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 Garrison, NY - There’s an old saying, “he who laughs last, laughs best” and audiences who see The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), at Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival this summer will gain a whole new appreciation for the adage.
The laughs are fast and furious from the moment the lights go up and continue throughout the comedic whirlwind that opens the Festival’s 23rd season on Saturday, June 20.
Back by popular demand with a new cast and brand new antics, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) is a no-holds-barred, ninety-seven minute romp through all thirty-seven Shakespeare plays. As if shot out of cannons the three actors – longtime HVSF company favorites Kurt Rhoads, and Christopher Edwards and Jason O’Connell who returns for his second year - tell the tales with side-splitting humor, impeccable timing and head-spinning character changes. As Peter Kramer wrote in The Journal News last season:
“The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” is a madcap whirlwind of wigs, crowns, kneepads and running shoes. It’s part marathon, part sprint, part Groucho, Chico and Harpo
“Although Jason and Chris were both in the show last year, adding Kurt to the cast has completely changed the dynamic. We’ve been able to mine a whole new depth of humor that makes it feel like an entirely different, though equally hilarious production,” said Founding Artistic Director Terrence O’Brien who also directs The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) and Pericles this season.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) opens on Saturday, June 20 at 8pm and will run through September 6 in repertory with Much Ado About Nothing, which opens June 27 and Pericles, opening July 4.
Opening night festivities begin at 6pm and include a Beer Garden, sponsored by Samuel Adams, cheese tasting and pre-show entertainment by Cold Spring -The Band. Tickets for Opening Night are $50.
TICKETS AND INFORMATION
The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival is located on the great lawn at Boscobel House & Gardens, 1601 Route 9D, Garrison, New York.
Ticket prices for all performances are $29-$46. Tickets are available through the HVSF Box Office: 845-265-9575 and online at hvshakespeare.org. Discounts are available on most nights for groups, students, senior citizens and children 12 and under. The Festival offers several special packages, including a tour of the Boscobel mansion and Exhibition Gallery plus tickets. In addition discounts at local hotels and restaurants are also available. For packages and information visit the Festival website, www.hvshakespeare.org and are available through the box office.
For more information about the 2009 Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, as well as information about their ongoing Education and Community Outreach Programs, contact the Festival at (845) 265-7858.
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