Welcome to Rippowam Cisqua School!

RCS is an independent school in Bedford, NY, serving students from Junior Pre-K through Grade 8. Our immersive, hands-on curriculum empowers children to grow as independent thinkers, confident communicators, and engaged leaders.

Join us for our Fall Admissions Open House
Friday, October 16 | 9:15 a.m.

Rippowam Cisqua School

439 Cantitoe Street

Bedford, NY 10506

Vocalist Shiri Zorn brings her acclaimed project, The Breath Between, to the Bedford Playhouse this October. DownBeat Magazine has praised her voice as "cool, calm, and cerebral," noting its "pure tone and scalpel-like precision," the perfect instrument for a concert where, as Zorn puts it, the unexpected is to be expected. The evening finds American Songbook classics reimagined through the lens of Middle Eastern influence and Brazilian rhythm, with Zorn's intercultural phrasing guiding the trio into new territory on familiar ground. Joining her are two extraordinary collaborators: pianist Matt King, winner of the Great American Jazz Piano Competition and a Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition semi-finalist, whose own recordings have fused the music of Monk with the pulse of Brazilian rhythm, and percussionist Brian Melick, an Eddies Hall of Fame inductee with over 450 recording credits, whose hand-crafted instruments bring texture and depth to every performance. Together, this trio builds a space for deep listening and unexpected connection. Come find stillness in the music, lose track of time, and lean into the profound.

This is a free event!

Set against the backdrop of Ronald Reagan’s America, Mario traces Mario Cuomo’s journey from the son of Italian immigrants to the New York governor who championed government as a force for compassion.

Weaved together through archival footage, reflections from his family, and excerpts from his personal diaries, the film portrays a leader shaped by humility, intellect, and the struggles of his parents’ generation. His early legal battles defending working-class families against powerful interests became the foundation for his belief that politics should serve those without privilege. That conviction would guide him through decades of leadership defined by empathy, eloquence, and an unwavering sense of moral duty.

Q&A with the filmmakers follows the film.

Join us for a special premier movie event!

The untold true story of America’s most-beloved actor and the iconic role that saved him, focuses on the most transformative season in Jimmy Stewart’s life—from winning the Academy Award® for Best Actor in The Philadelphia Story to enlisting and becoming a combat pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps at the beginning of World War II. He flew twenty missions over Europe, rising to the rank of colonel by the end of the war, only to return home broken and disheartened. Then George Bailey and It’s a Wonderful Life came calling.

A Q&A with stars KJ Apa, Max Casella, Jen Lilley, director Aaron Burns and producer Angela Galgani Sullivan follows the film.

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Vet Tix.

Michael Wolff is a renowned jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader whose five-decade career has included performances and recordings with legends including Sonny Rollins, Cannonball Adderley, Tony Williams, Christian McBride, Ray Charles, and Herbie Hancock. A former musical director of The Arsenio Hall Show, Wolff has also performed with orchestras around the world and composed music for film and television. He is also the father of actors and musicians Nat and Alex Wolff, who rose to fame alongside him through the hit Nickelodeon series The Naked Brothers Band. Join Wolff and acclaimed bassist Kenny Davis in the Playhouse Café for an intimate evening of live jazz, featuring Wolff’s virtuosic playing and innovative style.

Show begins at 6:30 PM; admission is free and no reservation is required.

Hands-On Plant-Based Cooking Class followed by Chef's Lunch with Chad Sarno

Discover the techniques behind elevated plant-forward cuisine in this immersive culinary experience with internationally acclaimed chef Chad Sarno. Through a blend of live demonstrations and some hands-on cooking, you'll learn professional methods for creating bold flavors, mastering foundational techniques, and transforming everyday ingredients into restaurant-quality dishes.

Following the class, relax and enjoy a chef-prepared lunch featuring every recipe explored throughout the session.

