Events under 'General'

The annual PT Council Sports Swap returns this year on Saturday, March 15, 2025, from 9:30am to 11:30am at Scarsdale Middle School! The best deals on sports equipment will be coming soon to Scarsdale Middle School.

PT Council will be accepting gently used sports equipment (no skis), musical instruments, tween/teen formalwear, and Raiders or Scarsdale youth sports clothing. This event is a great spring cleaning chance to rid your basements, attics, and garages of all those outgrown bicycles, baseball and softball bats, tennis racquets, lacrosse and field hockey sticks. And new this year, we are collecting lightly worn tween/teen formalwear from Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Quinceaneras, holidays, or other special occasions.

Merchandise drop off will be at Scarsdale Middle School, 134 Mamaroneck Road, from 6 to 8pm on Friday, March 14, 2025, and from 7:45 to 9:15am on Saturday, March 15, 2025 (before the Swap opens to shoppers).

Donors may obtain a receipt for tax purposes. All proceeds support the Scarsdale Council of Parent-Teacher Associations, the 501(c)(3) umbrella organization over all seven Scarsdale PTA units. PT Council informs and advises the PTAs as they fulfill their mission of promoting the welfare of their students.

If you have questions about this event, please send an email to our co-chairs Sara Farnsworth and Molly Pease at [email protected].

Academy of Sacred Drama to Present Noble Soul, the Western Hemisphere Premiere of Pier Francesco Tosi’s oratorio Il martirio di S Caterina

The Academy of Sacred Drama is thrilled to announce the Western Hemisphere premiere of Pier Francesco Tosi’s Il martirio di S Caterina (The Martyrdom of St. Catherine), a powerful oratorio from 1701. This captivating work tells the story of Catherine of Alexandria, a brilliant and devout Christian who bravely confronts the ruthless King Maxentius.

Catherine’s unwavering faith leads her to denounce Maxentius’ cruelty towards Christians, convert members of the royal court, and ultimately earn a martyr’s fate. This production features a cast of five singers, led by mezzo-soprano Kim Leeds in the title role, accompanied by an ensemble of Baroque-style instruments including harpsichord and theorbo.

Noble Soul will be presented as a semi-staged production on Sunday, March 16, 2025 at 3 PM: St. James the Less Episcopal Church (10 Church Lane, Scarsdale, NY 10583)

Tickets are available for $15-$60 and can be purchased online at sacreddrama.org.

The cast includes:

• Gene Stenger, tenor, in the roles of Testo & Filosofo “impressive tenor” (The New York Times)
• Kim Leeds, mezzo-soprano, in the title role of Caterina winner of the Tafelmusik Vocal Competition (2016)
• Paul Max Tipton, bass baritone, in the role of Massimino
described by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a dignified and beautiful singer
• Margaret Carpenter Haigh, soprano, in the role of Regina GRAMMY-nominated soprano described as “standout” by The New York Times
• Clifton Massey, countertenor, in the role of Porfirio “an expressive marvel” (San Francisco Classical Voice)

The production is led by:

• Jeremy Rhizor: music director and violin
• Tony Lopresti: movement director
• Adam Cockerham: associate music director and theorbo

The instrumental ensemble features:

• MarcBellassai:harpsichord
• Arnie Tanimoto: cello
• JohnStajduhar:bass
• DanMcCarthy:viola
• LydiaBecker:violin

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to experience the compelling story of St. Catherine and the powerful music of Pier Francesco Tosi in this exciting Western Hemisphere premiere.

Please join librarian David Sadoff (filling in for Nancy until she gets back in April) in the Scott Room to discuss Leaving by Roxana Robinson on Wednesday March 19 at 2 pm.

"Forty years after their breakup, lovers run into each other at intermission in the opera house, and nothing will ever be the same.

"Warren Jennings and Sarah Watson dated in their youth, but between the miles separating their colleges, a silly but fatal misunderstanding, and a new face on the horizon, she chose to end the relationship. By the time they reconnect, he is long married, living near Boston, a successful architect. She is divorced, a grandmother, on her own in Westchester County. After they serendipitously meet at a performance of Tosca in New York City, the error of their separation is quickly evident and they begin an affair. To them, it feels less like adultery than a course correction, likely to lead to the greater happiness of all. But as Warren will one day explain to his wife, Janet, “In an opera, the tragedy involves passion and honor,” and so it is here, with passion and honor at odds, and the irrevocable responsibilities and emotions of parenthood complicating the situation in unforeseen ways....

"Elegantly structured and written, shimmering with feeling and truth. A triumph" - Kirkus.

Register here:

As an artistic subject, very few things can compare to flowers for their sheer versatility and symbolic depth - or their historic importance. From the very beginning of painting as a formal discipline, flowers have provided inspiration with their vibrant colors, delicate shapes, and representational meaning. Beverly Shipko, a contemporary realist artist and avid art historian, will join us in the Scott Room to discuss the age-old tradition of incorporating flowers into art. From still life to unobtrusive background detail to the rich symbolism behind different blooms, Ms. Shipko will lecture on and explore the many guises of flowers and plants in art.

The program will be held on Tuesday March 25 at 4:30 pm. We hope you come to this program hungry! There will be refreshments and a brief reception afterward.

About the Presenter

Beverly Shipko is a professional artist and art historian with more than 20 years of exhibitions. Her personal focus is on food in art, especially desserts. Her confection obsession started as a child when she worked in her grandfather’s gourmet grocery store, with shelves packed full of delectable treats. Ms. Shipko's artistic work draws on iconic food brands in a variety of positions and stages of preparation. Her work has been displayed and featured around Westchester and across the country, including the Katonah Museum, the Hudson River Museum, Cavalier Galleries, One Martine Gallery, and many more. Her commissioned works also hang in select diners and cafes.

Register here

"Character is the fingerprint of your soul" - Frank Sonnenberg.

Please join Nancy Zachary in the Scott Room to discuss The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict on Wednesday April 9 at 2 pm at Scarsdale Library.

"In December 1926, mystery writer Agatha Christie really did disappear for 11 days. Was it a hoax? Or did her husband resort to foul play?

"When Agatha meets Archie on a dance floor in 1912, the obscure yet handsome pilot quickly sweeps her off her feet with his daring. ... Although the war keeps them apart, straining their early marriage, Agatha finds meaningful work as a nurse and dispensary assistant, jobs that teach her a lot about poisons, knowledge that helps shape her early short stories and novels. While Agatha’s career flourishes after the war, Archie suffers setback after setback. Determined to keep her man happy, Agatha finds herself cooking elaborate meals, squelching her natural affections for their daughter (after all, Archie must always feel like the most important person in her life), and downplaying her own troubles, including her grief over her mother's death. Nonetheless, Archie grows increasingly morose. In fact, he is away from home the day Agatha disappears. ... Benedict concocts a worthy mystery of her own, as chapters alternate between Archie’s negotiation of the investigation and Agatha’s recounting of their relationship. She keeps the reader guessing: Which narrator is reliable? Who is the real villain?

"A compelling portrait of a marriage gone desperately sour" - Kirkus.

Register here.