HERE WE ARE
SHS Foundation
WELCOME HOME to our first season in the Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center
Set into the landscape and boasting a stunning view of the Hudson River, this extraordinary open-air theater was designed by the visionary architect Jeanne Gang to do something both radical and ancient — to reunite performance, place, and people.
Shakespeare understood this alchemy brilliantly. His plays were written for open skies and shifting light, for birdsong and breezes, with the knowledge that what we experience together will never happen in quite the same way again. In this new theater, art and nature are in splendid conversation, alive each night in the energy between artists and audiences. It’s the kind of thing you’ll never get sitting at home on the couch.
So come early. Bring a group. Let the river, the sky, and the language work on you. The Scripps Theater Center is not just a new building, but a renewed commitment — to the power of live theater to draw us closer, and to the shared experience that has defined Hudson Valley Shakespeare for 39 summers and counting.
Warmly,
Davis McCallum Artistic Director
JUNE 10 – SEPTEMBER 18, 2026
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S
AS YOU LIKE IT
Directed by MIRIAM LAUBE
Original Music by AMANDA DEHNERT
“All
the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players”
Imagination takes center stage in Shakespeare’s beloved romantic comedy. When Rosalind and her cousin Celia are forced to flee the court in disguise, they find refuge and adventure in the Forest of Arden. There, as new identities bring freedom and wisdom, friendship blooms into romance and wit collides with whimsy. As You Like It celebrates the joys and follies of human nature and the beauty of creating one’s own sanctuary. Set against the backdrop of the bucolic Hudson Highlands, our music-filled production will be a vibrant celebration of love, identity, and transformation.
JUNE 12 – SEPTEMBER 18, 2026
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S
KING LEAR
Directed by Artistic Director DAVIS McCALLUM Featuring KURT RHOADS as King Lear
“Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say.”
HVS Artistic Director, Davis McCallum directs Shakespeare’s searing tragedy featuring Kurt Rhoads in the title role.
An aging monarch divides his kingdom among daughters who demand love as proof of loyalty, igniting a chain of betrayal and destruction that shatters both family and state. As power corrodes reason and madness rises with the storm, Lear is cast into a furious tempest of his own making. There, stripped of authority and illusion, he sees too late that a king must first be a man and that the hard-won price of wisdom is everything he once held dear.
AUGUST 12 – SEPTEMBER 27, 2026
BOUBLIL AND SCHÖNBERG’S
LES MISÉRABLES
By arrangement with CAMERON MACKINTOSH
Presents
A new production of
BOUBLIL AND SCHÖNBERG’S
LES MISÉRABLES
A musical by ALAIN BOUBLIL and CLAUDE-MICHEL SCHÖNBERG
Based on a novel by VICTOR HUGO
Music by CLAUDE-MICHEL SCHÖNBERG
Lyrics by HERBERT KRETZMER
Original French Text by ALAIN BOUBLIL and JEAN-MARC NATEL
Additional material by JAMES FENTON
Adapted and originally directed by TREVOR NUNN and JOHN CAIRD
Orchestrations by STEPHEN METCALFE
CHRISTOPHER JAHNKE and STEPHEN BROOKER
Original Orchestrations by JOHN CAMERON
Directed by JENN THOMPSON
Music Supervision by AMANDA MORTON
“If you wish to gain an idea of what revolution is, call it Progress; and if you wish to acquire an idea of the nature of progress, call it Tomorrow.”
– Victor Hugo
After 19 years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread, Jean Valjean is given a second chance, but freedom comes at a price. Haunted by his past and relentlessly pursued by Inspector Javert, Valjean’s quest for redemption unfolds against the rising storm of revolution in 19th-century France. Les Misérables is a soaring tale of love, justice, and the unbreakable human spirit — featuring iconic songs including “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My Own,” “Bring Him Home,” and “One Day More.”
Presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International and by arrangement with CAMERON MACKINTOSH LTD. All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI (www.MTIshows.com) This production is licensed by Music Theatre International.
