Pre-Show Programs
Discover our Enrichment Events, a lively series of weekly gatherings at the Borthwick Crescent (view HVS map). These free pre-show programs are designed to spark curiosity, entertain, and offer a behind-the-scenes look at our productions. The perfect accompaniment to your picnic, these events extend your evening offering conversations with artists and creatives, music from local musicians, and more!
Best in Show
Wednesdays
6:15 pm (June 24–Aug 26)
6:00 pm (Sept 2–23)
The Crescent
Join members of HVS’s Company and a canine co-star for some tail-wagging, 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!
Up Next:
Wed, Aug 26 at 6:15pm
David Beach (2026 Acting Company) & ARF Beacon
Keziah is a Shih Tzu/Pitbull mix who is just over two years old. She is about 25 pounds and never met a squeaky ball she didn't love. She would be best as the only dog in the house. It's possible with some introductory interactions, she could be with another dog of similar or smaller size. She has an adorable snaggle tooth and endless energy. She loves hiking, running in the yard and chasing those squeaky balls.
Prologues
Thursdays
6:15 pm (June 25–Aug 27)
6:00 pm (Sept 3–24)
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!
Up Next:
Thurs, Aug 27 at 6:15pm
Peter Mullan (President & CEO of the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail), Gena Wirth (Design Principal and Partner at SCAPE) & Lanie McKinnon (Principal at Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects)
Repairing and Renewing Hudson Valley Landscapes: Hudson Valley Shakespeare and the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail
Peter Mullan, President and CEO of the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail, is a national nonprofit leader with extensive experience in public greenway design and operations. His work with transformative projects includes New York City’s High Line, Austin’s Waterloo Greenway.
Gena Wirth, RLA, FASLA, is Design Principal and Partner at SCAPE. She works with cities, community advocates and landowners to reveal the immense ecological and cultural potential of public landscapes.
Lanie McKinnon, PLA, ASLA, is a Principal at Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, where she leads the design of complex public landscapes grounded in cultural and ecological research. Her work spans transformative parks, waterfronts, and cultural landscapes, with a focus on creating resilient, enduring places that connect people to the land.
Overtures
Fridays
6:15 pm (June 26–Aug 28)
6:00 pm (Sept 4–25)
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 thirty-minute 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.
Up Next:
Fri, Aug 28 at 6:15pm
Natalie Forteza & Dan Garcia
Tapping into both the sultry and sweet, Natalie Forteza's unique, recognizable voice effortlessly summons emotion with soulful mystique through layers of Neo-Soul, Indie singer-songwriter, Modern-Pop, Jazz and World Music. Forteza has performed venues spanning from NYC—Rockwood Music Hall, City Vineyard, Groove and The Iridium—to venues across the Hudson Valley and Northeast region opening for artists such as Allen Stone, Philly Soul singer-songwriter Mutlu, Charlie Hunter, and opening for Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads) + Adrian Belew at Connecticut’s Ridgefield Playhouse, as well as joining The Latin Dead as a guest vocalist for their Northeast tour. Grammy-winner Michael League (Snarky Puppy) who produced her debut record 01 EP, has said, “my favorite musicians are those who have their own sound—the ones you recognize the instant you hear them. This is how I felt when I first heard Natalie. She creates a vibe from the first note, and holds you until the last one…” She’s been praised by Chronogram Magazine as “a commanding vocalist and songwriter of considerable impact…obvious touchstones are Sade, Norah Jones and glimpses of Stevie Wonder, Astrud Gilberto and Anita Baker.” Lending his expressive and worldly virtuosity, Natalie will be accompanied by dexterous guitarist, Dan Garcia, combining his instinctive emotive style to compliment her selection of songs.
Family Day
Engaging hands-on workshops and activities for participants of all ages. These special events will take place at 3.30 pm and are designed to accompany the 5 pm relaxed performance.
What's On
Les Misérables
A soaring tale of love, justice, and the unbreakable human spirit. Featuring the iconic songs including “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My Own,” “Bring Him Home,” and “One Day More.”