Grab a picnic and a glass of wine, find your way to The Terrace, and start your evening off with a free, thrilling, behind-the-scenes exploration with HVSF artists, scholars, and industry experts. These pre-show talks take place every Thursday night during the summer season and are open to the public.
The 2024 Season Prologue Schedule has not yet been announced.
Past Conversations:
June 1: Join us for a conversation with Davis McCallum about HENRY V followed by a Q&A.
June 15: A conversation with Susannah Millonzi about her work on the movement in HENRY V.
June 22: The HENRY V Pre-Show Preamble, performance + conversation with Luis Quintero, Francis Pàce-Nuñez and Timothy Bright
June 29: Dr. Seth Herbst, West Point Assistant Professor of English
July 13: Dive into the world of theater with Amanda Dehnert, Director of LOVE’S LABOR’S LOST
July 20: Explore the power of literature with Cyrus Mulready, SUNY New Paltz Associate Professor of English.
August 3: Talk with Emily Ota, a.k.a King Henry herself and Maria, in LOVE’S LABOR’S too.
August 10: Christine Scarfuto joins us to discuss the 2023 Bake-Off, a delicious HVSF tradition.
August 17: Savor a conversation with actor and HVSF alum John Tufts, 2017’s PRIDE & PREJUDICE, as he shares insights from his cookbook “Fat Rascals: Dining at Shakespeare’s Table.”
August 24: A PENELOPE Prologue featuring Alex Bechtel (Orchestrator, Author) and Eva Steinmetz (Director)
September 7: Unraveling Penelope: Speaker TBA
Made possible byHudson River Valley National Heritage Area.
Past Speakers
2022 Guest Speakers
Music & Movement at HVSF: A conversation with Musical Director Saul Nache and Choreographer Kimiye Corwin.
ROMEO & JULIET: Dr. Seth Herbst, West Point Assistant Professor of English, discusses the Shakespearean classic.
Climate Conversations: Sandra Goldmark, Associate Professor of Professional Practice in Theatre, Director of Campus Sustainability and Climate Action at Barnard College in conversation with HVSF Artistic Director Davis McCallum, and Dr. Radley Horton, Lamont Research Professor, Ocean and Climate Physics, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO), Columbia Climate School.
Yellow Finch Project: A conversation about enhancing the lives of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other social-communication issues through the art of theater.
Where We Belong: In Conversation with Curtis Zunigha, an enrolled member of the Delaware Tribe of Indians in Oklahoma and an acknowledged expert on Delaware/Lenape culture, language, and traditional practices. Mr. Zunigha is Co-Founder and Co-Director of The Lenape Center, based in New York City.
Romeos and Juliets: Generations of star-crossed lovers, Carl Howell and Angela Janas (2012), Kurt Rhoads and Nance Williamson (2022), discuss these roles.
Our Future: Davis McCallum shares the vision for the site and future of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival.
Mr. Burns: A Conversation with The Civilians Artistic Director, Steven Cosson: Hear from Steven Cosson on why MR. BURNS was originally chosen for commission by The Civilians, New York, NY.
2019 Guest Speakers
- HVSF Artistic Director and CYMBELINE Director Davis McCallum with May Adrales, Director of MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
- CYRANO Playwright and Company Member Jason O’Connell
- CYRANO Director Meredith McDonough
- Cast and Creative of HVSF’s Touring JULIUS CAESAR
- Split Rock Books presents Benjamin Dreyer, Author of Dreyer’s English
- HVSF Education Intern Caitlyn Halvorsen with Martine Green-Rogers, President of LMDA and SUNY New Paltz Associate Professor of Theatre Arts
- Dr. Seth Herbst, West Point Assistant Professor of English
- INTO THE WOODS Director Jenn Thompson
- HVSF2 Playwright John Leonard Pielmeier, Author of Hook’s Tale
- Katharine Goodland, CUNY Professor of Literature and Drama
- HVSF Education Programs Manager Marie D’Apice with Cyrus Mulready, SUNY New Paltz Associate Professor of English
- Company Members José Gamo and Luis Quintero
- HVSF Education Intern, Caitlyn Halvorsen in conversation with dramaturg, producer, and teacher, Christine Scarfuto
2018 Guest Speakers
- Alithea Phillips, HVSF Voice and Speech Coach
- Shana Cooper, Director of HVSF’s THE TAMING OF THE SHREW
- Davis McCallum, HVSF Artistic Director
- Wesley Mann, longtime HVSF Company member
- The Funny School of Good Acting Commedia Company
- Liz Wisan, Kate in HVSF’s THE TAMING OF THE SHREW
- Jarrod Bates, Hamlet in HVSF’s Touring Production of HAMLET
- Kate Farrington, Writer and Dramaturg
- Dr. Cordelia Zukerman, West Point Assistant Professor of English
- Jennifer Carlquist, Executive Director of Boscobel House and Gardens
- Seth Herbst, West Point Assistant Professor of English
- Christopher Bayes, Clown and Playwright
- Liam Craig, Rip in HVSF’s RIP VAN WINKLE
- Suzanne Agins, Director of HVSF’s THE HEART OF ROBIN HOOD
- Marie D’Apice, HVSF Education Associate and Teaching Artist
- Julia Coffey, Richard in HVSF’s RICHARD II
- Nance Williamson, longtime HVSF Company member
- Seth Bockley, Playwright and Director of HVSF’S RIP VAN WINKLE
2017 Guest Speakers
- Davis McCallum, HVSF Artistic Director
- Amanda Dehnert, Director of HVSF’s PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
- Luke Pontifell, Newburgh-based publisher and founder of Thornwillow Press
- Jennifer Carlquist, Executive Director of Boscobel
- Dr. Cordelia Zukerman, West Point Assistant Professor of English
- Daniel Wechsler, Author of Shakespeare’s Beehive: An Annotated Elizabethan Dictionary Comes to Light
- Penny Metropulos, Director of HVSF’s THE GENERAL FROM AMERICA
- Seth Bockley, Playwright and Director of HVSF’s RIP VAN WINKLE
- Ian Belknap, Artistic Director of The Acting Company
- Kate Hamill, Playwright, HVSF’s PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
- Kate Farrington, Director of Dramaturgy at The Pearl Theatre Company
- Richard Nelson, Palywright, HVSF’s THE GENERAL FROM AMERICA