PROGRAMS & EVENTS
Community Day
Sunday, May 17, 1:00–4:00 pm
WE ARE OPEN! Let’s celebrate this incredible milestone by welcoming the community to our campus for the first time since the completion of the Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center.
This is your opportunity to explore, take tours of the new theater center, sample some of the new pre-show programming, and get a first taste of what it’ll feel like to enjoy a live performance from the new seats.
For a full schedule of events, visit hvshakespeare.org/community-day
Schedule of Events
Assembly: A Procession Of American Luminaries
Sunday, July 4, doors open at 8:00 pm
Performance starts at 8:30 pm
HUDSON VALLEY SHAKESPEARE
Co-created by PROCESSIONAL ARTS WORKSHOP
Choral Score by HEATHER CHRISTIAN
With Assembly, Highland Lights returns for a fifth year of illuminating Hudson Valley Shakespeare’s landscape through community-built processions.
Evoking the foundational act of gathering and building, this special ambulatory performance will reflect on 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, as revolutionary figures from the distant and recent past emerge from the dusk to form a single luminous creation, inspired by Benjamin Franklin’s famous exhortation to “Join or Die.”
Pride on the Hill
Thursday, June 18, 5:30 pm
FREE by RSVP @ The HVS Campus
Join us for our inaugural Pride on the Hill event celebrating Pride Month and the full spectrum of our community with an evening of love, joy and a little high drama. Once Out at the Tent, this beloved event is now out in the open: loud, proud, and up on the hill at our brand-new theater!
Picnic on the grounds, sip a Pride-themed cocktail or mocktail, and enjoy some pre-show entertainment on the hilltop before a fabulous performance of Shakespeare’s romantic comedy As You Like It. Come dressed in your most festive fit.
12 | Hudson Valley Shakespeare 2026 Season
Led by the internationally celebrated Processional Arts Workshop (PAW), the towering illuminated lanterns will be imagined, built, and brought to life by members of our own community. Joining this year’s creative team is award-winning, genre-defying composer Heather Christian (Animal Wisdom, Oratorio for Living Things).
A critically acclaimed lyricist, playwright, and vocalist whose work explores the possibility for the sacred and spiritual in our modern world, Heather—based right here in Beacon—will compose an original five-part choral score, to be performed live by a choir made up of members of the community. A joyful reminder that in a democracy, there is always some assembly required.
Join Us!
We need you to make ASSEMBLY possible.
Over the coming months, ASSEMBLY will take shape through a series of free community conversations and hands-on workshops. Hudson Valley residents of all ages and backgrounds are invited to participate. Join us for one event— or be part of the entire journey
Community Conversation with Alex and Sophia from Processional Arts Workshop
Sunday, May 17, 4:00 pm
The Crescent Hudson Valley Shakespeare
Join us for a lively community gathering to kick off Assembly during HVS’s Community Day. Learn about the vision for this year’s Highland Lights event, how it will be created, and discover ways to participate. Most importantly, bring your ideas and help us name the inspiring figures—past and present—who’ve helped shape and strengthen our democracy.
Lantern-Making Workshops led by Processional Arts Workshop
The Atrium
Hudson Valley Shakespeare
Step behind the scenes and help build the spectacular illuminated lanterns that will anchor the July 4 procession. You’ll collaborate with professional artists and neighbors alike to shape wire forms, layer decoupage, and install LED lighting, transforming simple materials into glowing works of art.
To learn more or register, visit hvshakespeare.org/community/highland-lights
Best In Show
Wednesdays, 6:15 pm (June 24–Aug 26)
Wednesdays, 6:00 pm (Sept 2–23)
FREE @ The Crescent
Join members of HVS’s Company and a canine co-star for some tailwagging, behind-the-scenes conversation about the season, their roles, and the pets who rule their lives. Partnering with regional shelters and rescue groups, each event spotlights an adoptable dog ready to steal the show, and maybe your heart. Its theater talk fur a purpose!
