Hudson Classical Theatre Company Reveals Summer Season Lineup

Hudson Classical Theater Company will launche their 22nd season of outdoor classical performances with their first outdoor production of William Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar.” They follow up with Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility,” and end the season with “The Lady from the Sea,” by Henrik Ibsen.

Nicholas Martin-Smith, the founder & director of “Julius Caesar” explains, “Shakespeare’s play unfolds like a thriller. Eight strangers, all for different reasons, come together and plot an assassination, an insurrection, that results in a civil war.”  Mr. Martin-Smith continues, “This is a play about one man’s struggle to come to terms with the unthinkable. He is a man of honor. And in the end, he’s willing to take part in an assassination in the name of honor, for the good of the people, and to ensure the Republic survives.”

The twenty actors in this production were also cast for their stage combat skills. HCTC is well-known for their exciting stage combat and stage blood and this show will definitely deliver! In-House fight direction by NY Combat for Stage & Screen, led by Jared Kirby, with fight director Tony Mita and assistant fight director Olivia Ball, will choreograph the battles. 

“Sense & Sensibility” is the second show of the season. Susane Lee, the Executive Artistic Director and adapter says, “There’s a lot of action in this show, from dancing to dueling, and our outdoor, natural park space is the perfect setting to tell this story. This is one of Austen’s most loved stories so it was important to make it fresh and interesting, while happily familiar.”

Ms. Lee also adapted the last show of the season, Ibsen’s “Lady from the Sea.” “We’ve never done Ibsen before and this play is absolutely perfect for us.” says Ms. Lee. “We have the Hudson River right there as a vital character in the play.” She adds, “The climax at the play’s end happens at night, which works perfectly with the shorter evenings as we go into August.”

Hudson Classical Theater Company is a nonprofit theater company that the New York Times “recommended for its intimate Shakespeare performances” in 2019.  The company received a Proclamation from the City of New York and has been nominated for six New York Innovative Theater Awards. Their recent production of “Love’s Labour’s Lost” won the Best Comedy award from New York Shakespeare. 

Julius Caesar:  May 29 – June 22

Sense & Sensibility:  June 26 – July 20

The Lady from the Sea:   July 24 – Aug 17

Performances: Thursdays – Sundays at 6:30pm at the north patio of The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument in Riverside Park, 89th Street and Riverside Drive.

Admission is “Pay What You Can.” No tickets required. Show up by 6:10 pm for a good seat!