What You'll Learn

Essential cooking fundamentals and professional techniques

Building flavor through herbs, spices, and taste profiles

Essential sauces and marinades: BBQ Sauce, Classic Red and white Sauces, Hoisin Sauce, Tomato Confit

Mastering mushrooms: Working with wild and common domestic mushrooms, Techniques and recipes

Rice fundamentals: Perfect Pilaf, Creamy Risotto, Crispy Arancini

Your Lunch menu

Lion's Mane "Calamari Fritti " with Tartar & Spicy Cocktail Sauce

Crispy Arancini with House Red Sauce

King Oyster "Scallops" with Beurre Blanc

Arugula "Parmesan" & Lemon Vinaigrette

Milanese Risotto

Lion's Mane Piccata Scallopini

Baked Apple Roses with Salted Caramel & Amaretto Cream

Join us for a memorable afternoon benefiting Mianus River Gorge and a special screening of Irreplaceable – The Mianus River Gorge Story, narrated by Glenn Close. The film takes us deep into the Gorge—beneath old-growth hemlocks and alongside the river—and introduces us to the passionate neighbors whose determination saved this extraordinary place, which became The Nature Conservancy’s first land project. More than 70 years later, scientists, students, conservationists, and visitors are still exploring, studying, and discovering its secrets. Above all, Irreplaceable is a testament to what people can accomplish when they come together to save a place they love—and a call to each of us to protect what matters before it is gone.

A workshop for authors at any stage who want to build an authentic platform that draws in readers, agents, and publishers.

Convincing readers to buy your book is easier when they know who you are. In this two-hour workshop, author brand advisor Jessica Sorentino will guide you through the essentials of building an authentic author platform that connects with readers, agents, and publishers. You'll start to identify your personal brand, learn how to represent yourself as the main character of your story, and create sustainable habits for showing up for your community—without feeling chronically online.

All attendees will receive The Notebook, Jessica's content planner designed specifically for writers, featuring brand activation prompts, marketing organization spreads, and space to bring your book (and dreams) to life.

Limited to 14 participants.

About Jessica Sorentino:

Jessica Sorentino is an author brand advisor and book marketing strategist with over a decade of experience working with leading publishing houses including Simon & Schuster and Macmillan Publishers. She writes the Open Book: Where Storytelling Meets Strategy newsletter on Substack and co-hosts the Open Book: Reading Between the Wines podcast. Based in Connecticut, Jessica is passionate about helping writers build meaningful connections with the readers who need their stories most.

Our October Book Club pick is The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon

Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon has been a perennial bestseller at Bedford Books since the day we opened, so we can't wait to read her latest!

Beautifully shot by James Wong Howe and tightly scripted by Bertolt Brecht and Fritz Lang, this Noir-like espionage thriller is set in occupied Czechoslovakia and revolves around the successful plot by the Czech resistance to assassinate Deputy Reich-Protector of Bohemia and Moravia “Hangman” Reinhard Heydrich, and the hunt by the Gestapo to track down the killers. Part of our Classic Tuesday series, introduced by Artistic Director, Dan Friedman.

We’re thrilled to welcome Catherine Cliff to Bedford Books!

She’ll be in conversation with bestselling author Karen Dukess about her recently released novel Miss Bates: Emma Revisited.

Books will be available for sale and signing, and light refreshments will be served. Ticket price includes a $20 shopping credit to use at the event.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Miss Bates, creepy, funny, and heartbreaking, is a daring reimagining of the world of Jane Austen's Emma. But make no mistake, this is no marriage plot; it is a spinster plot. Or maybe, it is the spinster’s plot.

Henrietta Bates, the iconic bore of Emma, is the opposite of handsome, clever, and rich Emma: she is plain, ill-educated, and impoverished. An unmarried woman of quite a different order from that novel's proudly single heroine, she is an object of scorn and pity, whose survival depends upon the generosity of her neighbors which she barters for with an unrelenting shower of banal and grateful chatter.

But what if the woman we see in Emma were actually deliberately assuming a role, donning a mask, as a means of managing an untenable situation? What if there was a world of difference between her inward and outward voice? What would the Woodhouses’ Highbury look like from her perspective?

Miss Bates by Catherine Cliff imagines answers to these questions as it chronicles Henrietta Bates's unexpected and, at times, violent life, navigating a world with no ready-made opportunities, where the stakes are of the highest order. In a debut that is by turns comedic, tragic, startling, and altogether brilliant, Miss Bates turns Austen’s poignant and ridiculous side character into a feminist force who understands innately the life she has been dealt and how to slyly play it to her advantage.

Based on the best-selling Stephen King novel, this “absolutely spellbinding horror movie” (Roger Ebert) stars Amy Irving, John Travolta, William Katt alongside Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie in Oscar-nominated performances. This ultimate revenge fantasy has become one of the all-time great horror classics!

At the center of the terror is Carrie (Spacek), a high school loner with no confidence, no friends … and no idea about the extent of her secret powers of telekinesis. But when her psychotic mother and sadistic classmates finally go too far, the once-shy teen becomes an unrestrained, vengeance-seeking powerhouse who, with the help of her “special gift,” causes all hell to break loose in a famed cinematic frenzy of blood, fire and brimstone!