Prologues
Thursdays, 6:15 pm (June 25–Aug 27)
Thursdays, 6:00 pm (Sept 3–24)
FREE @ The Crescent
Our Prologue series brings together invited artists, scholars, authors, and cultural thinkers for a lively, curated conversation before the performance. These brief talks may dive directly into the evening’s production or branch out into the artistic, historical, and contemporary ideas swirling around, offering fresh perspectives and new ways to experience the work on stage. Come curious, leave inspired!
Overtures
Fridays, 6:15 pm (June 26–Aug 28)
Fridays, 6:00 pm (Sept 4–25)
FREE @ The Crescent
Before the play begins, the music sets the mood. Friday Night Overtures celebrates the extraordinary musical talent of the Hudson Valley with a thirtyminute live acoustic performance ahead of the show. Featuring invited artists drawn from HVS collaborators, local musicians, and the wider community, these performances are conceived as an opening prelude not a full concert to showcase the range and artistry of musicians in the region.
Family Workshops
Sundays, 3:30 pm
Engaging hands-on workshops and activities for participants of all ages. These special events are designed to accompany the 5pm relaxed performance.
Sunday, July 19, 2026
As You Like It Family Workshop
Sunday, August 23, 2026
King Lear Family Workshop
Sunday, September 6, 2026
Les Misérables Family Workshop
Snake Hill Labs
Suggested Donation: $25
Location: Snake Hill Road Rehearsal Studios
Snake Hill Lab is an evolution of HVS2 and expands Hudson Valley Shakespeare’s commitment to artists and new ideas by creating focused time each season when our acting company comes together with other HVS collaborators to explore, experiment, and create. Building on our long-standing developmental work and commissioning program, Snake Hill Labs provides artists with space, resources, and paid time to develop new projects. By activating our artists and spaces between mainstage productions, Snake Hill Lab ensures that creativity never goes dormant, and that HVS remains a home for bold ideas and the people who make them.
Each lab will be accompanied by an open-reading. Limited tickets will be available to attend.
Scan here to learn more!
FRIDAY, AUGUST 7 AT 2:00 PM
Hamlet
By WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
Featuring ERIC BERRYMAN
Directed by DAVIS McCALLUM
A grieving Hamlet struggles to avenge his father’s murder by his uncle, who has seized the throne and married the prince’s mother.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 8 AT 2:00 PM
Gulliver’s Travels
Adapted by ZACK FINE and BRADLEY MICHALAKIS
Based on the book by JONATHAN SWIFT
A new theatrical adaptation of the classic satirical novel.
MONDAY, AUGUST 10 AT 2:00 PM
Deep Time Project
Written and Directed by JARED MEZZOCHI
A new site-specific original work by Obie-awardwinning theatre artist Jared Mezzochi.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12 AT 2:00 PM
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
By WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
Directed by RYAN QUINN
A mischievous night in an enchanted forest turns love upside down in Shakespeare’s magical, joyful comedy.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 14 AT 2:00 PM
The Ingenue
By ELEANOR BURGESS
Directed by DAVIS McCALLUM
In 18th-century London, two fiancés scheme to outwit each other out of marriage in order to inherit a fortune. Meanwhile the playwright trying to tell their story watches her own love and career unravel in this romantic comedy.
2026 LAB SERIES
AUGUST 2026
SEPTEMBER 2026
TICKETING & PRICING
Ways to Save
Previews
Be among the first to experience the show. These performances allow our directors and creative teams to make final changes and put the finishing touches on a production before Opening Night.
Season Passes
Purchasing two or more shows, consider a season pass for access to discounts on single tickets and more by pre-purchasing four or six-ticket packages. (see page 23 for more info)
Discounts
We believe theatre should be accessible to everyone in our community. To help more people experience live theatre, we are offering a 15% off discount to the following eligible communities:
• Seniors (Ages 65+)
• Students (Ages 18+ with valid student ID)
• Active-Duty Military Personnel, Veterans, and Immediate Family
*Tickets must be collected at will call with the presentation of a valid ID.
