Oct 23, 2013 2 min read Amy Bennett

The Day: A Local Bakery Faces Bankruptcy and a New Shakespeare Theater at BAM

The Brooklyn Academy of Music Cultural District is already home to the Mark Morris Dance Group. As of yesterday, it now also houses a brand-new Shakespeare theater. (Photo by Francisco Daum)

Good morning, Fort Greene and Clinton Hill.

Today will be a brisk fall day with highs in the low 50s, the National Weather Service reported. Keep your umbrella in tow, as forecasters predict a 60 percent chance of rain.

The owners of Cammareri Bakery & Cafe in Fort Greene, who gained acclaim after their bakery appeared in the 1987 hit movie Moonstruck, have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, Crain’s New York Business reported. The company listed assets of $126,100 and liabilities near $500,000, according to the article. It is also indebted to fewer than 50 creditors, including local baking supply company Aladin Bakers and Empire Bakery Equipment. An attorney representing Cammareri declined to comment to Crain’s, and the eatery’s managing member did not return calls.
The Polonsky Shakespeare Center – the first permanent home for the Theater for a New Audience – opened yesterday in the Brooklyn Academy of Music Cultural District, the New York Daily News reported. The Hugh-Hardy-designed building, worth a whopping $69.1 million, is located on Ashland Place between Fulton Street and Lafayette Avenues. “We’ve been given an incredible opportunity,” Jeffrey Horowitz, artistic director of the Theater for a New Audience, told the paper. “We’ve been transformed. This is our next act.” The Julie Taymor-directed “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will be the first play performed at the theater, with an opening date of Nov. 2.
Brooklyn Free School on Clinton Avenue between Greene and Lafayette Avenues has partnered with Edible Petals to beautify its front yard – building a raised garden bed, planting a vegetable garden and installing an outdoor space that will serve as a classroom and community gathering spot. As a kick-off for the beautification efforts, community volunteers will host a recycled toy sale at the school this Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.
Local bibliophiles take note: The Clinton Hill library will be closed from Friday through the beginning of 2014, while staff installs self-check machines, a new heating and cooling system, and other building enhancements. Check back for more information about the improvements and the re-opening date as it becomes available.