2023 Season Brochure

A summer of love, laughter, and adventure.

At HVSF, we believe that theater is a powerful way to bring people together, and forge a deeper sense of community. Our plays break down the fourth wall and invite you to be an active participant in the storytelling process. This season you’ll be transported to different worlds and different times, but the themes of authenticity, individuality, and the power of love will resonate with you in the present moment.

Two of Shakespeare’s greatest hits, Love’s Labor’s Lost and Henry V delve into the complexities of courtship and self-discovery, while our world premiere of Penelope takes us on a musical journey of grief and hope. At the heart of each of these plays is a story about love — of comrades and friends, of family, of country, of romantic enchantments and unspeakable longing.

We invite you to join us beneath the stars and under the tent, to celebrate the simple and powerful act of coming together. We look forward to sharing this theatrical journey with you.

Davis McCallum

Artistic Director

Cover: Romeo & Juliet, 2022.

This page: Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play, 2022.

Photos by T. Charles Erickson.

“The energy and artistry never flag.”

The New Yorker

Save Thy Date

Member Exclusive!

Opening: Sunday, June 4, 5–7pm

Closing: Saturday, Sept. 16, 5–7pm

Members of the Festival Circles program will enjoy a pre-show cocktail party to celebrate the open and close of the season. To join visit hvshakespeare.org/support.

Post-Show Toast

Sunday, June 4 – Henry V

Saturday, July 15 – Love’s Labor’s Lost Sunday, Sept. 3 – Penelope

Ticket holders for the opening night performances are invited to join the party and raise a glass with us to celebrate after the curtain call.

Closing Celebration

Sunday, Sept. 17 – Penelope

Dine, drink, and dance to help us bid farewell to our 2023 season! Ticket holders for the closing performance are exclusively invited to this informal affair.

Out at the Tent

Friday, June 16, 6:00pm

Get to know local LGBTQIA+ organizations and enjoy a complimentary reception with drinks and light fare while you mix and mingle before the evening performance of Henry V.

Midsummer Mingle

Saturday, July 15, 5–7pm | The Terrace

Join us to celebrate Shakespeare, summer and the opening of Love’s Labor’s Lost with art, music, and drinks.

Open Mic Night

Select Fridays in July & August, After the performance

HVSF veteran and fan favorite, Luis Quintero, hosts friends at the bar(d) for weekly post show musical performances, games, open mic, and really whatever else they’d like.

Thursday Night Prologues

Thursdays, 6:15PM | The Terrace

Picnic? Check. Wine? Check. Insightful, behind-the-scenes commentary from industry experts? Check! Join us for engaging discussions about our productions, the theater industry, and the world at large. This program is free and available to all. Find the full list of speakers at hvshakespeare.org/ prologue

Love’s Labor’s Lost, 2017. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

Enhanced Performances

Open-Captioned Performances

Wednesday, Aug. 2 – Henry V

Thursday, Aug. 3 – Love’s Labor’s Lost

Thursday, Sept. 7 – Penelope

American Sign LanguageInterpreted Performances

Wednesday, Aug. 9 – Love’s Labor’s Lost

Thursday, Aug. 10 – Henry V

We strive to make our performances and facilities accessible. For additional information, questions, or if you need assistance, please call the box office at 845.265.9575.

Family Nights

Sunday, June 25 – Henry V

Let’s Go Fly A Kite

Wednesday, July 19 – Henry V

Teaching Artist Workshop

Wednesday, Aug. 9 – Love’s Labor’s Lost

Teaching Artist Workshop

Sunday, Aug. 27 – Love’s Labor’s Lost

Starry Night Lantern Delight

Children and Students (18 and under) receive $10 tickets and pre-show activities and engagements to make their earliest theater experiences unforgettable!

More Matinees

Hold onto your hats, theater lovers! We’ve added more matinee performances to the calendar and it’s sure to be a wild ride. So put on your sunscreen, grab your snacks, and get ready for an afternoon of laughter and drama.

Neighborhood Nights

Our neighborhood nights welcome our diverse, vibrant, and creative community, across every county in this region and on both sides of this river.

Save 15% when you purchase full-price tickets for specific dates with a local zip code on file.