MORE INFO — SCAN HERE OR VISIT hvshakespeare.org/tickets-and-passes
Youth Tickets
Audience members aged 18 and younger can purchase tickets for $15!
Neighborhood Nights
SAVE 15% full-priced single tickets on Monday and Wednesday evenings if you live in Putnam, Westchester, Dutchess, Ulster, Orange, or Rockland Counties.
Groups
Groups of 12 + save 10% or more. For more information, contact our Box Office, 845.265.9575 or email boxoffice@hvshakespeare.org.
Exchanges
We understand that plans change. Tickets can be exchanged for a future performance up to 48 hours before showtime. There is a $10 per ticket convenience fee for all exchanges. Members and Season Pass holders are not subject to exchange fees.
Discounts exclude seats in Tier 1.
All discounts are subject to availability and may not be applied retroactively to completed purchases. Only one discount may be applied to each ticket.
Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center
ACCESSIBILITY
HVS is committed to offering services that make our programs accessible to all visitors. Hudson Valley Shakespeare is committed to making your visit the best experience possible for everyone.
If you have questions, need assistance, or require an accommodation not mentioned below, please email us at boxoffice@hvshakespeare.org or call us at 845.265.9575.
Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center is fitted with a T-coil loop. This hearing assistive technology uses a magnetic field to transmit sound directly to a hearing aid with a telecoil (t-coil) receiver. Most hearing aids already have this, though you might not be aware!
Headset loops are available from Guest Services.
Our campus is accessible for wheelchair users and the Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center has designated reserved seats for patrons with mobility challenges. These seats are indicated on the online seating chart (including upper-level seating accessed via an elevator).
For more information on parking, site access, and more, please visit the Accessibility page on our website hvshakespeare.org/visit/accessibility
These and other accessibility improvements are made possible by the support of Shari and Ken Eberts.
American Sign Language-Interpreted Performances
in partnership with Inclusive Communication Services
King Lear Sunday, June 28 at 5:00 pm
As You Like It Thursday, July 23 at 7:30 pm
Les Misérables Sunday, August 30 at 5:00 pm Open-Captioning
These performances are accompanied by screens that display text of dialogue and audio descriptions.
As You Like It Thursday, July 9 at 7:30 pm
King Lear Friday, September 4 at 7:00 pm
Les Misérables Sunday, September 20 at 5:00 pm
Relaxed
Performances
Relaxed performances offer a more accommodating atmosphere, and are tailored especially for individuals with learning disabilities, autism, or those who simply prefer a less formal environment. During these performances, thoughtful adjustments to the show’s elements may be made in consideration of the audience’s needs.
As You Like It Sunday, July 19 at 5:00 pm
King Lear Sunday, August 23 at 5:00 pm
Les Misérables Sunday, September 6 at 5:00 pm
Our ASL and Closed-Captioned enhanced performances are indicated in the performance calendar.
SEASON PASSES
Planning to see everything this Season?
See More. Save More.
Consider purchasing a Season Pass and save up to 20%* off single tickets. Visit hvshakespeare.org/tickets-and-passes to get your pass today!
2026 SEASON PASS
Season Pass – Premium
Perfect for theater lovers who want to see everything from the best seats in the house!
• 6 tickets (one pair of tickets to As You Like It, King Lear and Les Misérables)
• Access to all seating tiers, including Tier 1
• 20% off additional single tickets
2026 SHAKESPEARE PASS
Shakespeare Pass – Premium
Perfect for theater lovers who want to see everything from the best seats in the house!
• 4 tickets (one pair for As You Like It and King Lear)
• Access to all seating tiers, including Tier 1
• 15% off additional single tickets
Season Pass – Value
Enjoy the full season with unbeatable value.
• 6 tickets (a pair for each production)
• Redeemable for all seating tiers except Tier 1
• 20% off additional single tickets
Shakespeare Pass – Value
Enjoy the full season with unbeatable value.
