Big Sky Productions Brings “Dear Folks” to the Stage for Veterans Day

As Veterans Day approaches, Big Sky Productions is honoring those who served through an intimate, heartfelt performance titled Shorts & Sweets Honoring Veterans: Dear Folks. The program combines live readings of letters and personal stories from World War II with reflections from family members uncovering their histories.

The production features Carol Montana, Big Sky’s Artistic Director, and Margaret Bruetsch, a writer and actress from Cochecton, who discovered decades-old correspondence from their own relatives. What began as a personal act of remembrance evolved into a moving theatrical experience that connects the past and present.

“I found letters between my parents while cleaning out their house,” Montana said. “They couldn’t write much about what was happening because my father was in the Signal Corps, but reading them brought me closer to them. I wanted to share that feeling with others.”

For Bruetsch, the letters were a family treasure unearthed just in time. “My mom saved them before my great-grandparents’ house was demolished,” she said. “Reading through them was emotional—it felt like getting to know family I never met. Some were heartbreaking, but others were funny and full of life.”

Together, the two curated a selection of excerpts that blend humor, love, and loss. The performances also include displays of photos, a Purple Heart, and bound collections of the original letters for attendees to explore.

Shorts & Sweets Honoring Veterans: Dear Folks continues its run this Sunday, November 9, at 2 p.m. at the Sullivan County Historical Society and Museum in Hurleyville. The final performance will take place Friday, November 14, at 5 p.m. at the Tusten-Cochecton Branch of the Western Sullivan Public Library in Narrowsburg. Admission is free, with donations benefiting the Historical Society.

For more information, call 845-985-3175 or visit the Big Sky Productions Facebook page.