Q&A with Amy Irving follows the film!

Work out all the sugar from the night before with a family hike on the trails! Keep that costume ON and join us for some Halloween fun....Register today and join other families in our community for a spirited morning trail walk on the BRLA .... including a few surprise treats!

Please join Endeavor for a Special Evening at Caramoor as we come together for a powerful performance

6pm: Drinks and Lite Bites

7pm: Performance (90 minutes)

Location: The Music Room at the Rosen House at Caramoor

The American Soldier is a one-man dramatic production that reveals American soldiers' struggles in war and explores the bravery our veterans and their families show as they try to return home and re-enter civilian life. Based on actual letters written by veterans and their families.

My Kentucky-born friend Anna White created Appalachian Culture Club—a curated collection of authentic, vintage quilts and furnishings sourced straight from the heart of the Appalachian region.

These aren't just blankets. They are organic cotton pieces of art representing a slow, intentional way of living.

Also bringing one of a kind quilted jackets.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary! The 14th century takes a rocking new twist in A KNIGHT'S TALE - a stylish, exciting, action-packed adventure starring Heath Ledger from acclaimed director Brian Helgeland. Featuring heroic performances from Mark Addy, Rufus Sewell and Alan Tudyk. Heath Ledger stars as William Thatcher, a peasant squire who breaks all the rules when he passes himself off as a nobleman and takes the jousting world by storm. The only thing standing between William and his dream of becoming the World Champion is bad boy Count Adhemar. When the two rivals go lance to lance at the world finals to determine who will be named the ultimate champion, you'd better hang on tight for the ride of your life!

Relentless worry is currently the norm for parents. While concern about important issues is certainly beneficial, worrying about them is not. But, worrying can be a hard habit to break, even though it often causes added stress and anxiety in the home. In Base Camp Parenting: Worry Less to Help Your Kids More, Susan Bauerfeld and Chris Parrott give parents the tools necessary to shift away from worrying. They discuss the adverse impact of parental worrying on “Base Camp”--the environment in which children are raised--and show how shifting attention away from worried thinking is crucial to overall health and well-being. In addition, they provide parents with an easy-to-implement four-step process that leaves families calmer, more connected, and better prepared to handle situations as they arise. By following this process, parents model how best to cope with the stress and anxiety of everyday life, leading their children to become more resilient, capable, and healthy. In a culture where worry is often worn like a badge of honor, Base Camp Parenting is a rallying cry for change, delivering a clear, compassionate roadmap for breaking the worry cycle and building a happier, healthier home.

After a failed climate experiment triggers a global Ice Age, the last survivors of humanity live aboard the Snowpiercer, a train endlessly circling the globe. As a rigid class system divides its passengers, a rebellion begins in the train’s tail section, setting off a thrilling journey toward the powerful figure who controls it all. Directed by Bong Joon Ho and starring Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, Octavia Spencer, and Ed Harris, this visionary sci-fi thriller has become a modern cult classic. Part of our Cult Classic series, introduced by Programming Associate Eliana Choi.

Join acclaimed film historian and author Robert Hofler for a special author talk on his new book, A Star Is Reborn: The Most Filmed Hollywood Story of Love Found and Lost. Discover the fascinating history, real-life inspirations, and behind-the-scenes stories behind A Star Is Born and its iconic remakes spanning nearly a century of Hollywood. Following the discussion, celebrate the film's enduring legacy with a special 50th anniversary screening of the 1976 A Star Is Born, starring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson.

An immersive journey into the world of wild horses, Wild Beauty illuminates both the profound beauty, and desperate plight currently faced by the wild horses in the Western United States. Filmmaker Ashley Avis (Disney’s Black Beauty) and crew go on a multi-year expedition to uncover the truth in hopes to protect them, before wild horses disappear forever.

Q&A with the filmmaker Ashley Avis follows the film, moderated by Elizabeth Novogratz.

Join us at oHHo The Old Firehouse for a night of trivia hosted by Rock Paper Scissors Custom Events!

Play solo or gather a team and put your knowledge to the test with questions covering movies, music, pop culture, history, geography, and more.

Food and drinks will be available for purchase throughout the night!

