Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival

What Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival does

Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival (HVS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional theater company founded in 1987 and headquartered in Garrison, New York. The company produces a rotating repertory season of Shakespeare, contemporary plays, and musicals performed in an open-air setting, traditionally running June through September. Its primary customer segments are the general theatergoing public in the Hudson Valley and visitors from the broader Northeast corridor, supplemented by educational audiences (student matinees and in-classroom programs) and a core of season ticket holders and donation-based members. The company moved in 2022 from its longtime site at Boscobel House and Gardens to a permanent 98-acre campus in Philipstown donated by philanthropist Chris Davis, and in May 2026 opened the Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center, a 451-seat, 6,800-square-foot open-air venue designed by Studio Gang with landscape architecture by Nelson Byrd Woltz.

HVS's core product is the live repertory season (2026 includes As You Like It, King Lear, and Les Misérables), supported by ticket sales, 4- and 6-ticket season passes with up to 20% savings, donation-based memberships starting at $100, and on-site hospitality (Folio restaurant and The Garrison lodging) integrated into the campus. Education programs (student matinees, in-classroom visits, Highland Lights, Snake Hill Labs, and the Bake-Off playwrighting project) function as both mission and pipeline for future audiences. Distribution is entirely direct-to-consumer through the box office, website, and physical venue, with no third-party ticketing intermediaries.

The business model is a hybrid of transactional ticket revenue, recurring donation-based memberships, and on-site hospitality, supplemented by philanthropic giving and federal arts funding, including a $534,000 federal arts education grant received in February 2026. The organization is led by Artistic Director Davis McCallum and Managing Director Kendra Ekelund, with a staff of 51-100 and a board-governed structure. The new permanent venue is targeted as the first purpose-built LEED Platinum theater in the United States, with a public commitment to carbon neutrality by 2040, positioning sustainability as both an operational cost and a brand asset.

Name

Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival

Legal name

Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, Inc.

Website

https://hvshakespeare.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Live theater performances
• Shakespeare repertory season
• Outdoor theater productions
• Arts education programs
• Nonprofit performing arts

Headquarters

HQ city

Cold Spring

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Individual performance tickets sold directly to theatergoers with tiered seating options. Season passes offer 4-ticket and 6-ticket packages with up to 20% discount versus single ticket prices.
2. Memberships and Donations: Donation-based memberships starting at $100 or more, providing exclusive benefits, complimentary tickets, ticket discounts, and invitations to special member events. Membership valid for 12 months from donation date.
3. Folio Restaurant and Hospitality: On-site restaurant (Folio) with views of the Hudson Highlands serving pre-show picnics and dinners. Restaurant integrated into the theater campus operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival is a non-profit professional theater company that produces and presents a rotating repertory season of Shakespeare plays and contemporary works in an open-air theater from June through September. The company operates the Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center, a 451-seat open-air venue on a 98-acre campus in Garrison, NY, and sells tickets, season passes, and memberships directly to consumers. Supporting offerings include education programs for students, on-site dining at Folio restaurant, lodging at The Garrison, and community engagement programs.

