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Catch 'Twelfth Night,' 'Love's Labour Lost' At HV Shakespeare Festival

PUTNAM, N.Y. -- If you live in the Hudson Valley and love Shakespeare, you're in for a treat.

The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, seen here performing "As You Like It," has announced its lineup for the 2017 season.

The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, seen here performing "As You Like It," has announced its lineup for the 2017 season.

Photo Credit: Contributed

The 2017 Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival has announced its season lineup.

Two premieres are by female playwrights along with Shakespearean classics.

These include Lauren Gunderson’s "The Book of Will," and Kate Hamill's "Pride and Prejudice," William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" and "Love's Labour's Lost" and Richard Nelson's "The General From America."

The summer season, will run in repertory from June 8 through Sept. 4.

"With Shakespeare as our inspiration, as well as our resident playwright, HVSF will explore the intersection of the past and the present: telling timeless stories that speak powerfully to our world today,” said Artistic Director Davis McCallum. “We’re presenting world premieres of a pair of brand new plays, alongside a pair of Shakespearean masterpieces, as well as the first major revival of Richard Nelson’s 1996 play about an unforgettable chapter of Hudson Valley history.

"At the heart of each of these plays is a story about love, of comrades and friends, of family, of country, of romantic enchantments and unspeakable longing."

Gunderson’s "The Book of Will" is a "gleefully irreverent play" that tells the mainly real story of how comrades of Shakespeare rescued and preserved his work seven years following his death by publishing the First Folio in 1623. Less about the folio, and more about the friends and their courage when facing loss, the narrative provides an original story for fans of Shakespeare, said a press release.

The second world premiere this season is the new adaptation of Jane Austen’s "Pride and Prejudice" by Kate Hamill. It puts a modern-day spin on the classic, said a press release.

Exploring the societal expectations for women of England’s landed gentry, "Pride and Prejudice" is witty, sensual and has humor, like Austen’s classics. signature wit, sensuality, and humor. 

Additional details about the 2017 season will be announced at a later date. 

Casting for all shows will take place next year and season tickets will go on sale in March.

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