THE HUDSON VALLEY COMMUNITY CENTER HOSTS SECOND ANNUAL "SHAKESBEER FESTIVAL"
Signature Event Combines Thinking and Drinking;
Features MacBeth Performance
POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – In an event that marries beer with Shakespeare, the Hudson Valley Community Center (HVCC - www.hvcommunitycenter.com), located at 110 South Grand Avenue in Poughkeepsie, will host its second annual "Shakesbeer Festival." The festivities will take place on Sunday, April 19th at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are $30 per person, $25 for HVCC members and $15 for patrons under 21 and may be purchased at the door; reservations are strongly suggested and can be made by calling 845.471.0430.
Highlights include: a 90-minute performance of MacBeth by the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival's Touring Company, directed by Ryan Quinn; a beer tasting from Alan Daniels, owner of local beer distributor Half Time; and a post-show "talk-back" paired with dessert and dessert beers. Guests can also enter to win prizes and test their knowledge of all things Shakespeare in a "Thinking and Drinking" trivia game. Culinary Institute of America students -- in the spirit of Shakespeare who famously wrote "For a quart of ale is meal for a king" -- will prepare light fare for attendees to enjoy.
Of the popular event, HVCC Special Events Coordinator Lu Ann Kaldor says, "I created the 'Shakesbeer Festival' because I wanted to make these brilliant works less intimidating. The addition of a beer tasting made the event feel contemporary and fresh. Last year's performance brought a whole new demographic into our community center and we're excited to host it yet again. Having one of the region's most beloved theater troupes perform at the HVCC is thrilling
-- and bound to bring in people locally, as well as from out of town, to experience all that our area has to offer culturally."
The performance of MacBeth will be a modern take on Shakespeare's tragedy about a young man's murderous ambition to steal the throne of Scotland, in a style true to the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival's focus on communicating stories "with energy, clarity and invention." The performance group distills, rather than embellishes, the language and action to bring a fresh life to the classic plays it performs.
About the Hudson Valley Community Center
The Hudson Valley Community Center (HVCC), formerly known as the Jewish Community Center, provides a wide variety of services and programs to local residents, including an early childhood center and preschool, fitness and aquatics programs, swimming pool, senior programs and activities and room rentals, as well as faith-based services for the local Jewish community. Located at 110 South Grand Avenue, in Poughkeepsie, it has served the needs of families in the Hudson Valley for more than 90 years and counting. To learn more about the HVCC, please visit www.hvcommunitycenter.com or call 845.471.0430.
You can also learn more about the Shakesbeer Festival on Facebook --https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Hudson-Valley-Shakesbeer-Festival.
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