Second Annual Steinbeck Festival May 1-4 at Bay Street Theater
Sag Harbor, NY - April 7, 2014 - Bay Street Theatre is pleased to announce its Second Annual Steinbeck Festival in Sag Harbor on May 1-4, in conjunction with the annual celebration held by the National Steinbeck Center based in Salinas, California. Activities to honor John Steinbeck’s contributions to our community will feature events including 3 days of films, a VIP waterfront cocktail party where guests will enjoy short boat excursions to view Steinbeck’s home from the water, and the Second Annual “Travels with Charley” Dog Walk on Sunday, May 4 at 11 a.m., in partnership with the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation. Jill Rappaport, an award-winning animal advocate and correspondent for NBC News and the TODAY show, will serve as celebrity host at both the cocktail party and the Dog Walk. Proceeds benefit Bay Street Theatre and 10% of the Dog Walk proceeds will go to the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation. The all-inclusive FESTIVAL VIP PASS for the weekend is $150. Participation in the Dog Walk is $35. A film-only pass is available for $30 and individual films are $10 each.
“We wanted to do something a little different to honor the National Steinbeck Festival here in Sag Harbor,” says Tracy Mitchell, Executive Director of Bay Street Theatre, “We are thrilled to build on the excitement of last year’s event and we thank Jill Rappaport and the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation, along with our sponsors and partners including the Port of Egypt, the John Jermain Memorial Library, Dan’s Papers Literary Prize Contest, Roman Roth at Wölffer Estate Vineyard, Dr. Barry Browning at the Sag Harbor Veterinary Clinic, and the Sag Harbor community for joining us as we commemorate this Pulitzer-prize winning author.
Steinbeck Film Schedule:
Thursday, May 1, 8 p.m. – TORTILLA FLAT with Spencer Tracy and Hedy Lamarr
Friday, May 2, 8 p.m. – CANNERY ROW with Nick Nolte and Debra Winger
Saturday, May 3, 10 a.m. – THE RED PONY with Myrna Loy and Robert Mitchum
Saturday, May 3, 11:45 a.m. – THE MOON IS DOWN with Cedrick Hardwicke and Henry Travers
Saturday, May 3, 2 p.m. – LIFEBOAT with Tallulah Bankhead and William Bendix
Saturday, May 3, 3:45 p.m. – OF MICE AND MEN (1992) with John Malkovich and Gary Sinise
Saturday, May 3, 5:50 p.m. – EAST OF EDEN with James Dean and Julie Harris
Saturday, May 3, 8 p.m. – 75th Anniversary Celebration year! THE GRAPES OF WRATH with Henry Fonda and John Carradine
For admission to the film portion only, call the Box Office at 631-725-9500 to buy a $30 all-movies pass. Tickets for individual films will be $10 at the door.
VIP Cocktail Reception Saturday, May 3, 5 – 7 p.m. at a private waterfront estate. Available with the $150 all-weekend pass ONLY. Limited!
In celebration of the 75th Anniversary of “The Grapes of Wrath,” the cocktail reception will be hosted by Jill Rappaport and is sponsored in part by Wölffer Estate Vineyard. Wölffer-partner and winemaker Roman Roth will be on hand pouring his namesake vintage, “The Grapes of Roth.” Weather permitting, boat rides will be provided by Port of Egypt and will take guests out to see the Steinbeck home and writing studio from the water.
Host Jill Rappaport says, "I can't think of a better way to spend a springtime Hampton's evening, than enjoying a short boat excursion to view John Steinbeck’s home from the water in Sag Harbor. And of course the 2nd Annual ‘Travels with Charley’ dog walk the next morning is the so special, with our pooches on parade. I have 6—all of whom were once strays, so helping hands are welcome! Everyone should come join us for a fun stroll with our fur angels! “
Call the Administration Office at 631-725-0818 to reserve your spot.
“Travels with Charlie” Dog Walk in partnership with the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation Sunday, May 4, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. -- complimentary with the $150 all-weekend pass. Participation in the Dog Walk only is $35, payable at sign-in on Sunday, May 4.
Registration/pledge forms are available at baystreet.org or at the Box Office. Participants are encouraged to pick up the form in advance in order to raise funds from family and friends. Registration begins at 10:30 a.m. at the Bay Street Theatre. Dogs and their owners will walk from the Bay Street Theatre to Haven’s Beach and back, finishing at the theatre with a “Bones and Bagels” reception. A Grand Prize -- a swag bag of gifts for dog and owner from Harbor Pets—will include two tickets to one of Bay Street Theatre’s Mainstage shows.
The 2nd annual “Travels with Charley” Dog Walk pays honor to John Steinbeck, who in 1960 set off from his home in Sag Harbor with his French poodle, Charley, to drive cross country. He would travel alone, stay at campgrounds and talk to the locals along the way. Steinbeck’s book-length account of his journey, “Travels with Charley,” became a best-seller.
Call the Bay Street Theatre Administration Office at 631-725-0818 to reserve your all-weekend pass of $150, which includes the Festival’s cocktail reception on Saturday, May 4, the film festival, and the Travels with Charley Dog Walk. For a film pass ($30) or dog-walk pledge form, call or visit the Box Office at 631-725-9500.
About Jill Rappaport
Jill Rappaport has worked as a correspondent for TODAY and NBC News for the more than 22 years, the first 15 as entertainment reporter. While chronicling her beloved dog Jack's bone cancer diagnosis and medical treatment on TODAY, she realized that animal welfare issues were her calling, and so her career path changed. In Rappaport’s award-winning "Bow to Wow" and “Meow to Wow” series, she helped make over shelter pets, giving them a second chance at life by putting a national spotlight on homeless animals and had a 100 percent adoption record. Rappaport is also the best-selling author of "People We Know, Horses they Love," and has written three others books, including "Jack & Jill: The Miracle Dog with a Happy Tail to Tell," about her beloved dog Jack, and "500 Cats."
Rappaport is the recipient of numerous national honors and awards for her work on behalf of animal welfare. She was named the ASPCA Good Will Equine Welfare Ambassador and received the coveted Presidential Service Award for Media Excellence at the 2012 ASPCA Humane Awards. Rappaport recently launched her own line of leashes and collars called “Jill Rappaport’s Rescued Me Collection”, and has an equestrian jewelry line called "Hannah's Heart" named after her beloved late mare and benefiting horses in need. In the spring she will be launching “Jill Rappaport’s Shelter Shake”, a wonderful toy to be given out to various shelters across the country, so animals feel like they are “one step closer to a loving home”. Rappaport lives on a farm with her five rescue dogs and seven horses, to which she refers as her "fur angels."
Rappaport also recently announced along with the ASPCA that they are developing “Best in Shelter™”, a television series and prime-time special showcasing the special appeal of shelter pets. The first program is intended to culminate on Valentine’s Day 2015.
About the Bay Street Theatre
Bay Street Theatre is a year-round, not-for-profit professional theater and community cultural center which endeavors to innovate, educate, and entertain a diverse community through the practice of the performing arts. We serve as a social and cultural gathering place, an educational resource, and a home for a community of artists.