Shakespeare on the Hudson

Annamaria on Monday

This is love story.

As usual, it is Sunday when I am writing this and a very exciting day for me.  I am on my way to Garrison, New York for this year's opening night of my beloved Hudson Valley Shakespeare.  You might think"beloved" is a pretty strong word for a woman's relationship with an acting company.  But it's precisely correct.  I fell in love with it in 1986 and my infatuation has only grown since then.

 Human beings love what brings them joy.  HVS inspires love because it delivers joy.  It won over David and me immediately, with the first production we saw. 

  

Shortly after David and I moved into our country house in Garrison, New York in 1986, I noticed a banner along Route 9D.  There at the entrance to the Boscobel Historic Restoration, it said, “Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival.”

“Oh, look,” I said, “we have to go.”

David's answer: “I hated Shakespeare in high school.”

I, his Bardolator wife, wasn’t going to let that stop me. I knew that lots of people feel that way about their high school introduction to the plays.  “Oh, David,” I said,  “how can you say that.  You are an intelligent, sensitive, well-read man.  You can’t dismiss the greatest writer ever.”

I got him to indulge me.  One performance that summer thirty-nine years ago and he was hooked too.

An early Romeo and Juliet cemented our love relationship with HVS.

The company then performed that greatest of all love plays under a hand-me-down catering tent, with just a few props and what looked like 1950’s costuming that could have come from a thrift shop.  The players were young and dressed that way, looked like we did when we were teenagers.   Like all HVS productions, the staging was simple—the show was about the intimacy of the setting, the night, the poetry, and the actors’ voices.

 

At the ball at the Capulets’ Romeo and Juliet danced to “I Only Have Eyes For You” by the Falcons.  Brilliant.  Finally, a production of that play where the main characters were actually presented as teenagers.  And it wasn’t just any old song from my teenage years.  It was one where the imagery in the lyrics matched the imagery of the play—the stars, the moon.  At intermission, I looked in the program for the name of the director.  Terrence O’Brien, a theater magician, was the Founding Artistic Director of the company.

Nowadays, the current artistic director, Davis McCallum, has preserved and expanded the magic - the intimacy of the performances. Seeing a play at HVS is about the night, the playwright's words, the actors' voices, and the audience's responses. People in the chairs are participants who share in the captivating story, laugh together - often at 450-year-old jokes.  They are moved by the fear, the anger, the hope, the confusion... that the actors portray.  Still under a tent, but for twenty years now, the specially designed performance tent shown above.  It's glorious.

 LUCKY me! Tonight, the Sunday before this blog launches, I will be at the opening performance of this year’s season: the rollicking Comedy of Errors.  I can't wait.

The Comedy of Errors

June 6-August 2, 2025

A madcap tale of mistaken Identity, slapstick mayhem, and heartfelt reunion

If you are anywhere near this summer, I urge you to experience it for yourself. In addition to Comedy of Errors, here are the choices:

The Matchmaker, by Thornton Wilder 

(The inspiration for the musical "Hello Dolly"

A hilarious production filled with love, adventure, and unforgettable performances.

Octet

August 11 – September 7, 2025

A compelling musical exploring technology's impact on human connection.

Julius Cesar

September 9–10, 2025

A timeless, exploration of power, loyalty, and betrayal

Learn more and buy your tickets HERE 

Next year, we will be moving to our gorgeous new theater.

The view from the new theater!

In the meanwhile, if you are anywhere nearby you can join in for the last season under the tent. There are also many other lovely places to visit in the area.  Well worth a special trip