June 6th at 1:00pm

For ages 18+
Community Room, 3rd floor

All the land in Putnam County (and its mineral rights) used to belong to the Philipse family. Before that, the Wappinger people cultivated the rich soil of the Hudson River Valley for generations. The struggle for that land as it changed hands is the theme of a new play, Dirt, produced by the Putnam Theatre Alliance to reveal the little-known history of our region, which was presented around the county in March of 2024.

On the verge of the American Revolution, Daniel Nimham, chief of the Wappinger tribe, Mary Philipse Morris, landowner, and Cesar, a miller enslaved by the Philipse family, had to decide which side they would support in order to preserve their homes: the British rule or the American colonies. Faced with life and death choices, Mary, Daniel, and Cesar struggle with their families and their allegiances in this professional production, directed by Alice Jankell.

Dirt is the culmination of a two-year project, written by established playwrights Kate Moira Ryan, Vickie Ramirez, and Nan Nelson-Ewing. Each playwright wrote a one-act play that led to the interweaving of the shorter plays into a single whole.

Registration is required.