Calendar

May 2012

Saturday, May 19th from 4pm-6pm
Music at Morris-Jumel
Harpsichordist Rebecca Pechefsky will present a recital of French and German composers, including Francois Couperin’s rarely played 12th Ordre and the rediscovered E-Flat Partita by Bach’s star pupil, Johann Ludwig Krebs. Tickets are $25 per person and $20 for members. Advanced registration is required. Call 212 923 8008

June 2012

Thursday, June 21st through Sunday, June 24th
Uptown Festival of New Plays
Morris-Jumel Mansion is pleased to once again partner with the People’s Theatre Project to present the Uptown Festival of New Plays (June 21-24). The festival is a celebration of the People’s Theatre Project’s 2011-12 Resident Professional Playwrights’ Unit. These talented playwrights work together over the course of 8 months to develop new works with a focus on social consciousness, inspired by the Washington Heights community.

The festival provides an opportunity for the playwrights to share their works-in-progress with community members who may witness aspects of their own reality reflected and see creative approaches to understanding the meaning of their struggles.

Admission to the festival is pay-what-you-can and each performance will be followed by a discussion with the playwright, director and actors.

Play Descriptions & Times:
An Alien in Inwood
Thursday, June 21st at 7:30pm. Festival Opening Cocktail Hour from 6:30-7:30pm.
When an old stargazer from Inwood believes he has found mankind’s salvation in a homeless traveler, the stranger turns out to be a different sort of “alien.”

Waiting for the “D”
Friday, June 22nd at 7:30pm. Doors open at 7pm.
An existential look at life and death, guilt and forgiveness, desperation and redemption, and the connections that we make along the way.

ON THE 1 TRAIN
Saturday, June 23rd at 7:30pm. Doors open 7pm.
A day in the life of subway riders in Washington Heights is portrayed. As people rush to their final destination the journey is always filled with the unexpected. The piece is about what happens when we can longer ignore the roles (both big and small) that we play in each other’s lives.

The Juxtaposition of Gladys Ricart
Sunday, June 24th at 2pm. A closing Garden Party follows the performance from 4:30-6:30pm.
A bride marches to find her wedding, her best friend tries to put the pieces of the puzzle together, her fiancé is lost, and her ex-boyfriend wants to hold tight. Based on Gladys Ricart’s tragic story that inspired the March of the Brides, this play explores the things we don’t see in domestic violence.

Saturday, June 23rd from 11am – 4pm
Family Day
Come enjoy Roger Morris Park along with your family. Play colonial games, make a historic craft project, and enjoy the beginning of summer in our colonial garden! The day will also include docent led tours for adults and families. FREE no advanced registration required.

Recent Events

January 2012

Saturday, January 14th from 2pm – 3pm
Lecture: The War of 1812 in American Caricature
Political cartoons were printed with immediacy, to capitalize on sensational events and to mock prominent public figures, while expressing pride in the American cause. Art historian Dr. Allison Stagg will examine key events from the War of 1812 by exploring satirical visual imagery. The lecture is sponsored by the New York Council for the Humanities, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. FREE but advanced registration is required. Call 212 923 8008

Thursday, January 19th from 7pm – 9pm
Wine Tasting: Great Partnerships
Come celebrate the partnership between great wine and food, learn which pairings fit well together and which wines best complement your favorite dish. Peter Walsh from Coogan’s Restaurant will lead the event. Tickets are $25 per person and $20 for members. Pre-paid advanced registration is required. Call 212 923 8008

Saturday, February 11th from 3pm – 5pm
4th Annual Chocolate day: The Mystery of Chocolate
Chocolate has always had a connection to the ritual of courtship. Celebrate the romance and mystery of “the food of the gods,” in our masquerade ball where history will come to life as you encounter the ladies of the house who will tell you about their intriguing lives. Tickets are $25 per person and $20 for members. Pre-paid advanced registration is required. Call 212 923 8008

Saturday, February 18th from 11am – 4pm
Washington’s Birthday Celebration
Celebrate George Washington’s Birthday with us! Tour the Mansion, create a birthday card for Washington, try on colonial costumes and participate in a scavenger hunt. For all ages. FREE and no advanced registration is required.

