First Donor Newsletter

InThisIssue...

CEO Letter

Come See: All These Miles

Come Listen: David Wolff

Come Learn: Vanessa H. Smith & Don Weeden

Come Enjoy: Good Libations

Thank You To Our 2024 Donors

Special Events Photo Gallery

Coming Soon...

Mission Statement:

Bedford Playhouse is a non-profit community arts center - featuring unparalleled film experiences, music, literary programming, and special guest appearances.

CHAIRMAN

Donald Greenwald*

VICE CHAIR

Kim Speegle*

VICE CHAIR

Daniel Doron, Esq.*

TREASURER

Richard Zinman*

SECRETARY

Ruth Toporoff*

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

John Chambers

Joni Evans

Melissa Fleming

Bryan Gabourie*

Robert Grimes

Bob Harris

Suzanne Hogan*

Dr. Elizabeth Kilgallon

Douglas Maine*

Deborah Miller-Zabel

Donna Satow

Tamiko Soros

Adam Sternberg

David Worby

*Executive Committee

BOARD MEMBER, EMERITA

Sarah Long

Newsletter Contributors:

Marie Scanlan, CEO

Dan Friedman, Artistic Director

Jennifer Pace, Development

Jennifer Funigiello, Marketing

Dear Bedford Playhouse Community,

As we head into fall, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for your support—attending an event, an author talk, or simply to see a movie on the big screen—you are the heartbeat of Bedford Playhouse.

This past year has been one of our most exciting yet, with a calendar full of diverse and engaging programming. From Will Reeve’s SUPER/MAN to BARCELONA with Whit Stillman, we've shared so many unforgettable cinematic and artistic experiences together.

Our Spring Benefit was a huge success, thanks to all who attended and especially our friend and neighbor, Rob Thomas, for lending his talent to support this important annual fundraiser. The theater was buzzing with appreciation for our honorees, whom you will hear from in this issue, and gratitude for the vibrant arts hub that Bedford Playhouse has become.

Looking ahead, our fall and winter lineup is packed with movies, special events, and opportunities to connect with the arts. We are thrilled to continue bringing you programming that delights, challenges, and inspires.

Our sincere gratitude to the members and donors whose generosity keeps our doors open to everyone who loves this vibrant arts hub. Thank you for playing an essential role in fulfilling our mission.

Sincerely,

Marie Scanlan, CEO

Come See

Nestled on the main floor, in the Playhouse Café, is the Café Gallery which each year hosts numerous shows featuring local artists including student artwork This vibrant and ever changing presentation is curated by Bedford resident, Christopher Brescia.

Originally hailing from Westchester County, via New York City, Brescia moved full time to Bedford in 2018 Pivoting from his career in entertainment law, Brescia launched CB Gallery in 2019 and was named Best New Art Gallery by Westchester Magazine The timing was auspicious in another way as the Playhouse reinvention was just getting under way

“I had this career in film so I felt I had something to offer”, Brescia says, “I volunteered to host one of the three day opening events as well as fit the café space with original art and never stopped.”

After Covid, he closed the brick and mortar gallery space in Katonah and went back working in film distribution “I love art and artists so I made a go of my passion and consider myself blessed for still being able to satisfy my curating itch”, he adds. In addition to curating the space at the Playhouse, Brescia is honored to consult with the Ladies of St. Matthews on their annual Art Show: Bedford every January.

Currently on view through October 2025: All These Miles by Lee Willett.

Lee Willett an Americanborn, Swiss-trained artist, works across photography, typography, and design His studies at Ohio State and the Basel School of Design shaped a practice rooted in drawing, photography, and color theory. In 2023, he launched All These Miles, a photographic series chronicling his daily runs. Willett’s work has been featured in juried exhibitions and publications nationally and internationally, and is held in private collections

Come Listen

Live music has been an integral part of the programming at Bedford Playhouse and our First Friday series, presented in Bambi’s Bar at the Playhouse Café, has been a consistent ongoing presentation of live musical performances almost since the day of our re-opening after our 2017-18 renovation.

In that time, no performer has appeared as part of the series more often than David Wolff who has done so three times. An accomplished guitarist, David has been fingerpicking since the age of 15. It was the music and style of playing of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame musician Jorma Kaukonen, of Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna, that captured his soul. Fast forward many years and David found himself teaching alongside Jorma Kaukonen and teaching his own workshops at Jorma’s Fur Peace Ranch. He has also been known to teach Playhouse patrons a few things on the guitar in between sets.

An evening of David’s music is always fun for all ages. Loo appearance at the Playhouse coming soon.

David Wolff

SINGER/GUITAR

Come Learn

Vanessa H Smith and Don Weeden have been dedicated supporters of Bedford Playhouse, generously donating their time and talents through volunteer service with the Let’s Talk program and the Environmental Film Series. Recently, Development Officer Jennifer Pace sat down with Vanessa and Don to reflect on their contributions and to hear what excites them most about future programming at the Playhouse

You were both honored at this year’s Bedford Playhouse Spring Benefit for your extraordinary dedication and personal commitment to the Playhouse–share with us what it has meant to you to give so much of your time in the service of others through your volunteerism?

Don: It was very gratifying to be honored by the local community There were a lot of friends in the audience, and it is always nice to be formally recognized for the work you’ve been putting in for a particular institution. We love the Bedford Playhouse and it is so nice to feel that love returned. We had a lot of friends who spoke with us afterwards and shared how that night reaffirmed their belief that the Playhouse is such a special place

Vanessa: We were so honored. I think it is very important to focus on where you want to put your time meaningfully and be efficient about it. Give your time to something that matters. To me, the Playhouse is our heart and as we said that night, we love the Playhouse and the Playhouse loves everyone who is involved, right back

When did you move to Bedford and when did you first visit the Playhouse?

