I'm a little late with this post. Too much time has slipped by without acknowledging the wonderful experience of To Kill a Mockingbird.  When the show closed last week, The Staten Island Shakespearean Theater Company left us a wonderful memory of a fine production in our Third County Courthouse.  Director Wayne Miller blended savvy staging and powerful performances into poignant theater.  And those performances…they were marvelous.  Who needs Gregory Peck?  We have Joe Daly.  This particular performance was reality theater.   Here's  a dad who needs to balance his professional and personal life in the midst of controversy.  Very contemporary stuff.  And Joe played it perfectly.  Perhaps that's the best part of the Company's production - the director and actors made all the right dramatic choices for today's audience while upholding the dignity of the play.

This kind of theater is an elbow in our ribs.   It reminds us of how much our community has matured.  It reminds us of how much more work needs to be done.  Finally, it clearly shows how our theater has grown.  This was a first class performance.  As my 15 year old "I'm too busy and cool" nephew was overheard telling Mr. Miller after the show, "Well, I really thought I was going to be totally bored.  But now I am going to read the book."  Imagine…theater getting kids to read.

Although I've only mentioned Mr. Daly and Mr. Miller by name, I'll be clear, the entire cast was terrific.  Despite the various levels of experience and the size of the parts, each performance was handled with care and to great effect.  Bravo!

We give a standing O to the entire Staten island Shakespearean Theater Company.  You are welcome here - scratch that - you are urged to return here for more of your fine work.  Who can argue with a complete sell out…with added performances?

My family and I had a lively time last Saturday morning as we visited Decker Farm.  Despite the wet and gooey ground farmer Dave was displaying fresh produce and other goodies on red checkered tablecloths under the big tent.  The farm stand was attracting a crowd.  When we pulled in the rooster was already boasting a throaty, "Cockle Doodle Doo," and my 4 year old son shouted, "Daddy, the chickens are calling!"  The kids jumped out of the car to see the chicks and bunnies.  My mother-in-law and wife went straight for the veggies.  My father-in-law wandered around marveling at the historic buildings and 11 acres of farm land, muttering, "Could you believe this is New York City?'

We ended up buying a whole bunch of nutritious delicious stuff at a good price.  Farmer Dave is very helpful.  He will make great suggestions on how to prepare everything you buy.  He drops great cooking hints in with each item that lands in your bag.  He even builds an entire meal plan on the spot.  It helps that he used to run one of the best restaurants in New York City.  His volunteer partner in provisions is Pam, who adds her own seasoning to every conversation.  The two dart here and there making suggestions, helping you pick out what you need and helping you to your car.  Another volunteer, Joe, is an old farm hand who has been putting time in at various agricultural sites for years.  At 85, he hauls boxes, directs traffic and adds his own flavor to the farm.  With all the technology we surround ourselves with its nice to go back to Hooterville once in awhile.

We will be back this Saturday, buying up more goodies before they sell out.  If you plan on going, get there early because until the Summer parking is limited.  Later on in the day it takes a little do-si-do to sidestep the other shoppers.  New York drivers remember it's a farm.   Feel free to email us what you think.  Farmer Dave can be reached at deckerfarm@historicrichmondtown.org.  Down home satisfaction guaranteed.

It's been a hectic late winter and early spring.  We experienced a series of storms that pummeled the entire New York area.  The weather brought out the best in our team.  Everyone pitched in to help.  Our crew is still working the grounds tidying up and getting ready for all the Spring events. They are the unsung heroes of our museum.

We lost a number of  trees including our traditional holiday pine tree.  We've been lighting this town tree for many years as we recall historic holidays. Each year over a thousand neighbors gather to cheer and sing. This tradition is a wonderful part of the American experience because it reminds us of how we remain joyful even through the toughest times.

We will need your help in restoring the lights to Richmond Town. I will be sharing more about replacing our traditional tree later in the year.  In the meantime please keep an eye on our events list.  We are adding more all the time.

Back in the old days you could only enjoy our treasures on-site and in person.  Lately we have become much more accessible. Historic Richmond Town is becoming a multi-touchpoint experience.

On Sunday we will host the official opening of our Online Collections Database.  This is a first step toward making our entire collection of nearly 200,000 items available online.  With support from the Historic House Trust and the Coby Foundation, we have laid the foundation for digitizing and presenting the various parts of our collection.  To begin, our curators and staff developed a digital infrastructure, photographed a number of unique clothing items from our collection, created digital records filled with information and uploaded them to the database.  Then we made the online collection accessible to everyone from a link on this site.

This project is another milestone in our effort to make Historic Richmond Town a destination you can reach from anywhere.  It’s all part of that multi-touchpoint experience.  And there is much more to come.