The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival has unveiled its complete lineup for the summer 2020 season, set to begin June 10 at the Garrison, New York venue.
Kicking off the new roster will be Richard III, helmed by HVSF Artistic Director Davis McCallum and starring company member Kurt Rhoads in the title role. Up next is the world premiere of Christopher Bayes and Steven Epp’s adaptation of Carlo Goldoni’s The Venetian Twins, directed by Bayes. The season will end with Love's Labor's Lost, directed by Amanda Dehnert and with an original pop/rock score by Dehnert and Andre Pluess.
“At HVSF, it’s all about the interplay between the actors and the audience, and that is especially true of our 2020 season,” says McCallum. “Whether it’s Richard of Gloucester enlisting us in his bloody climb to power, or big-hearted clowns bursting into raucous song, or young lovers confiding in us about the anguish of falling in love for the first time, our audiences will be an essential part of the action under the tent next summer.”
In addition, Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Kholoud Sawaf, has been tapped as the HVSF on the Road touring production. In previous seasons, the tours have traveled to venues across the Catskills and Berkshires regions offering family-friendly and free performances.
Performance schedule and additional casting will be announced at a later date.
Jade Radford and Zach Fike Hodges here from the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival’s Conservatory Company. We’re excited to give you a behind the scenes (or should we say shrubbery?) peak of the rep we’ve been creating upstate. Tonight is the closing performance of Twelfth Night, directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel.
And here’s the whole Conservatory Company! Our company supports two of the season’s shows, Twelfth Night and The Book of Will, as well as understudying Pride and Prejudice. We have just opened our own production of Love’s Labour’s Lost, co-produced with the Acting Company and directed by Ian Belknap, that we will tour to venues around the Hudson Valley, as well as New York City schools in September. (Left to Right: Zach Fike Hodges, Serena Ebony Miller, Luis Quintero, Marielle Young, Sky Smith, Maryn Shaw, Daniel Liu, and Jade Radford.)
Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival
Our view of the Hudson River as we walk into work everyday! Audience members enjoy
dinner on the lawn before the show.
Closing night hugs on the lawn! CC member Daniel Liu, actors Krystel Lucas, David Ryan Smith, and Artistic Director Davis McCallum.
Our musicians warm up and begin mic check, playing Palmer Hefferan’s darkly magical and devilish original score. (Left to Right: Michael Broadhurst on guitar, Serena Ebony Miller on cello, Maryn Shaw on violin, and Marielle Young on clarinet).
Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival
Serena Ebony Miller, our music captain, shows off her mobile cello! We’ve learned to have music rehearsal in almost any space imaginable. Instruments have played a large part of our summer, helping create the atmosphere for our Illyria.
Production ASM Lindsay Kipnis gives our Illyrian architecture a safety run before the show. Because of our rep schedule, sets are constructed (and dismantled) in the space every night by our amazing Production team. This Illyria brought to you by set designer John McDermott.
Fight call begins! Stage Manager Roxana Khan oversees choreography with CC member Luis Quintero (our fearless fight captain!), actors Kurt Rhoads and Sean McNall, and CC member Jade Radford. Let the brawl between Sebastian, Toby, Sir Andrew and Fabian begin!
Friends now, fight later. Longtime festival favorite Kurt Rhoads (this is his 20th season!), and actor/Associate Artistic Director/Director of Education, Sean McNall, share a moment after fight call.
Swish, swish! Artistic Director Davis McCallum takes a dance break.
Smiles and a necessary pre-show coffee with members of our crew! Here is Wardrobe Intern Alexandra West, Lighting Intern Emily Weisbecker, and SM intern Emma Philipbar.
A peak into our backstage tent! Here is our marvelous Wardrobe Supervisor Claudia Stefany and Asst. Supervisor Rachel Amelia Rienecker.
How many gadgets can you fit onto one table? Our Company Management team and Production team are hard at work. Left to Right: Company Manger Katie Meade, ACM Kristin Battersby, Production Asst. Natalie Lansbury, Production Manager Chris Batstone, and Asst.
Production Manager Josie Austin.
CM intern Mary Caitlyn Deffely and ACM Kristin Battersby hold down the Company Management fort. Make sure to always make eye contact before taking a piece of candy from their table!
Actor Michael Broadhurst applies his Feste make-up.
After calling places, Production Stage Manager Marci Skolnick climbs into her open-air booth to call the show.
A little pre-show gossip with members of Duke Orsino’s court. Left to right: CC members Serena Ebony Miller, Marielle Young, Zach Fike Hodges, and Maryn Shaw.
Stage Right is at places! Duke Orsino, played by David Ryan Smith, is joined by CC members Maryn, Zach, and Jade.
Actor Mary Bacon is ready to make her first entrance as Maria.
Nothing but your typical “water cooler” chat. Shakespeare in 90-degree heat can be a daunting task. Keeping hydrated as Olivia and Viola are Krystel Lucas and Kerry Warren, accompanied by CC member Jade!
No intermission is complete without making a PB&J sandwich, and grabbing a hug from our four-pawed friend Reggie. Here, CC member Sky Smith tries to get Reggie to roll over, but it looks like he’s more interested in posing for Playbill!
Mary Bacon, as Maria, waits in anticipation for her cue light to signal her running entrance.
“Let the garden door be shut!” No! We’re not ready! Krystel Lucas listens to final scenes backstage before the closing of Twelfth Night. We’ll miss this show!
But best not to get too comfy, as we have a full week of touring our production of Love’s Labour’s Lost. We begin this week with a morning music and line-through before our matinee performance. Left to right: Assistant Director Kholoud Sawaf and CC members Marielle Young and Luis Quintero.
Jade enjoys a playful moment as the Princess of France. Production Stage Manager Lindsay Kipnis keeps us on our lines as Kholoud takes notes.
Daniel Liu and Sky Smith watch as Maryn Shaw belts out her show-stopping high A during the line through. A quick lunch break, then off to perform our matinee!
And yet another fight call begins! Lindsay and Luis make sure things stay safe in the slap between Daniel (playing Berowne) and Marielle (playing Rosaline)
“Can I use your phone as a mirror!?” Serena styles her hair from Jaquennetta to Maria during a change backstage. We all play double characters in this Love’s Labour’s Lost.
Stage Management water bottles come in handy when sand gets in your eye! Luis performs an emergency procedure during a quick change.
A quick post-show production meeting with Kendall Allen (Props designer and Production Intern), Kirk Ruby (Sound Intern), and Emily Weisbecker (Lighting Designer and Intern). The team helps keeps the show tight and transformable as we tour to six different venues throughout the region.
After three months of hikes, pool parties, carpools, late-night diner feasts, eclipse viewing trips, county fairs, countless cups of coffee and of course, Shakespeare, these people have become family. Thank you HVSF for the incredible summer!
