It was on April 18, 1775 that Boston silversmith Paul Revere-- along with Samuel Prescott and William Dawes-- embarked on a ride to alert the Minutemen in his area about the sudden advance of British troops. By giving the Minutemen advance warning of the British Army’s actions, the ride played a crucial role in the Patriot victory in the subsequent battles at Lexington and Concord.

And of course, Paul Revere’s role in the event-- while not necessarily more significant than that of Prescott or Dawes—was immortalized by the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who nearly a century later penned the words that for many years school children could recite by heart.

“Listen, my children, and you shall hear

Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,

On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;

Hardly a man is now alive Who remembers that famous day and year…”

Now, as  our nation begins the observance of the 250th anniversary of the start of the Revolutionary War, kicking off a commemorative period that will last several years, the Barryville based non-profit history education group, The Delaware Company, has announced  plans for a special event, “The British Are Coming!” at Seminary Hill Catskills in Callicoon on Saturday, April 26, specifically celebrating the 250th Anniversary of Paul Revere’s famous ride.

The event will get underway at 3 p.m. and will include a social hour, a dramatic reading of the Longfellow poem by local performance artist Oliver King, dinner, the one woman play, “Rendezvous with Rachel Revere.” and a question and answer period with the writer and star of the show, Judith Kalaora of the Boston based History at Play TM.

All proceeds from the event will go toward The Delaware Company’s mission to promote and support the history and the historic landmarks of the Upper Delaware River Valley and beyond.

While the entire afternoon promises to be exceptional, the play is the centerpiece of the event, and as anyone who saw Judith Kalaora perform as Deborah Sampson in her play, “A Revolution of Her Own” at Fort Delaware last summer can attest, she is an indisputable talent.

“Rendezvous with Rachel Revere” tells the story of Paul Revere’s fateful ride through the eyes of his wife, Rachel, who after the British army had encircled Boston, and Paul Revere was unable to return home for weeks after his ride, was left uncertain as to his fate.

As Judith Kalaora, who wrote the play and stars in it, describes it, “it is May 2, 1775, and Rachel Revere has only heard from her beloved husband Paul once since his legendary midnight ride on the 18th of April. Still isolated from one another due to the Siege of Boston, Rachel desperately tries to create a plan to safely take her children: six step-children from Paul’s first marriage and a newborn baby of their own, from the reach of the British Regular Army in Boston.”

Kalaora says that the audience “will help Rachel, as she carefully considers the dangers and demands of each plan,” and will eventually learn whether “Rachel is successful in her perilous mission to unite her family, amidst the wake of an American Revolution.”

Kalaora founded History At PlayTM in 2010, and serves as its Artistic Director. Offering solo and ensemble programs with an emphasis on women’s history, H.A.P. is woman-owned and operated, with a commitment to employ artists from the Boston region. Kalaora is a professional educator, writer and living historian. She graduated from Syracuse University and completed the Globe Education Program at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre of London, England.

There are many great venues in Sullivan County, but few can offer the panoramic views that can be had at Seminary Hill Catskills in Callicoon. Described by Conde Nast Traveler as “James Fenimore Cooper’s America with a dash of Tuscany,” the venue comprises “a certified organic orchard, the world’s first Passive House-certified cidery, and a Catskills hotel, restaurant, and private event space.”

Tickets for this event are limited, and will be available on a first come, first served basis. For more information about the event and to purchase tickets online, visit The Delaware Company’s website, the delawarecompany.org or email this columnist.

And be sure to mark your calendars and save the date, for “The British are Coming” on Saturday, April 26.

“For, borne on the night-wind of the Past,

Through all our history, to the last,

In the hour of darkness and peril and need,

The people will waken and listen to hear

The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed,

And the midnight message of Paul Revere.”

John Conway is the Sullivan County Historian and a founder and president of The Delaware Company. Email him at jconway52@hotmail.com.