• 4 tickets (a pair for As You Like It and King Lear)
• Redeemable for all seating tiers except Tier 1
• 15% off additional single tickets
Tickets are not transferable between shows and must be redeemed in the 2026 Season. No refunds or credits are available. *Based on regular adult tickets in tier 1, Friday-Sunday.
The cast of Octet, 2025. Photo by Gabe Palacio.
CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
It Feels Good to be Home
Our exciting future is here! Artistic excellence is at the very heart of our mission and because of you, our new campus is taking shape as a place that centers the health and well-being of our artists and welcomes our community. From the purpose-built dressing rooms to open lawn gathering spaces, and soon, 32 units of artist lodging steps from a state-of-the-art open-air theater, your support is an investment in the full work-life experience of the artists who create our work and serves as a warm welcome for all in the Hudson Highlands.
We are Saving a Seat for You!
Leave your mark on the Scripps Theater Center by naming one of our seats for yourself, a family member, or loved one. For a fully tax-deductible donation of $10,000, $5,000, or $2,500, put your name or the name of someone you love on a chair in the new theater.
Call to learn more about how to support the ROOTED campaign and other naming opportunities.
Martha Pearson Director of Development
With an annual donation of $100 or more, you can join Hudson Valley Shakespeare’s Member Program. Members enjoy ticket benefits, discounts, invitations to special events, and more!
For more information visit hvshakespeare.org/memberships Scan to make a donation & unlock your member benefits today
Nance Williamson as Dolly in The Matchmaker, 2025.
Photo by Gabe Palacio.
Poets & Saints Member Benefits
Membership valid for one year
Monthly Member Newsletter
Priority
Discounts
20%
Recognition
Invitation
Highland Circles Member Benefits
Recognition
20%
Invitation
Reserved Picnic
Mainstage
Exclusive
Invitation
Invitation
FOOD & DRINK
New for 2026
Hudson Valley Shakespeare’s dining options are all about celebrating the Hudson Valley: its farms, its flavors, and those unbeatable river views.
With two picnic lawns, an on-site restaurant, and a convenient concessions bar, we encourage you to arrive early, come together with good company, and soak in our beautiful grounds and the stunning views of the Hudson Highlands before your performance.
Sunday Night Encores Post-Show, Sundays
June
28–Sept 27
Keep the excitement going after the show. Join us in FOLIO for our beloved Sunday tradition of Pizza Night! The restaurant will offer a self-serve spread featuring fresh pizzas, pasta, salads, and dessert. Get ready to mix and mingle during this low-key, open-seating dining experience. And who knows, you might end up sitting next to your favorite HVS Company member!
Picnics
FOLIO Restaurant
Open Wednesday – Sunday
June 10 – September 27
See website for specific opening hours.
Open only during Shakespeare’s summer season, FOLIO is a farm-to-table, fresh-and-seasonal spot where dinner feels less like a meal and more like a shared moment.
Grab a seat on the deck and take in the sweeping Hudson River views. A server will swing by for drinks, and then you’re free to wander through our beautiful self-serve spread featuring regionally sourced ingredients—colorful salads, flavorful proteins, hearty sides, and mouth-watering desserts—made to enjoy at your own pace.
Every plate, sip, and view is a wee love letter to this place we all get to share.
RENTABLE PICNIC BLANKETS NOW AVAILABLE!
Bring your own, or simplify your pre-show dining plans by letting us take the stress out of the prep. Our To-Go Picnic menu is packed with fresh sandwiches, salads, and sides ready to grab, go, and enjoy. Pick your favorite spot on the lawn and spread-out, or make things extra easy by reserving one of our rentable picnic blankets
Place your order at least 48 hours in advance and pick it up from Concessions when you arrive.
Concessions
Enjoy a selection of local wines, non-alcoholic beverages, and small bar snacks before the show or at intermission.
HVS MERCH UPCYCLED TENT
