The cast and crew of Hope Stories at Mount Saint Mary College, left to right: Tod Weaver of Poughkeepsie, N.Y.; Kylie Dragonetti of Massapequa, N.Y.; Jessica Romaniello of Waterbury, Conn.; Sierra Caban of Beacon, N.Y.; Jennifer Bready, professor of Mathematics at the Mount; and Jim Kelly ‘97 of Newburgh, N.Y.
Mount Saint Mary College’s theatre group will present Hope Stories, an original play based on a long-running interview project documenting the history of the Dominican Sisters of Hope, on April 7 and 8.
The performances, one per night, will take place at 7:30 p.m. on the Aquinas Hall stage, 330 Powell Ave., Newburgh. Admission is $5, or free with a Mount ID. Seating is extremely limited and reservations are highly recommended. For reservations, call the box office at 845-569-3273.
About six years ago, James Phillips, associate professor of Theatre, and alumna Rebecca Ferretti ’16 sought to honor the legacy of the Dominican Sisters by interviewing the members of the order. The Mount owes much to the vision and hard work of the Dominican Sisters, who founded the Mount in 1959, using as a guideline the four pillars of Dominican life: study, prayer, service, and community.
The interviews illuminate each sister’s history, with questions related to why she joined the order, what she accomplished during her assignments, and how she benefitted from a life as a Dominican.
Written by playwright Jessica Kahkoska, Hope Stories reshapes many of these interviews to create a powerful, authentic script celebrating the legacy of the Dominican Sisters of Hope.
“Almost every line of dialogue is something that the sisters said in their interviews,” Phillips explained. “This piece is hopefully a way for us to bridge from the sisters to, specifically, the audience – but also metaphorically, the future.”
In 1995, three branches of Dominican Sisters – Newburgh, N.Y., Ossining, N.Y., and Fall River, Mass. – consolidated into the Dominican Sisters of Hope, bringing together three cultures and histories into one.
Many Dominican Sisters have taught at the Mount over the decades and the order’s connection to the campus remains strong to this day.
“They were ordinary women who decided to make an extraordinary choice to help people and to do good,” said Phillips. “Our charge from the Dominican Sisters of Hope is to find people in need and to help them.”