A Sold-Out Success: “No Regrets” at The Grand.
An intimate and interactive evening with Colette, played by Denise Bessette.
by Judy Rayer
The sold-out performance of “No Regrets,” written and performed by Denise Bessette at Croton’s The Grand on Sunday night, March 8, was an exciting and important event for its sponsor, Croton Council on the Arts (CCoA), and for the Croton community at large.
The audience spent an intimate and interactive evening with Colette (born Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette), the passionate, bold and celebrated French writer, in Vichy Paris in her bourgeois apartment overlooking the gardens of the Palais-Royal. Ailing from a touch of arthritis, she reached deep to recount her sensational life experiences—from her many and varied marriages and lovers to the foods she loved—while anxiously waiting for the phone to ring with news that her husband, imprisoned by the Nazis, might finally be released. We became her confidantes, drawn into her emotions and her sometimes shocking tell-all stories. At times the audience laughed, and at others we were completely silent, hanging on every word.
A fan of Denise’s work, I was excited last year when I saw an advertisement for the play in Beacon, but unfortunately I missed the opportunity to see it—every performance had sold out. Knowing it would resonate with audiences here, I reached out to Denise on behalf of the Croton Council on the Arts, and then to The Grand, to see if we might bring the performance to Croton. Given her strong following in the community, it seemed likely the show would draw a full house—and it did.
There is also a bit of history with Croton Council on the Arts. In the late 1990s, soon after moving to Croton, Denise Bessette co-founded the Hudson Stage Company, dedicated to promoting new plays and playwrights. With support from CCoA and the Croton Free Library, she began producing and performing new plays almost monthly.
CCoA will be celebrating its 50th anniversary next year. This sold-out performance was a wonderful way to preview our golden year, and to continue strengthening Croton’s already vibrant arts community.
Judy Rayer has called Croton-on-Hudson home for 27 years. She volunteers with the Croton Council on the Arts and is exploring a broader painting practice in addition to her pet portraits. When she’s not painting, she enjoys spending time with her family and sharing her love of art with the community.
***********************************************************************************************************
To share this post, or to share The Croton Chronicle, please click on these links.
Thanks Judy for your review and for helping to bring “No Regrets” to The Grand! Artists, patrons of the arts, packed houses. The arts need them all!