Grace Dietrich Takes Center Stage

Grace Dietrich will soon grace the stage at Stissing Center as the lead in the new play “Upstate Untitled.” At 92, Dietrich embodies the character Gloria, an elderly woman confronting the complexities of aging and independence while resisting a move to an assisted living facility. The play, written by veteran playwright Robert Lyons, mirrors aspects of Dietrich’s own life, though Lyons maintains it is a fictional story drawn from various inspirations.

Dietrich carries the play, having over 80 percent of the lines. “There are too many similarities between the character in this play and my life,” she said. “I am not ready for assisted living by a long shot.”

The 70-minute performance is the latest in the Local Produce Readers’ Theatre series, which brings Hudson Valley playwrights’ projects to life through staged readings with local talent. “Upstate Untitled” features a cast of six, including Dietrich; Jim Petrie, who plays a songwriter; Catherine Howard, a life coach; retired opera singer Vaughn Fritts, a god; and Kevin Walsh and Carl Baden, who play a pig farmer and a septic worker, respectively. Stage directions are provided by Martine King.

“The words and events of the play are not taken from Grace’s life or anything like that,” said Lyons. “It all started when I had an idea for the play and began mapping it out, writing scenes. Then I met Grace at Stissing Center, where we would hand out programs together. That’s how I got to know her.”

Dietrich previously performed in two plays written by Lenora Champagne, Lyons’ partner and a volunteer with the Herald. “Even though she’s not a trained actor, she has a lot of presence and charisma as a performer,” Lyons said. “One day, we were talking, and she asked, ‘When are you going to write a play for me?’ I told her, ‘I’m writing one already.’ I was definitely thinking about her the whole time and knew she was going to be the lead character.”

As she prepares for the single-show performance, Dietrich looks forward to sharing the stage with her fellow actors and bringing her character, Gloria, to life. “I can’t wait,” she said. “It’s really a wild play. It’s just a lot of fun.” As for the striking similarities to her own life? “I don’t need to be reminded of all of that!” she said.

Dietrich’s involvement in the local arts scene extends beyond her role in the play. She volunteers at nearly every event at the Stissing Center, greeting guests and providing information about performances. “I consider myself the official greeter,” she said proudly. Her routine includes handing out programs, informing guests about the bar and restrooms, and providing performance details. “I think it’s wonderful; it gets me out.”

The story behind the star 

Originally from Reading, Pennsylvania, Grace Dietrich’s first-generation German father co-owned a grocery store with his brother, while her Irish-American mother was a talented seamstress who won numerous blue ribbons at the Reading State Fair. Dietrich discovered her passion for music early on when she found a violin in her great-grandmother’s attic and later studied with a violin teacher in Reading. She attended Reading High School and spent two summers at the New England Music Camp in Maine. Describing herself as a master seamstress, she proudly noted, “The sports coat I made for my husband placed second at the state fair. So I think I’m pretty accomplished.”

Her journey brought her to Pine Plains more than 40 years ago. After moving around for her late ex-husband Robert’s job with IBM, they settled in a rented house in Salt Point, N.Y. which Dietrich instantly loved. “It was isolated and in the woods, and I decided on it the minute we walked up the driveway,” she said.

Dietrich studied pottery and design at Dutchess County Community College. “I didn’t want a degree,” she said. “I went just for my own benefit.”

Later, the couple decided not to renew their lease in Salt Point when her current residence, an 11-room historic house built in 1784 and first owned by Adam and Sarah Pulver, came on the market. Dietrich has lived there ever since, staying put after divorcing her husband.

She continues to mow her own lawn. Last summer, she dug a large vegetable garden, despite her neighbor’s concern. “One of my neighbors told me, ‘You can’t do that, Grace,’ which was all I needed,” she said. “I stopped counting when I had over a hundred tomatoes growing on the plants.”

Despite undergoing heart valve replacement surgery in April, Dietrich maintains a busy schedule. In between rehearsals and her long list of volunteering obligations, she attends cardiac rehab at Sharon Hospital. “That’s my life right now. This week is bizarre between rehearsals and rehab,” she said.

Dietrich has faced numerous challenges, including multiple surgeries — 14 in total, with the most recent heart valve replacement being the most painful. “I have had knee replacements, hip replacements, shoulder surgeries, four wrist surgeries… and I never had pain like that,” she said. Dietrich keeps going in spite of the pain.

She also drives regularly in and around the Hudson Valley. She doesn’t trust navigation services. “They’ll put you in a lake,” she said. Dietrich uses her car to frequent grocery stores in Hudson, N.Y., and Great Barrington, Mass., attends a monthly Antique Study Club meeting in Poughkeepsie, and travels wherever else she pleases. Her favorite drive, she says, is down Schultz Hill Road. “The view from the top is gorgeous,” she said.

Recently, Dietrich drove to the Columbia/Greene animal shelter where she adopted a rescue cat named Mercedes. She is frustrated that the cat hasn’t warmed up to her yet. “I want her to sit on the sofa with me; I’m losing my patience,” she said.

Her performance is eagerly anticipated by friends and family, including her niece in Florida, and her physical therapist from Cornwall, Conn. Grace’s vibrant spirit and determination continue to inspire those around her. “I guess I just like to prove people wrong,” she said with a smile.

Dietrich’s approach to aging is both pragmatic and optimistic. “It’s coming whether you like it or not, but I’m aging very well,” she said. “I’m not the typical person of my age: I don’t sound it on the phone. I don’t look it. I don’t dress it. That’s just who I am. It’s not in my psyche. I am who I am, and that’s it. Whether you like it or not.”

The performance of “Upstate Untitled” will take place at Stissing Center in Pine Plains on Sunday, May 19 from 3 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased online.