Hudson Valley Shakespeare’s Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center opened last week, marking the company’s first-ever permanent home and theatrical space.
The theatre opened for the public for the first time May 17, granting the community an opportunity to explore the space before HVS’ 2026 season officially begins June 10. The celebration featured remarks from various members of the HVS team and an excerpt performance from the first show of their upcoming season, Shakespeare’s As You Like It.
The first season in the Scripps Theater Center will include performances of As You Like It, directed by Miriam Laube and featuring original music by Amanda Dehnert; King Lear, directed by HVS Artistic Director Davis McCallum; and a new production of Boublil and Schӧnberg’s Les Misérables, directed by Jenn Thompson with music supervision by Amanda Morton.
“The opening of the Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center recognizes the important role that arts and culture organizations play in strengthening communities, welcoming visitors, supporting local economies, and stewarding shared public spaces,” HVS Managing Director Kendra Ekelund said in a press statement. “We are deeply grateful to Governor Kathy Hochul, the New York State Council on the Arts, Empire State Development, the Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council, all of our state and regional partners, and our supporters and neighbors for their transformational public investment in this project. Along with our project partners at Studio Gang, Nelson Byrd Woltz, and Consigli, their extraordinary confidence in this project and in the future of Hudson Valley Shakespeare gives us the opportunity to welcome everyone with generosity, joy, and care for many years to come.”
The six-year-long project was led by architecture and urban design practice Studio Gang. The open-air theatre, named after Samuel H. Scripps, a philanthropist and lifelong lover of the arts, was designed to immerse audiences and actors in the rich landscape of the Hudson Valley while prioritizing sustainability and climate-smart design. Landscape architect Nelson Byrd Woltz created a master plan for the 98-acre site back in 2020, including 14 acres of new biodiverse plantings and accessible pathways for guests to explore the native meadows and cliffs of the surrounding Hudson Valley area, meshing architecture and landscape design together to spotlight both the theatre and the environment. HVS’ campus is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2040.
Additional design and consulting were provided by Thornton Tomasetti, Art Massif, Fisher Dachs Associates, Threshold Acoustics, Badey & Watson, Buro Happold, Flyleaf Creative Inc., Tillotson Design Associates, Tectonic Engineering, and SGH.
“For our artists, audiences, students, and neighbors, this campus creates new possibilities for gathering, learning, and experiencing the arts in one of the most extraordinary settings in New York,” HVS Artistic Director Davis McCallum shared in a press statement. “The Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center was made possible by two extraordinary acts of generosity: Christopher Davis’s vision in conveying this 98-acre landscape to HVS, and Wendy Scripps’s lead philanthropic support, naming this theatre in honor of her father, Samuel H. Scripps. We are also deeply grateful to the many donors to the ROOTED Campaign whose generosity helped turn this shared dream into a reality. Together, their support reflects a collective belief in the power of theatre to bring people together, and to deepen our connection to the natural world.”
Visit HVShakespeare.org.