Product overview

Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival is a professional nonprofit theater company presenting a rotating repertory season of both Shakespeare and contemporary plays in an open-air setting. The company's core offering is live theater performances at its first permanent home, the Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center (a 451-seat open-air venue designed by Studio Gang), running from June through September. Supporting offerings include Season Passes and Memberships for ticketing, on-site dining via Folio restaurant, accommodations at The Garrison, and community education programs including student matinees and in-classroom programs. The company also operates community programs such as Highland Lights, Snake Hill Labs, and the annual Bake-Off playwrighting project.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Live Theater Performances Professional rotating repertory season of Shakespeare and contemporary plays presented in an open-air theater from June through September, including works such as As You Like It, King Lear, and Les Misérables. Designed for theatergoers, families, and cultural tourists seeking live professional theater in a scenic outdoor setting.
• Season Passes Ticket packages allowing pre-purchase of multiple tickets at discounted rates (4-ticket or 6-ticket options), providing up to 20% savings versus single-ticket prices and early access to seat reservations before the general public.
• Memberships Donation-based support program starting at $100 or more, providing exclusive benefits including complimentary tickets, ticket discounts, and invitations to special member events. Membership is valid for 12 months from donation date.
• Education Programs Programs including student matinees, in-classroom programs, and enrichment events designed to bring theater education to students and the community.
• Folio Restaurant On-site dining facility offering pre-show picnics and dinner service with views of the Hudson Highlands.
• The Garrison (Lodging) On-site accommodations integrated into HVS's operating structure for visiting artists and guests, enabling extended Hudson Highlands getaways.
• Community Programs Community engagement initiatives including Highland Lights, Snake Hill Labs, and the annual Bake-Off community playwrighting project, designed to engage local residents and build audience loyalty.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Consigli Construction Co., Inc.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLeading construction manager in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic serving as Construction Manager for the Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center project. Founded in 1905, the 100% employee-owned (ESOP) company has offices across multiple states. Construction began September 25, 2024.
• Studio Gang (Jeanne Gang)coreTechnology or IntegrationArchitecture and urban design practice led by founding partner Jeanne Gang, responsible for designing the 14,850-square-foot Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center. Jeanne Gang is a leading architect recognized for her pursuit of new technical and material possibilities and her work connecting people with communities and environment.
• Nelson Byrd Woltz (NBW)coreTechnology or IntegrationLandscape architecture firm leading the comprehensive campus design emphasizing ecological restoration, rewilding, and climate-smart investment. Thomas Woltz, Senior Principal, described the design as celebrating the natural beauty of the site while creating connections between theater and landscape.
• Project Team PartnersminorOthersAdditional project team members including Thornton Tomasetti (structural engineer), Fisher Dachs Associates (theater consultant), Threshold Acoustics (acoustic and AV consultant), Buro Happold (MEP, FP, IT, security engineer and sustainability consultant), Tillotson Design Associates (lighting consultant), Badey & Watson (survey, traffic, and civil engineer), Flyleaf Creative Inc. (signage and wayfinding), Tectonic Engineering (geotechnical engineer).

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Westport Country Playhouse: Historic regional theater in Westport, CT, presenting a subscription season of plays and musicals with strong education programming. Comparable as a Northeast non-profit regional theater with a similar subscription, education, and donor-driven business model.
• Berkshire Theatre Group: Year-round professional theater operating multiple historic venues in Stockbridge and Pittsfield, MA. Comparable as a Northeast regional repertory non-profit with education programming and similar patron demographics, but with year-round (not seasonal) operations.
• Goodspeed Musicals: Tony Award-winning opera house-based musical theater producer in East Haddam, CT. Comparable as a destination non-profit theater housed in a purpose-built/restored venue on a scenic riverside campus with on-site dining — a similar destination-venue model.
• Barrington Stage Company: Professional regional theater in Pittsfield, MA, producing musicals, classics, and new works. Comparable as a Northeast non-profit with subscription season, education programming, and overlapping patron base in the broader Hudson Valley/Berkshires cultural region.

Direct peers

• Williamstown Theatre Festival: Summer repertory theater in Williamstown, MA, known for new works and classics. Comparable as a Northeast summer-season professional non-profit theater with subscription programming, educational initiatives, and a similar cultural-tourism profile.
• Oregon Shakespeare Festival: Largest professional Shakespeare repertory company in the U.S., based in Ashland, OR. Most directly comparable peer: rotating repertory season combining Shakespeare and contemporary works, multi-venue campus, professional non-profit theater with comparable subscription and education programs.
• Shakespeare & Company: Lenox, MA-based professional Shakespeare repertory company in the Berkshires. Closely comparable as a regional repertory theater with Shakespeare focus, education programs, and seasonal programming in a Northeast cultural-tourism destination.
• Utah Shakespeare Festival: Tony Award-winning professional repertory festival in Cedar City, UT, presenting Shakespeare and musicals across multiple venues. Comparable as a regional Shakespeare festival with permanent facilities, education programming, and Broadway-adjacent production scale.
• American Shakespeare Center: Staunton, VA-based Shakespeare-focused repertory company operating the Blackfriars Playhouse (a re-created indoor Jacobean theater). Directly comparable as a Shakespeare-specialist non-profit theater with a permanent venue and touring/residency programming.

Broad incumbents

• Public Theater (Free Shakespeare in the Park): New York City-based non-profit producing Free Shakespeare in the Park and a broader season at its downtown campus. Comparable as a Shakespeare-specialist producing organization but operates at much larger scale and year-round as a broader performing arts institution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ShakespeareHV
• Facebookfacebook.com/hvshakespeare
• Instagraminstagram.com/hvshakespeare
• Xx.com/HVShakespeare

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival