HARVEST, PEGGY AND GRACE and More Set for Hudson Village Theatre's 2013 Summer Season, 6/13-8/25

After last season's resounding success, the Hudson Village Theatre (HVT) has announced the twenty-first season of summer plays, starring 100 percent, Grade 'A' Canadian content on stage from June 13 to August 25, 2013.

HVT's goal is crystalized in a line from Hamlet, the blockbuster of its day: "to hold a mirror up to nature." Artistic Director, Heather Markgraf Lowe, admitted that "philosophical ponderings and self-reflection are good for the soul but summer is a time to kick back and relax. Fun and laughter are the order of the day." With that in mind, she has chosen four comedies that guarantee laughter yet also offer insightful glimpses of the human condition.

Kicking off the season from June 13 to 29, Markgraf Lowe directs a two-hander that the Calgary Herald deemed "comedic gold". Harvest, written by Calgary playwright Ken Cameron, is about a retired couple that rents their farmhouse to an enterprising young man who turns it into a marijuana grow op. Karen Cromar and Glen Bowser each play multiple roles switching characters at breakneck speed, in this hilarious spoof based on true events in Cameron's family.

From July 3 to 14, HVT follows up with the perfect seasonal choice, C2 Entertainment's Summer of Love by Colin Stewart and Chris McHarge. Revisit the tie-dyed, long-haired days of "make love, not war" with this musical revue featuring songs from such artists as The Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Janis Joplin, Simon and Garfunkel, the Mamas and the Papas and The Doors, with highlights from the famed 1967 Monterey Pop Festival.

Norm Foster's latest comedy, On a First Name Basis is the second import of the season. This Lighthouse Festival Theatre production is a coup for HVT as Canada's most produced playwright will star in his own creation from July 24 to 28. After 30 years, author David Kilbride realizes he knows nothing about his housekeeper, Miss Hopperstaad, but when he decides to change that one evening, startling revelations uncover two lives more intertwined than he anticipated.

From August 8 to 25 Markgraf Lowe is at the helm once again to top off the season directing Peggy and Grace, a comedy by Bonnie Laing about two retired widows in a camper van who set out on the road trip of their lives. It's Thelma and Louise meet The Golden Girls as the two pick up a young hitchhiker and quickly find out that they may not know each other as well as they thought.

General Manager Kalina Skulska said, "HVT is proud to offer quality professional theatre to local and surrounding area residents as well as our friends in the Laurentians, Eastern Townships and across the Ontario and US borders. We've got many loyal customers who make it a ritual, two or three times a summer to spend the day soaking up the charm of Hudson and topping it off with one of our plays."

As in previous years, the theatre offers a handy discount Flex Pass that comprises two seats for two shows or one seat for all four summer plays. Those interested in purchasing a Flex Pass are urged to act quickly as there are a limited number and routinely sell out fast. Group bookings are also available through HVT's Box Office.

The Hudson Village Theatre was founded in 1993, as a professional English language performing arts venue and theatre company offering a diverse selection of year-round programs that, through excellence, aim to inspire, enlighten and entertain. It is housed in Hudson's historic train station in the heart of a delightful village located on the south shore of the Lake of Two Mountains. HVT is located at 28 Wharf Road, Hudson Qc J0P 1H0. For tickets or information, visit the web site at www.villagetheatre.ca, the Facebook page, call 450-458-2743 or e-mail hvtbox@videotron.ca.