February 2012

Tuesday, February 21st at 11am & 3pm and Saturday, February 25th at 1pm
Black History Month: Swing Dancing at MJMLearn about the great tradition of swing dancing and the diverse groups of people that developed, taught and performed in Harlem. The program will include a tour of the museum, a swing dance lesson and light refreshments will be served. FREE but advanced registration is required. Call 212 923 8008

March 2012

Saturday, March 10 from 2pm – 3:30pm
Women’s History Month Lecture: Georgia O’Keeffe
O’Keeffe spent in Hawaii, and how she connected with a local girl, in an encounter that affected both women for the rest of their lives, will be discussed by independent scholar Maria Ausherman. FREE but advanced registration is required. Call 212 923 8008

Saturday, March 24th from 2pm – 4pm
Photography & the Art of Community
Mike Fitelson has photographed Northern Manhattan for nearly 15 years. He has always envisioned photography as a means to help foster a sense of community. Fitelson will share work from his past projects, “Northern Manhattan as Muse” and “Setting,” and discuss how he continues to push the uses of photography to heighten our understanding of Washington Heights and Inwood. Audience members will be asked to participate in a photography project. Tickets are $5 per person and FREE for members. Pre-paid advanced registration is required. Call 212 923 8008

Saturday, March 31st from 2pm – 4pm
Voices Theater Performance
Upper Manhattan teens join with the People’s Theatre Project and Seven Stories Institute for the culminating performance of their VOICES/VOCES program. The participants study the role of youth throughout history in the struggle for justice and work together to create their own theatrical protest piece on their role as youth and artists in Northern Manhattan today. FREE but advanced registration is required. Call 212 923 8008

April 2012

Saturday, April 7th from 10am to noon
Family Workshop
Decoupage Tulips
Tulips are a sign that spring is in the air. Learn decorative paper design techniques and take home a garden of flowers.
Suggested for ages 5 and up with an adult learning partner. FREE but advanced registration is required. Call 212 923 8008

Sunday, April 15th from 1pm – 3pm
Author Talk & Swing Dancing
Author Terry Baker Mulligan will read from her recent publication “Sugar Hill, Where the Sun Rose Over Harlem.” Mulligan will also discuss her childhood in upper Manhattan in the 1950s-60s and how the book interweaves her coming of age story with significant historical information about Sugar Hill and Harlem. Afterwards The Harlem Swing Dance association will provide a dance lesson and social, come dressed in your Sunday finest! FREE but advanced registration is required. Call 212 923 8008.

Saturday, April 21st from 4pm – 6pm
Music at Morris-Jumel
In its New York debut, Well-Tuned Words (Amanda Sidebottom, soprano and Erik Ryding, lute) presents songs by three of the finest lute-song composers from the age of Shakespeare: John Dowland, his friend Thomas Campion, and John Danyel. Tickets are $25 per person and $20 for members. Advanced registration is required. Call 212 923 8008

Saturday, May 5th from 3pm – 5pm
Tea in the Garden: History of Afternoon Tea
Treat Mom to an afternoon of history and tasty treats. Our tea party will take place outdoors to enjoy the view of the Mansion’s historic sunken garden. Hear food historian Francine Segan give a talk on Tea 101 and enjoy a full afternoon of tea service. The event is suitable for adults and families. It will sell out quickly, so RSVP soon! Tickets are $25 per person, $20 for members & $10 for children. Pre-paid advanced registration is required. Call 212 923 8008

Saturday, May 12th from 10am-noon
Family Workshop: Paper Flowers
Celebrate Mother’s Day with us and create colorful flowers out of tissue paper. You can add rubber stamped designs and glitter to make your creation unique!
Suggested for ages 5 and up with an adult learning partner. FREE but advanced registration is required. Call 212 923 8008