Bedford Playhouse welcomes back musician and historian Ben Model providing live piano accompaniment to the classic silent comedy The Gold Rush, Charlie Chaplin’s acknowledged masterpiece. This feature-length film contains some of the most iconic scenes in silent film comedy history. Recommended for ages 3 to 93.

Charlie Chaplin’s comedic masterwork—which charts a prospector’s search for fortune in the Klondike and his discovery of romance (with the beautiful Georgia Hale)—forever cemented the iconic status of Chaplin and his Little Tramp character. Shot partly on location in the Sierra Nevadas and featuring such timeless gags as the dance of the dinner rolls and the meal of boiled shoe leather, The Gold Rush is an indelible work of heartwarming hilarity.

Inventor Preston Tucker (Jeff Bridges) comes under attack from the big auto manufacturers and the US government while developing a futuristic car for the masses.

Part of our Classic Tuesday series, introduced by Artistic Director, Dan Friedman.

Ten states. 10,825 miles. 123 theaters. Filmmaker Rustin Thompson journeys into the American West on a search for traces of what was once a center of small-town life: the movie theater. On the trip, he finds long abandoned and forgotten cinemas; movie houses that have fallen into disrepair; theaters recently closed, theaters struggling to hold on, and theaters that—thanks to their thoughtful caretakers—are not only surviving but thriving. Between the stops along the way, Rustin poetically intersperses excerpts from Peter Bogdanovich’s 1971 classic film The Last Picture Show, as well as reflections on past and present hardships facing the film exhibition industry. The Last Picture Shows is not only a timely portrait of an industry in crisis, one facing the headwinds of consolidation, streaming, and the diminishing theatrical experience, but it also reminds viewers that even in vast cinema deserts, there are oases of community and gathering that remain, where the movie house continues to be a place of wonder, contemplation, and connection.

Jay Prince & Friends is an all-star ensemble featuring Jay Prince (guitar/vocals), Bill Heller (keyboards), Chris Eminizer (saxophone), Tyger MacNeal (drums), and Dave Anderson (bass)—five accomplished musicians whose combined resumes include performances and recordings with legendary artists such as Paul Simon, Michael McDonald, Donna Summer, Smokey Robinson, Art Garfunkel, Jose Feliciano, Keith Urban, Patti Austin, Gladys Knight, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Average White Band, The Four Tops, and many more. Their careers span Grammy-nominated recordings, Billboard chart-topping albums, Broadway productions including Movin' Out, Smokey Joe's Café, Riverdance, Mamma Mia!, and Hot Feet, national television, and countless studio sessions. Fronted by Jay Prince—who first gained national recognition on Star Search and has performed more than 5,000 live shows at venues including Madison Square Garden, Sony Hall, and The Cutting Room—the band delivers a dynamic blend of eclectic classic rock, blues, funk, soul, jazz, and pop, combining extraordinary musicianship with infectious energy for an unforgettable live performance.

• Tree Lighting Friday at 6:00pm on the Bedford Village Green

• Shop Local in the Village with special events & sales throughout

• Luminary Display on the Bedford Village Green

• Fezziwigs Celebration at the 1787 Court House

• Hot chocolate & Candy Canes at the Bedford Free Library

• Lion’s Club Pancake Breakfast at Historical Hall

Long an interpreter of the songs of Stephen Schwartz, Emmy winner and Tony and Grammy nominee Liz Callaway turns her full attention to the songwriter celebrating the release of her brand-new album, The Wizard and I: Liz Callaway Sings Stephen Schwartz. Featuring songs from an extraordinary career that has spanned nearly 60-years (and in every form of media), as well as a brand new song written especially for her, Liz honors Stephen in her signature way, pairing his iconic songs with tales of their lifelong professional relationship and friendship. Featuring Academy Award and Grammy-winning tunes from Wicked, Godspell, Pippin, The Baker’s Wife, and more, The Wizard and I is a personal celebration of the man who made a witch take flight and gave a bird sight.

Tell bickering Budapest gift-shop workers Alfred and Klara that they love each other and they might call you crazy. No lover can compare to the romantic, secret pen pal each knows only as Dear Friend. What Alfred and Klara don't know, of course, is that they are each other's Dear Friend. In the third of their four luminous screen pairings, Margaret Sullivan and James Stewart star in this valentine to love wrapped in the ribbon of director Ernst Lubitsch's trademark touch: wit instead of buffoonery, sentiment instead of sentimentality, affection instead of attitude. As enchanting today as it was yesterday, The Shop Around the Corner will cheerfully reward your patronage.