Vanessa: We moved to Bedford in 2012. Prior to this we had lived in many places, New Delhi, Katmandu, London, to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Ossining and then Bedford

Don: We made friends in the Bedford area and found ourselves traveling there often from Ossining to see them and to our son’s school in Bedford. We loved the hamlet, enjoyed our friends, and thought it would be a great place to live.

Vanessa: I used to go to the Playhouse (which then was Bow Tie Cinema) when we lived in Ossining and I would be the only person in one of the two upstairs theaters John (Farr) called us in 2015, when there was the idea to re-do the theater, so we’ve been involved since the get-go.

What was the impetus or origin for your involvement and work with the Let’s Talk and Environmental Film Series?

Don: I was excited about the prospect of the (now Playhouse) location becoming an independent theater, and this would also be a venue for events including education of the community where we bring in experts and interesting people to talk to us along with independent films A typical program would be an environmental film, followed by a discussion with a panel of experts. I think this is a terrific way to get across environmental education; environmental conservation has been a lifelong passion. Having conversations about these topics is so important; it allows programs to move in so many directions and allows the audience to take something away with them

Vanessa: I was in the early planning/programming meetings, with all of these wonderful people, and we realized this theater doesn’t just need to present films. It was very exciting that someone could come up with an idea that would be interesting to the community, and that we could curate a series and partner with others, create alliances

My two close friends, and Let’s Talk co-founders Christine Biddle and Audrey Zinman, and I were talking about the need for mental health services and resources - for kids, parents, and teachers. Schools did not necessarily have the resources. There’s a big gap. We wanted to bring experts, resources, time and care for those who are suffering and for caretakers too ... and ideas around reducing stigma.

As we move into a new season of programs at the Playhouse, what are some of the themes/discussions you are looking forward to hearing more about/participating in?

Don: I am looking into having a program on global biodiversity loss It’s an area I’ve been working in and I’m exploring putting together a couple of short films, along with an expert presentation, about how we need to go about turning around the extinction of species It has to be a global effort and I’d like to have a couple of experts give us an overview.

I’d also like to start an Explorers series, building on what the Playhouse has already done regarding the (American) Everest expedition that happened decades ago In addition to mountaineering, I think there’s an appetite for other adventure sports

Vanessa: I’m interested in building on discussions that have already begun at the Playhouse, such as talking across the political aisle with kindness and respect I’d also like to pitch a series around an Examination of Faith/Beliefhow you’re thinking in a particular way These are broad ideas, but I think that’s good

Has any particular Let’s Talk and Environmental program either opened your mind or changed your mind on a topic?

Don: What I’ve seen in some of the programming is that we’ve been able to open up people’s minds to what is possible in terms of environmental and conservation activism. I was very much encouraged by the Tompkins film (Wild Life, which chronicles the conservation efforts of Doug and Kris Tompkins). You could tell through the questions from the audience, and from their general reaction, that this was something that surprised people That this conservation was happening on such a grand scale; that it was such a philanthropic endeavor Like someone said in the film, people just don’t do this They buy up millions of acres of land and donate them to the government to create national parks. This sparked wider conversations about the importance of stopping overdevelopment and locking up the best wildlife and habitat.

Vanessa: There was one night, during COVID, when Let’s Talk was on Zoom and the presenter was having technical difficulties logging in (By the way, in some ways having the Let’s Talk program on Zoom, because the material is delicate, allowed participants to be anonymous and subsequently more open they don’t have to share their name and they could have a blank screen ) Since the presenter could not connect, and I was moderating, we ended up having a conversation about suicide prevention and ideation I ended up interviewing a man on the panel about how he thought his mother had taken her life because of him For his entire life he had blamed himself (as is the most common response for a suicide's loved ones) until he found out the truth. Everyone stayed on the phone without the main presentation taking place. It was an incredible conversation the sharing, the honesty, the audience Other presentations have been centered on substance mis-use, co-occurring, addiction, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, learning issues and coping strategies We feel no matter how large or small the audience, the people who attend may find some answers and resources.

Come Enjoy

Photo by Mika Erner Photography

Bambi’s Bar Recipe:

La Vie En Rose

2 oz Belvedere Vodka

1 oz St-Germaine

1/2 oz Cointreau

3 Dashes of Peychaud’s Bitters

3/4 oz Lime Juice

1 oz Grapefruit Juice

Shake and strain into a chilled coupe glass.

About Bambi’s Bar: Bambi’s Bar is named in memory of Serena “Bambi” Hatch (1928–2023), the beloved mother-in-law of our founder, John Farr. At the heart of the Playhouse Café, it offers handcrafted cocktails, local beer and wine, rich coffee drinks, and a selection of light bites perfect before a show, with friends, or even in the theater.

2024Donors ThankYouToOur

Liz

Kimberly

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2024Donors(cont’d) ThankYouToOur

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Vanessa Smith & Don Weeden

Sarah B. Solomon Tamiko & George Soros

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George Stephan

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Lindsay Weiss

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The Robert W. Wilson Charitable Trust

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Special Events

Special Events

Coming Soon...

Author Talk with Scott Johnston

The Sandersons Fail Manhattan

Tues, Sept 16th at 7pm

Film + Q&A with actor Billy Zane & director Bill Fishman

Waltzing with Brando

Wed, Sept 17th at 7pm

Film + Soundtrack Q&A

The Graduate (1967)

Fri, Sept 26th at 7pm