“Selected Shorts,” the long-running literary radio program distributed by Public Radio International, returns to Stissing Center at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 5. This year’s program focuses on self-discovery as a way of navigating a chaotic world. It will be the second time in 2025 that “Selected Shorts” has been recorded in Pine Plains.
Three acclaimed actors will take the stage: Tony Award winner Santino Fontana, who will also serve as host; Jessica Hecht; and Cindy Cheung.
Fontana, described by The New York Times as “one of the most promising actors to emerge in the New York theater,” is best known for his Broadway roles, including his Tony-winning turn as Michael Dorsey/Dorothy Michaels in “Tootsie.” He also voiced the scheming Prince Hans in Disney’s animated hit “Frozen.” A devoted interpreter of the Great American Songbook, he performs regularly at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and Birdland Jazz Club. At Stissing Center, he will read Jesse Eisenberg’s “If She Ran Into Me Now…” and Ben Loory’s “The Vatican.”
Hecht has built a wide-ranging career across stage and screen, earning a Tony nomination for her performance in “A View from the Bridge.” She is also remembered for her television roles as Susan Bunch on Friends and Gretchen Schwartz on “Breaking Bad.” Beyond acting, she founded and directs The Campfire Project, which delivers therapeutic arts programs to refugees around the world. She will read “The Shabbos Goy” by Helen Schulman.
Cheung, who earned a degree in applied mathematics at UCLA before pursuing acting, has appeared in more than 20 films, dozens of television series and numerous stage productions. This fall she will star in “Laowang: A Chinatown King Lear,” a new play by Alex Lin at 59E59 Theaters in New York. In Pine Plains, she will read “Winner” by Ling Ma.
When not touring, the series is staged at Symphony Space in Manhattan, where it has been based for nearly 40 years. Jennifer Brennan, director of literary programs at Symphony Space, confirmed that Stissing Center will remain a venue for “Selected Shorts” in 2026. The recorded program airs at 11 a.m. on Sundays on WAMC.
The weekend also features another highlight at Stissing Center: a performance by Native American flautist R. Carlos Nakai at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4. Nearly sold out at press time, the concert will pair Nakai — who has recorded more than 30 albums and sold over 3.5 million records — with longtime collaborator William Eaton. Both musicians live in Arizona and have worked together for 25 years.