Live Events

What connects Dionysus and Spider-Man? In Tony Stark, Odysseus, and the Myths Behind Marvel, Professor of Classics Peter Meineck explores how Marvel’s superheroes draw from ancient Greek mythology. From Captain America and Wolverine to Black Widow and Black Panther, Meineck reveals surprising and insightful connections between modern pop culture and the myths that shaped human storytelling. Entertaining and eye-opening, this talk bridges ancient legends and today’s superheroes. Books will be available for sale and signing.

Cozy up at the Bedford Playhouse these next wintry Wednesdays. Join us Wednesdays in the cafe for open mahjong play. Time: 3:00-5:00 p.m. Tea and cookies included (reservation needed). Fee: $25 per person. Bring your own set or we can provide one.

Trivia Night returns to the Bedford Playhouse Cafe, hosted by Rachel from Rock Paper Scissors Custom Events. Play solo or as a team and test your knowledge on a wide range of topics, including movies, music, history, geography and more. Food and drink available for sale from the bar.

Renowned composer/songwriter Alan Menken performs selections and shares stories from his unparalleled career live at Bedford Playhouse. Alan Menken is an iconic American composer best known for his work in musical theater and film, especially his collaborations with Disney. He has written the music for beloved animated films such as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Pocahontas. In addition to his film work, Menken has had a successful career in stage musicals, including Little Shop of Horrors, Newsies, Sister Act, A Bronx Tale, and Broadway adaptations of Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. Menken is one of the few artists to have achieved EGOT status, winning Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards.

Mahjong continues here this winter—come discover the game or build on the skills you already have—with two more hands-on sessions in the Playhouse Café. Mahjong for beginners and intermediate players  (February 25 and March 4). Tables will be split by those who are learning the fundamentals and basic rules of play, and those who need guided practice and strategy support. All materials are provided, and both sessions are open to beginners and returning players alike. Lunch included.

Join a panel of experts for an enlightening conversation covering everything from infancy to toddlerhood and beyond. Dr Abby Siegel, M.D., FAAP is a Board Certified Pediatrician who does home sick visits for children in Westchester and CT through her private practice, Abby Siegel Health Consulting. Rachel Gertsman, M.S., E.D. is the owner of Tot Time, a private Preschool located in North Salem. Carla Perl, CPSC is a Certified Pediatric Sleep and Positive Encouragement Consultant. Through her company, Slumberland Solutions, she creates customized sleep and toddler behavior plans tailored to each family’s unique needs. Alexandra White, M.A., IBCLC is an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) working in private practice and overseeing the Doula Program at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility.

Begins at 5:30pm. After a lifetime as a professional vocalist/musician, Gene Reed began exploring photography shortly before the pandemic. That quiet period ignited another spoke in his creative wheel and transformed a growing interest into meaningful professional work. Now, his photographs have appeared on album covers, in periodicals, and in publications such as PEOPLE, TOWN & COUNTRY, VARIETY, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER and FORBES. His debut show, SPONTANEITY, reflects his approach to photography — being at the right place at the right time, camera slung on his shoulder, present in the moment, and capturing what naturally unfolds.

David Hosack (1769-1835) transformed medicine and surgery, medicinal and agricultural botany, and the intellectual and cultural life of New York City. He knew virtually every major European scientist, and virtually every American Founder – he was the physician who attended both Hamilton and Burr at their duel. Lively and learned, American Eden was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History (2019) and the National Book Award for Nonfiction (2018), among many other awards and prizes. Victoria Johnson is Professor of Urban Policy and Planning at Hunter College in New York City.

Guitarist Adam Moezinia, a Juilliard-trained musician from Los Angeles, has performed with greats like Freddy Cole, Cecile McLorin Salvant, and George Coleman at venues including Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Blue Note, and Birdland. He released his debut album in 2021 and now tours worldwide with his trio. For this performance, Adam teams up with bassist Alec Safy in an intimate Standards Duo, presenting fresh arrangements of classics from the American Songbook by Gershwin, Porter, Rodgers, and more.

Renowned author Jean Hanff Korelitz discusses her work and career in conversation with fellow author Ann Leary. Jean Hanff Korelitz was born in New York City and graduated from Dartmouth College and Cambridge University. She is the author of nine novels, including The Sequel, The Latecomer and The Plot (the latter two in development for film or limited series), You Should Have Known (adapted by David E. Kelley as HBO’s 2020 limited series, The Undoing, starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant), the New York Times bestselling Admission (adapted as the 2013 film starring Tina Fey), The Devil and Webster, The White Rose, The Sabbathday River, and A Jury of Her Peers. She is the creator of BOOKTHEWRITER, which runs “Pop-Up Book Groups”, small gatherings with authors to discuss great books. The Plot was featured on The Tonight Show as the Fallon Summer Reads 2021 pick.

