A Review of Pendragon Theatre’s This is Government

by Tim Rowland

Writing timely political plays about the current demolition derby in Washington is tricky stuff; no matter how bad a playwright imagines things, reality is likely to have deteriorated exponentially by the time the script hits the director’s inbox.

So it’s with a disorienting sense of relief that we learn the antagonist in Nina Kissinger’s This is Government is only carrying a bomb. Whew, that could have been so much worse.

This is Government, a fast-moving comedy thriller, makes a brief introductory run at Pendragon in Saranac Lake this weekend before opening Off-Broadway at 59E59 Theaters in New York City.

Read the full review HERE.

Get tickets HERE.

Editors’ Note:  this is the last performance at Pendragon’s 15 Brandy Brook location. Come say goodbye and raise a glass to all of the beautiful memories no later than the last show on the the 30th!

Adirondack Plein Air Festival Celebrates Success in Saranac Lake

The Adirondack Plein Air Festival wrapped up last week with record attendance and remarkable community engagement.

Over six days, 40 artists from across the country painted the Adirondack landscape in real time, capturing everything from misty mountain mornings to busy village streets. The Quick Draw competition brought energy to the streets as artists raced to complete framed works in just two hours. The “Paint the Town” Silent Auction offered a chance to bid on unique works created during the festival, with 50% of proceeds going back to ArtWorks to support their year-round programming. The festival culminated in a Show & Sale at the Harrietstown Town Hall Friday & Saturday, where over 100 original paintings found new homes.

Congratulations to the winners:

1st Place – “Perfect Pool” by Kari Ganoung Ruiz

2nd Place – “Tucker Farms” by Lynn Lews

3rd Place – “Ausable Bend” by Jim Laurino

Adirondack Rail Trail Association Award – “Turning Pages” by Durre Waseem

Traverse Lodge Award – “Sunlight” by George Van Hook

Paul Smith’s College VIC Award – “Raquette River – The Flow” by Tarryl Gabel

Adirondack Daily Enterprise Award – “Norman Ridge” by Robin Roberts

The Bookstore Plus Award – “Glisten, Lake Colby” by Jerry Russell

Nocturne Contest Sponsored by Tri-Lakes FCU – “Olive Street II” by Lynn Lewis

Quick Draw Competition Sponsored by Adirondack Health – Karen Cooper

Artist’s Choice Sponsored by Adirondack Artists Guild – Kari Ganoung Ruiz

People’s Choice Sponsored by Adirondack Life Magazine – Tarryl Gabel

Top image: 1st Place – “Perfect Pool” by Kari Ganoung Ruiz. Lower image: 2nd Place – “Tucker Farms” by Lynn Lews. Photos by Skip Murray

See additional winnersHERE.

Learn more about Saranac Lake ArtWorks HERE.

Jay Entertainment & Music Society (JEMS) Summer Concert Series presents

Mallory’s Bush

Saturday, September 6, 8 pm

Grab your picnic dinner and join us by the gazebo! Summer concerts are located at the Historic Jay Village Green. Rain or shine—with indoors at the Amos & Julia Ward Theater at the same address. The Green has lawn space, picnic tables and Adirondack chairs available. Refreshments provided by the volunteer-run Jay Entertainment & Music Society, with donations gratefully accepted for the maintenance of the Amos & Julie Ward Theater. See you at the gazebo!

Jay Village Green, 15 Parkside Rd., Jay

The Adirondack Experience presents

The Rustic Fair

Saturday and Sunday, September 6 – 7, 2025, 10 – 5, included with admission

The Rustic Fair showcases interpretations of classic and contemporary rustic art crafted by makers from across the Adirondack region and beyond. Explore handcrafted furniture, furnishings, and Adirondack paintings.

See the list of participating craftspeople HERE.

Adirondack Experience, The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake, 9097 State Route 30, Blue Mountain Lake

North Creek Depot Museum Annual Fundraiser

Thursday, September 11, 2025 6 pm – 9 pm

Guest list closes 5 pm, Friday, September 5. Please be sure to purchase your ticket(s) before then.

This event supports the Depot Museum’s exhibits, educational programs, and the exciting renovation of the Owens House into an Education and Resource Center. 

Speakeazy Storytelling Show

Saturday September 6, 7 pm

Join hosts Alex Clark and Mac MacDevitt as a diverse group of storytellers take the stage to tell their stories crafted for the show. Guest tellers:

Chris Locke – Essex
Dave Johnson – Westport
Sara Strope – Keene
Charlie Harrington – Crown Point
Jeff Cochran – Plattsburgh
Miriam Carey – Cleveland

This is a fund raiser for Bell Fire Arts. ETC very generously splits ticket sales with us.

Tickets available HERE.

Essex Community Theatre, 2756 Essex Road, Essex (Next to the Ferry Dock)

The Bark Eater Inn Presents

The Strand Center for the Arts presents

Primary Source

A solo exhibition by fiber artist Patricia Downs

Friday, September 5 thru Saturday, September 27

Gallery reception Friday, September 5, 5 to 8 pm

In this exhibition, Patricia will have a collection of work made in the last six months. With a background in fiber arts, Patricia uses different techniques and materials to create her work, with processes and practices that are still rooted in their traditions.

“In my work, I deal with loaded concepts surrounding gender and femininity; the nature of living inside a human bodily form; and the links between one’s emotional, mental, and physical health. My work reflects my experiences in the body of a queer woman in contemporary American culture and society, and though my experiences are filtered through a present-day lens, my work is in conversation with the work of every queer woman artist and maker that came before me.”—Patricia Downs, Artist

Strand Center for the Arts, 23 Brinkerhoff St, Plattsburgh

Tannery Pond Center’s Summer Concert Series presents

Joceyln Pettit & Ellen Gira

Saturday, September 6, 7:30 pm

As 2024 Canadian Folk Music Award Winners, Jocelyn Pettit & Ellen Gira are a dynamic fiddle & cello duo. Fusing traditional and contemporary music styles, they create a powerfully uplifting and soulful performance, weaving a rhythmically driving and textured sound. Complemented by lively stepdancing, they bring life and fire into original tunes, songs, and high-energy repertoire from Scotland, Ireland, North America, and Scandinavia.

More info and tickets HERE.

Tannery Pond Community Center, 228 Main Street, North Creek

Saranac Lake Free Library’s Art at the Library presents

Adirondack Views by Judy James

Through Thursday, September 25

Saranac Lake Free Library, 109 Main St., Saranac Lake