Family Friendly Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival Headlines 2016 Event at Space on Ryder Farm

SPACE on Ryder Farm, the non-profit artist residency program located on Ryder Farm, an idyllic 200 year-old working organic farm on the border of Putnam and Westchester Counties, announces its partnership with Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival to bring their family-friendly touring production to Ryder Farm. Founded in 2010 by Emily Simoness as a one-of-a-kind artistic home away from home for artists and innovators, SPACE on Ryder Farm counts among its alumni Academy Award winners, Tony Award nominees and winners, Pulitzer finalists, Guggenheim Fellows, Obie Award winners, and a MacArthur Genius Award winner.

"We are so excited to share the dynamic, vital and world class artistry happening at SPACE with the surrounding community," said Founder and Executive Director Emily Simoness. "So much of what makes SPACE special is Ryder Farm and the surrounding area -- the land, the history, the environment, and the community. Our 2016 season of events is an opportunity to engage with the community that has given us so much."

Sharing SPACE, a community event series held three times throughout the season in partnership with Southeast Museum, invites the local community to sample SPACE's many offerings, including readings of new plays, live music, farm-fresh fare, and farming demonstrations. On August 21 SPACE will present Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival's touring production of So Please You. So Please You is a family-friendly comedy that tells the story of a servant named Dennis who appears only once in Shakespeare's As You Like It, to announce that, "so please you," there is a wrestler at the door! Inspired by one moment of mischief, HVSF's Conservatory Company has created a "tragical-comical, comical-tragical" tale of Dennis the servant, one of Shakespeare's (almost) silent heroes. Rejoice in the classic art of clowning in this delightful comedy which will showcase text from many of your favorite Shakespeare plays, in an homage to the life and dreams of a struggling Shakespearean actor. This mosaic of Shakespearean history and language has something for everyone to honor his legacy this year. Tickets are $5. Kids 12 and under are FREE! Tickets available HERE. Food will be available for purchase.

Founded in 1987, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival's primary home is a spectacular open-air theater tent at Boscobel House and Gardens in Garrison, NY. Every summer, more than 35,000 patrons join there for a twelve-week season of plays presented in repertory, with the natural beauty of the Hudson Highlands as our backdrop. Their exuberant productions garner consistent critical acclaim from regional and national media (The New York Times, New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal) for communicating great stories with clarity, energy and imagination. HVSF takes the magic of Shakespeare and live theater beyond their tent by touring shows throughout the Hudson Valley and by presenting limited runs of classic plays in local landmark venues. Their acclaimed arts education programs include training for early-career theater artists, professional development for educators, and programs and performances that serve more than 40,000 middle and high school students each year.

The Sharing SPACE series is made possible, in part, through the Putnam Arts Council's Arts Link Grant Program, with public funds from Putnam County. Additional support is provided by the Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union.

SPACE on Ryder Farm is a non-profit artist residency program located an hour north of New York City on the grounds of Ryder Farm in Brewster, New York. SPACE creates an environment singular in its ability to invigorate artists and innovators and their work, and contributes to the sustainability and resourceful preservation of one of the oldest organic family farms on the East Coast. Tickets are available at www.spaceonryderfarm.org/events. For more information about SPACE on Ryder Farm, their programs, and events, visit www.spaceonryderfarm.org.

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