Above: Kurt Rhoads in HVSF’s 2017 Production of The Book Of Will. Photo by T. Charles Erikson.
Originally published on October 28, 2019 by Dan Meyer in Playbill.
Three Shakespeare plays, a new adaptation of The Venetian Twins, and more are on the roster for the New York company.
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.