The Hudson Valley Theatre Festival
Melissa Dvozenja-Thomas, Executive Director, Arts Mid-Hudson
The nonprofits in the Hudson Valley are always looking to bring new and exciting opportunities to our region. When embarking on a creative journey that has never been done in our area, many logistical pieces need to be taken into account while keeping the momentum going for the big event. More than a year ago, The New Deal Creative Arts Center in Hyde Park got to work on the area’s inaugural Hudson Valley Theatre Festival. Running from May 3 through May 5, 2024, the event will feature readings of twelve new works from playwrights across the country and beyond in non-traditional theatre spaces throughout Dutchess, Orange, and UlsterCounties.
The mission of The Hudson Valley Theatre Festival (HVTF) is to celebrate and support new theatrical works by providing opportunity and accessibility to established and emerging local, national, and international playwrights. The twelve works for this year’s event were chosen from more than one hundred submissions from all over the world, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and as far as New Zealand. Then, the submissions were read bya panel of 60 actors, directors, producers, writers, and educators from coast to coast.
Teresa Gasparini, the New Deal Creative Arts Center’s Executive Director, is at the helm of this year’s event. Gasparini stated, “It is incredibly exciting to support new works and playwrights while breaking out of the traditional theatre settings and bringing these readings into breweries, cafes, and libraries to make this a true community event.”
The 2024 lineup was announced in late winter and consists of the following: After by Mike Ackerman, All the Young Punks by Jeff Roda, Beauty by Gary Blackwood, Charlotte’s Letters by Jennifer O’Grady, Control of the Dirt by Louise Schwarz, Dig We Must by Paul Allman, Ex-Gay Bar by David Simpatico, Like Kissing Moonlight by Stacey Upton, Madness Most Discreet by Donna Hoke, MLES2GO by Michael P. Adams, Mutability by Straton Rushing, and The Maple Street House by Melissa Matthews.
Each play has its own director and cast. The casts, which are made up of over 30 Hudson Valley actors, will perform the staged readings at the partnering businesses and organizations throughout the region. This is very different from what most theatregoers are used to. This year’s partners consist of The Hudson House & Distillery, Hudson Valley LGBTQ+ Community Center, Hyde Park Library, Kingston Standard Brewing Company, Newburgh Brewing Company, Norma’s Cafe, Oakwood Friends School, Obercreek Farm, Poughkeepsie Public Library District (Boardman Road Branch), River Valley Arts Center, and Staatsburg Library.
Gasparini concludes, “Overall, a theatre festival plays a vital role in fostering cultural vitality, social cohesion, economic growth, and artistic expression within a community.” Supporters can purchase tickets in advance to each show or purchase a weekend pass which offers access to all available readings throughout the weekend. A schedule for the event can be found on New Deal’s website (newdealarts.org) along with links to purchase tickets.
If you go:
The Hudson Valley Theatre Festival
Various locations
Friday, May 3 - Sunday, May 5, 2024
www.newdealarts.org/hudson-valley-theatre-festival/
hvtf@newdealarts.org
