NEA Grant Supports Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival's ROMEO AND JULIET

National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Rocco Landesman announced that the NEA will award $20,000 to the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival (HVSF) to support their production of Romeo and Juliet during the 2012 season. The production which runs in repertory with Love's Labour's Lost and The 39 Steps is being directed by Associate Artistic Director Christopher V. Edwards.  The 2012 season begins on Tuesday, June 12 and the first performance of Romeo and Juliet is on Wednesday, June 13 at 7pm.

The NEA grant will also support HVSF's efforts to attract young theater goers through a series of events designed around the performances that explore the reasons why we attend theatre and what is gained from the experience. For tickets and information about the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival call the Box Office at 845-265-9575 or visit http://hvshakespeare.org. 

NEA grants are highly competitive and awarded to exemplary arts projects nationwide that advance the performing arts field and create greater opportunities for the public to engage with the arts, making our cities, towns, and neighborhoods more vibrant places to live. Chairman Landesman said, "The arts should be a part of everyday life. Whether it's seeing a performance, visiting a gallery, participating in an art class, or simply taking a walk around a neighborhood enhanced by public art, NEA grants are ensuring that across the nation, the public is able to experience how art works."

"We are really delighted to receive this award as it will support our work and give us an opportunity to put into action the aims of the NEA by building stronger relationships particularly with our younger audience and reinforcing the importance of theater in our lives and communities," said Maggie Whitlum, Executive Director of HVSF.