NEW ROCHELLE PUBLIC LIBRARY CELEBRATES THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF RAGTIME WITH A WEEKEND OF SPECIAL EVENTS

ByNew Rochelle Public Library

 The New Rochelle Public Library will honor the 50th anniversary of Ragtime, the legendary novel by longtime New Rochelle resident E.L. Doctorow, with a celebratory weekend of programs on Saturday, October 4 and Sunday, October 5, 2025.

Published in 1975, Ragtime was hailed as a groundbreaking work that interwove historical figures with fictional characters, capturing the sweeping social, cultural, and political changes of early 20th-century America. Its resonance endures five decades later, inspiring award-winning adaptations for film and Broadway.

The Library’s Ragtime Celebration Weekend invites the community to revisit this literary masterpiece through film, live performance, and conversation with leading artists who helped bring Doctorow’s vision to the stage.

Ragtime Celebration Weekend Schedule

Ragtime Film Screening
Saturday, October 4, 2025 | 1:00 – 4:30 pm
Experience Miloš Forman’s epic adaptation of Ragtime, nominated for eight Academy Awards. Presented in its latest digital restoration, the film features an all-star cast including James Cagney, Howard E. Rollins Jr., Elizabeth McGovern, Mary Steenburgen, Debbie Allen, and Mandy Patinkin. (155 minutes, Rated PG)

Celebrating 50 Years of Ragtime
 Sunday, October 5, 2025 | 2:00 – 4:00 pm

  • Caroline Doctorow: Ragtime at 50
    2:00 – 3:00 pm
    Musician Caroline Doctorow honors her father’s legacy with a multimedia program featuring family photos, personal stories, passages from the novel, and a live performance of period-inspired songs.

  • Virtual Interview with Stephen Flaherty & Lynn Ahrens
    3:15 – 4:00 pm
    Tony Award–winning composer and lyricist Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens reflect on the creation of Ragtime the Musical, its cultural impact, and its much-anticipated Broadway revival opening October 16, 2025. The conversation will be moderated by Ralph Sevush, Executive Director of Business Affairs, The Dramatists’ Guild.

“New Rochelle has always been proud to call E.L. Doctorow one of our own,” said Eugenia Schatoff, Executive Director of the New Rochelle Public Library. “Fifty years after its publication, Ragtime continues to inspire and challenge us with its exploration of identity, justice, and the American dream. We’re thrilled to bring together artists, family, and community members to celebrate this milestone.”

All events take place in the Ossie Davis Theater at the New Rochelle Public Library, 1 Library Plaza, and are free and open to the public. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis and registration is requested at bit.ly/NRPL_Ragtime 

About New Rochelle Public Library

The Friends of New Rochelle Public Library, incorporated in 1978, was organized to support the Library’s mission by providing cultural programs for all ages and other library needs outside the regular tax-based budget. The Friends raise money through monthly used book sales, an in-library bookstore and membership dues and contributions. The New Rochelle Public Library (NRPL) is a community resource that seeks to improve the life of every citizen in our city. It is dedicated to encouraging learning in all stages of life, to protecting intellectual freedom and to providing fair and equal access to information.