) and Dan Blum (lead guitar/vocals), both long-time veterans of the Hudson Valley music scene. Ron and Dan will play original and cover songs from their two CDs, combining rock, folk, bluegrass and country into something entirely new and exciting.