Internationally-regarded psychic medium Thomas John performs an insightful and lively evening of readings. Witness John remarkably channel and deliver messages from spirits from the other side. While there is no guarantee that a specific person will come through, John is typically able to channel the people that are most meaningful to you and give you a message that is just what you need to hear. His readings are known for their incredible accuracy with specific details, providing unequivocal evidence of the existence of consciousness. Premium recliner tickets include a reception and VIP session with Thomas after the main event.

Join author Ariel Sullivan and Jenna Bush Hager in conversation on Ariel’s new book Beneath. A copy of the book is included with each ticket. Presented in partnership with Bedford Books. Hundreds of years before the Illum ruled supreme, humanity risked everything to rebuild after a devastating war in this explosive dystopian romance and prequel to Conform. Twenty-three-year-old Sasha Cadell knows time is running out in the underground city, filled with survivors of the nuclear fallout six years ago. She works in the Expansion Sector, trying to escape the memories of those she lost. Her bleak existence is upended when Tristian Hayes, a stunningly handsome, frustratingly determined commander of the Force, recruits her to join him and his elite team of soldiers as they embark on a secret mission to the surface. Sasha is thrust into brutal training with stakes far beyond mere survival. The fate of the remaining humankind depends on their success—or failure. As she confronts her own demons, Sasha finds both allies and foes in the training program, as well as a sizzling attraction between her and Tristian that threatens the walls she’s built around her heart. But under the surface, secrets and deception run as rampant as illnesses. And not everyone will survive the rise of a power more terrifying than anything they’ve ever known.

Say the word “Apple,” flash the famous logo, or play the familiar sounds of an Apple device, and you’ll spark instant recognition—and usually a strong reaction. With billions of customers around the world, Apple isn’t just a tech giant; it’s one of the most influential, scrutinized, and also beloved companies in history. It’s hard to imagine a time when Apple wasn’t dominant, but during Steve Jobs’s absence in the late Eighties and early Nineties, it was struggling to survive, only weeks from bankruptcy. And yet as the company turns 50 on April 1, 2026, it is now one of the most valuable companies on earth, with a worth approaching $4 trillion. Marking this 50th anniversary milestone is the definitive account of the tech giant, authored by award-winning science and technology journalist and bestselling author, David Pogue (“CBS Sunday Morning,” The New York Times, PBS) in APPLE: The First 50 Years. At this very special Playhouse event, Pogue will reveal what he learned from interviewing 150 current and former Apple executives, designers, and engineers. He’ll reveal, for the first time, some amazing origin stories (Apple II, iMac, iPod, iPhone). He’ll draw some counterintuitive but powerful lessons from Apple’s unlikely rise, fall, and rise. And he’ll punctuate the evening with Apple song parodies at the piano (yes, really). Books will be available for sale and signing.

The second in a trilogy about America’s Constitution, Born Equal follows The Words That Made Us:  America’s Constitutional Conversation, 1760-1840; Amar asks us to consider 10 possible meanings of the word “equal.” A widely published and cited Constitutional scholar, Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale and winner of their DeVane Medal for excellence in teaching, he has spoken twice at the John Jay Homestead, about New York and the US Constitution, and in an interview with Albie Sachs, about the Constitution of South Africa.  He is sometimes called a “liberal originalist,” and that is what he calls Lincoln.

Back once again by popular demand!  Live standup comedy featuring performers from Last Comic Standing, The Tonight Show, America's Got Talent and Comedy Central. Starring Maureen Langan, Ian Lara, Peter Revello and Brian Scolaro.  Hosted by Ray Ellin.

The Founders wanted schools to teach students to understand our political system and to engage in reasoned political debate as adults; the Schoolhouse at John Jay Homestead was built for Jay children and also for the children of tenant farmers and farm hands. Historian, journalist and former Friends of John Jay Homestead speaker on his renowned John Quincy Adams: Militant Spirit, Traub spent a year exploring how schools now teach students–or fail to teach them–the essentials of American history and government, as well as how to use that knowledge in respectful, informed debate. Note: the talk will be preceded by a short business section of John Jay Homestead's Annual Meeting.