Discounts will automatically apply online at checkout once you are logged in. Proof of residency is required.

Putnam & Dutchess Counties:

June 15, July 17, 19, 27, Sept. 6

Westchester County:

June 15, July 17, 19, 27, Sept. 6

Ulster & Orange Counties

June 22, July 20, 23, 24, Sept. 13

Rockland & Bergen Counties

June 29, July 20, 23, 24, Sept. 13

Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play, 2022.

HVSF Season Calendar

HENRY V

by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

music by DAVIS M c CALLUM

directed by DAVIS M c CALLUM

featuring

EMILY OTA AS KING HENRY

“All things are ready, if our minds be so.”

This Shakespearean epic follows a charismatic warrior King and his cohort through the brutality of warfare, as the ragtag band confronts heavy opposition and their own destinies in an aggressive pursuit of the French crown. The play’s central question – What kind of leadership would it take to forge a resilience and unified band of brothers and sisters from a fractious and anxious group of individuals? – resonates with fresh urgency in our contemporary world.

LOVE’S LABOR’S LOST

by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

directed by AMANDA DEHNERT

original music by AMANDA DEHNERT & ANDRE PLEUSS

“Let us once lose our oaths to find ourselves, Or else we lose ourselves to keep our oaths.”

Four young noblemen absent themselves from society, in order to focus entirely on their studies. They even take a monastic oath: No girls! All books! But when the Princess of France turns up with three young ladies, how long will the men’s resolve hold up? Director Amanda Dehnert (Pride and Prejudice) infuses Shakespeare’s delightful comedy with an original pop/rock score (by Dehnert and Andre Pleuss) that gives full voice to the heart-pounding experience of being young and in love.

THE WORLD PREMIERE PENELOPE

music and lyrics by ALEX BECHTEL

book by ALEX BECHTEL, GRACE MCLEAN & EVA STEINMETZ

directed by EVA STEINMETZ

“I could wait for you forever, If you told me what forever was for.”

A re-imagining of the story of The Odyssey from the point of view of a character often relegated to the margins of the story, Penelope is a musical love letter to all those who wait: For someone they love. For something they believe in. And hope that the wait will end well. An intimate and explosive music theater piece, Penelope invites the audience to join in a ritual act of storytelling to release the pent-up grief, anger, love and longing that are so familiar after the last three years.

Top, right clockwise: Twelfth Night, 2017; Into The Woods, 2019; The Heart Of Robin Hood, 2018; Richard II, 2018; Into The Woods, 2019; The Taming Of The Shrew, 2018.

Beyond The Tent

Highland Lights | April 2023

In this year’s celebration of Highland Lights, we will turn our gaze to the stars with Ad Astra, inspired by the constellations in the night sky and the enduring hope and imagination they ignite. Join us, together with Processional Arts Workshop, as we create new lanterns and explore pathways through our hillside home.

Workshops FREE throughout April

Saturday, April 1, 12–6pm

Sunday, April 2, 12–6pm

Wednesday, April 5, 3–9pm

Friday, April 7, 3–9pm

Saturday, April 8, 12–6pm

Friday, April 14, 3–6pm

Saturday, April 15, 12–6pm

Sunday, April 16,12–6pm

Performance

Saturday, April 22, 7:00pm

These events are free and open to the community, please visit hvshakespeare.org/highlandlights to learn more and register.

HVSF2 | August 2 & 3, 2023 at 2:00pm

Experience new stories and old friends. Our popular new works series features brand new plays read by HVSF company members and other great actors. Catch these commissioned-by-HVSF titles here before they hit stages in New York and across the country.

MEDEA: RE-VERSED by Luis

Quintero

directed by Nathan Winkelstein

THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD by Heidi Armbruster directed by Ryan Quinn

Annual Gala | Sunday, October 8, 2023 at 5:00pm

Join us at The Garrison to raise a glass to our mission with cocktails, dinner, a live auction, and performance highlights under the stars! The Annual Gala is our largest fundraising event of the year and a great way to celebrate our season.

