Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival

Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival

The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival moves to its new home located at 2015, US 9 in  Garrison, NY.  Theatre-goers will recognize HVSF’s signature theater tent although plans are underway for construction of a permanent open-air theater venue. Audiences will continue to experience the company’s signature open-air productions performed in repertory fashion thoughout the summer and pre-show picnicking on the grounds.

Productions begin on July 7 with an age-blind staging of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet starring HVSF’s favorite longtime couple, Kurt Rhoads and Nance Williamson – recently seen in the Hudson Theatre Company’s encore performance of Off Peak. Which we saw and instantly recognized them from our past excursions to the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Kurt and Nance are always a pleasure to behold as they effortlessly trip through a wide range of emotions with a light and often humorous touch.

For their second production, opening on July 8, the HVSF company will take on Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play. An American black-comedy written by Ann Washburn, that premiered in 2012 at the Wooly Mammoth Theatre in Washington DC. And then moved on to Playwrights Horizons in New York City. Washburn’s love letter to live theatre takes place in the not-so-distant future, in a world where society has crumbled along with its power grid and a group of survivors recreate their world through story telling under the stars. Specifically, they try to keep alive their favorite episodes of The Simpsons, With each act their story telling troupe, grows in sophistication into a theatre troupe and finally a full-fledge musical extravaganza.

Their final production, Where We Belong, a solo piece that follows Mohegan theater-maker Madeline Sayet to England to study Shakespeare. This journey of self-discovery, traces the relationship between Shakespeare and colonialism, a relationship with deep roots along the banks of the Muhheakantuck, the tidal estuary colonially known as the Hudson River.

The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival will present 59 performances from July 7 through September 18. Romeo and Juliet will run from July 7 through September 18. Mr. Burns will run from July 8 through July 17. Where We Belong will run from August 13 to August 22.

Read more and get tickets here