An evening with local literati

NEWBURGH — The Ritz Theater will host an evening of readings with two local authors, Terry Sandler and Susan Schoenberger, at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4 in the Ritz Theater Lobby, 107 Broadway, Newburgh. Each author will read excerpts from recent works and talk to the audience, sharing insights and reflections on their writing. The event was originally scheduled for Jan. 21, but was cancelled due to snow. Terry Sandler, a Newburgh teacher and Hudson Valley playwright, will read from his one-act dramatic play "The Mommy and Me Fishing Trip." Sandler is also a working actor, award-winning director, award-winning playwright, award-winning filmmaker, and visual artist. His plays have received staged readings and productions throughout New York City, upstate New York, and Cleveland, Ohio. Susan Schoenberger, a Newburgh native, will talk about her debut novel, "A Watershed Year," published in 2011. The novel is a love story, and a story about all the ways we interconnect in this world of both too much and too little communication. Her novel won the gold medal in the William Faulkner-William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition in 2006. Her articles and essays have appeared in many publications, including the Courant’s Northeast magazine and Reader’s Digest. The readings are free, with donations welcome. Light refreshments will be available for a nominal charge, all proceeds to benefit the restoration of the historic Ritz Theater. The authors will be available after the reading for a question-and-answer session and book signing. Books will also be available for purchase. For more information visit www.ritztheaternewburgh.org or call 784-1199.