Arts & Entertainment

Schumer Promises $1.5 million To Begin Construction of HVSF’s New Hilltop Theater

Published 4 months ago4m ago • Bookmarks: 205

(L-R) HVSF Board President Robin Arditi; HVSF Artistic Director Davis McCallum; Senator Chuck Schumer; Putnam County Legislator Nancy Montgomery; Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg; Town Supervisor John Van Tassel; HVSF Managing Director Kendra Ekelund. (Photo by Tom Moore)

August 11, 2024

By Barrett Seaman–

Patrons of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival (HVSF) and its summer series of plays—many of them delightfully campy takes on The Bard’s classic works—were delighted with the news that construction of the non-profit’s permanent hilltop home overlooking the Hudson River now looks to get underway next month and be ready for the 2026 season.

The accelerated schedule is the result of Senator Chuck Schumer’s vow to push through $1.5 million in federal funding as part of the pending Save Our Stages Act, which in its current form would allocate a total of $15 billion nationally to revive live music stages, theaters and museums that were shuttered by the pandemic.

Support our Sponsors

La Catena Restaurant Ardsley - holiday parties

“The Senator’s vital support will help us transform this 98-acre campus as a cultural amenity for the entire Hudson Valley region,” wrote HSVF’s Artistic Director David McCallum. “We look forward to an expansion of our theater season and education programs, and to welcoming neighbors and visitors to enjoy the spectacular grounds overlooking the Hudson River.”

The design of the new theater, set on a hilltop where current theatergoers often picnic before performances, has been awarded the highest level of environmental certification.

The theater’s Managing Director ,Kendra Ekelund, said, “This project will serve as a model of how arts and the public good can exist not just side-by-side, but in a mutually supportive relationship to one another.”

See renderings of Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival designed by Studio Gang.

Read or leave a comment on this story...

Support our Sponsors