EDUCATION TOUR

ROMEO & JULIET

by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

directed by EMMA WENT

Two star-crossed souls collide and fall fast in love, only to take their own lives in a tragic twist of fate. In this musicdriven, 90-minute production, heightened theatricality and original alt-rock anthems will engage audiences and bring a fresh perspective to Shakespeare’s classic tale. Narrated by Benvolio, an unsuccessful peacemaker, Romeo and Juliet is a lesson in loss, destiny, loyalty – and most importantly, love. Major support for education programs is provided by:

“…when he shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with night.”

See You Under The Tent

Previews

Performances

What’s a Preview?

Previews are performances that allow our actors and creative teams to put the finishing touches on a production before it opens. They’re also our best-kept secret! Choose a Preview performance for our most affordable seats this summer.

Box Office Hours

March 1 – May 30, 2023

$10 Tickets Every Night

As a nearly-in-the-round theater, every seat offers intimate access to live, effervescent storytelling. An obstructed seat may not offer the same visibility as a premium seat, but it still provides an enjoyable, affordable theater experience.

Simple Exchanges

Exchange any ticket up to 48 hours before showtime for $10 per ticket (and any additional seat value). Exchanges are free for members of our Saints & Poets Society and Festival Circles Program as part of their ticket benefits.

May 31 – September 17, 2023

In addition to being available online and by phone the box office will be open in-person once the season starts.

The Box Office is available online boxoffice@hvshakespeare.org and via phone, 845-265-9575.

Wednesday – Monday (closed Tuesdays)

Noon – Showtime

Note: *Discount applied to Adult ticket type only. Non-Standard Discounts only apply to Adult ticket types. Only one discount may be applied to each ticket, and no discounts may be applied retroactively to completed purchases. Standard Discounts, Neighborhood Nights, and Group Discounts exclude Center Front Section, Side Obstructed Section, Saturday Performances, Opening Nights, and Closing Performances. Loyalty Packages and Early Bird Discounts exclude Saturday Performances and Closing Performances.

Partial* A tent element may occasionally impact viewing. Obstructed** A tent element or set piece will obstruct viewing.

The Discounts Sundays–Fridays

Children (5–12) 30% off Students (13–20)

21+ with full-time student ID 15% off Seniors (Ages 65+) 15% off Active Duty Military 15% off Veterans 15% off (Excludes Saturdays, openings, closings and CenterFront section).

Early Bird Savings

Purchase ADULT tickets to weekday performances and save 25%. Use code EARLYBIRD at checkout. Ends Apr. 16.

Loyalty Package

Get the best deal under our tent when you book for all three mainstage shows. Book before May 1, take 25% off. After May 1, take 20% off. All sections.

Gather Friends and Save!*

Groups of 12+ receive 15% off (or better!) all season long. Plus, create a customizable package including a catered dinner, conversations with artists, and more! Learn more at hvshakespeare.org/groups.

Neighborhood Nights

HVSF Neighbors save 15% on ADULT tickets for select performances. Limit four per household, per date.

Hudson Valley Summer Arts Pass

Four premier arts organizations – Jacob Burns Film Center, Historic Hudson Valley, Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, and Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival –have joined together to create a unique New York experience: the Hudson Valley Summer Arts Pass. With an abundance of offerings across the four partner organizations, the Pass helps patrons plan a vibrant and diversified season of arts and culture – all within a short drive. Customize your summer the way you want it with this amazing discounted bundle of tickets!

The Day Of

Arrive as early as 4:00PM to picnic, enjoy the site, the new extraordinary view, and see plans for our future permanent venue.

Evening performances begin at 7:30pm, through Aug. 31, 7:00pm from Sept. 1 on and matinees at 2:00PM.

The Directions

By Car

2015 U.S. 9, Garrison, NY 10524

By Train

Free Weekend Shuttle Service

Friday–Sunday, Arrival trips run from 4:30–7:30pm and return trips for 30 minutes following each performance.

Take the Metro-North Hudson Line Train to Garrison Station and catch our free roundtrip shuttle from the train to the Tent.

The answer to ‘what’s for dinner?’

We are excited to announce that this spring, the restaurant on site is not just reopening, but also launching new picnic and dinner menus to enhance your theater experience!

Get ready to enjoy a delicious meal in a beautiful setting. Visit hvshakespeare.org/dining for updates.