Shakespeare in the Park...Salesian Park

Today I saw an outdoor play at Salesian Park in Goshen NY, a quaint little park in a small town reminiscent of New England.

The Goshen Public Library's Educational Theatre series, with director Ken Tschan, put on a bare bones no holds barred production of Shakespeare's comic play, Taming of the Shrew

The main plot depicts the courting of Petruchio, a gentleman of Verona, and Katherina, the headstrong, obstinate "shrew". Initially, Katherina is an unwilling participant in the relationship but Petruchio tempers her with various psychological torments - the "taming" - until she is an obedient bride. The sub-plot showcases a competition between the suitors of Katherina's less intractable sister, Bianca.

Though I squirmed in my lawn chair because of the mosquitos, my attention was held by Mr. Tschan's cast of talented thesbians. In this blogger's opinion Beverly Dally, who played Katherina, was by far the standout performer. She brought fire and humor to the role and was more successful than the mosquitos at keeping me on the edge of my seat-or rather lawnchair.

I look forward to good things from Mr. Tschan and his acting troupe. In all it was a good day in Goshen.

The Quest for the Perfect Latte ends

On a whim I took a trip to Kingston NY, a town in Upstate dating back to the arrival of the Dutch in 1652 and now known for its thriving arts community, fine restaurants, cafes featuring local artists' paintings and antique shops for the discriminating collector. Broadway is where the action is in Kingston, an area where one can dock or park and discover a slice of heaven.

My slice of heaven was in discovering the perfect Caffe Latte at Dolce's Cafe on 27 Broadway. Dolce uses authentic espresso for its lattes and does not skimp on the espresso-you get a double shot served in a large mug with just the right amount of milk foam. To accompany my caffe latte, I had a delicious crepe jam packed with smoked turkey, aged cheddar and avocado. The turkey was moist and tender and the bold taste of the cheddar was softened by carefully cut avocado wedges. Simply delightful.

With a full tummy I walked around the area and "people watched". Groups of tweens and thirty somethings buzzed in and out of restaurants and art galleries. Despite the fact that most people wore what could be found in Abercrombi and Fitch, Gap, or in Ralph Lauren, I did not hold that against them. The energy was upbeat and positive and I look forward to visiting again.

Art and Culture in Hudson Valley New York

I am from New York City and moved to the Hudson Valley region of NY one year ago and was disappointed with the coverage of the Art scene here. In fact, I didn't think there was a "scene". Unlike NYC, there were few newspapers like the Village Voice which, in the city, can be found on virtually every corner and even in many coffee shops. I wanted to know where to go in Hudson Valley. I was hungry for culture.

I longed for a Gallery opening, a theatrical production, or a bite of sushi that was not in a plastic container at ShopRite or Walmart. I was beside myself. I had not had a proper latte in a year and Starbucks does NOT count.

I scoured the net and after finding a few things of interest, I tested the waters. I went to a Poetry Reading hosted by the Hudson Valley Writer's Workshop in Sleepy Hollow thinking that I might be in for a special evening. As I drove to Sleepy Hollow, my mind became excited. I thought about the Nuyorican Poet's Cafe in the East Village and how inspiring and raw the poets were. When I arrived at the poetry reading I found a bunch of over fed and intellectually under nourished malcontents whose poetry was trite and, at times, overly academic.

I wanted something raw and powerful and I didn't want to go to the city each time I needed a "culture fix". That's when it occurred to me that there has to be others who feel the same way. Perhaps by going on a cultural outing each weekend to test the waters, I can write about it and review what I have seen so that other "culture addicts" will know where to go.

On Saturday and Sunday (July 25, 26) in Goshen there will be an outdoor production of Shakespeare's " The Taming of the Shrew" at 3pm at Salesian Park.

We will see...