Hamptons Shakespeare Festival

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About HSF

The Hamptons Shakespeare Festival (HSF) has produced ten seasons of critically acclaimed free outdoor theater on eastern Long Island.

Artistic Excellence. HSF’s productions have distinguished themselves for excellent acting seamlessly fit into beautiful natural surroundings, and imaginative interpretations of the plays filled with original music and dance. HSF has been recognized for artistic excellence in major press such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, and Newsday, and in local papers such as The East Hampton Star, Dan’s Papers, and The Southampton Press.

Community Response and Attendance. A nonprofit company, HSF receives tremendous support from the community. In 2002, HSF’s attendance topped 6,500 while marketing reached over 100,000 residents of eastern Long Island and New York City. We are proud to have on our growing list of supporters prominent artists such as Richard Avedon, Paul Simon, Stephen Sondheim, Peter Beard, Ralph Lauren, Mike Nichols, Diane Sawyer, Peter Boyle, Alan Alda, and Noah Wyle.

Programs. HSF’s programming has expanded dramatically. In 1996, we produced Romeo and Juliet for just a two-week limited run. Last year, Taming of the Shrew: Extreme ran for five weeks on eastern Long Island and two weeks in New York City. In addition, HSF now presents Camp Shakespeare workshops for children, the Playwrights Reading Series, an internship program, Meet The Artist discussions, children’s performances, and Shake It Up! in-school artist residencies.

Expanding Venues. An important goal for HSF is to extend our reach throughout eastern Long Island and beyond. Starting from HSF’s artistic home, the beautiful Theodore Roosevelt County Park in Montauk, we have expanded our season with performances in Southampton’s Agawam Park and in New York City. We are now planning a touring production to travel throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties, bringing the magic of Shakespeare under the stars to communities all over Long Island.

Accessibility. HSF’s accessibility without artistic sacrifice is a significant reason for our success. Free admission, outdoor performance in beautiful spaces, and an early evening curtain timed with the setting sun are important parts of this accessibility. The audience is encouraged to bring the family and to picnic on the lawn. We make use of the immensity of our natural performance spaces to surround the audience with the play, staging scenes on distant hillsides and surprise entrances from the midst of the crowd.

Opportunities for Young Talent. HSF provides outstanding opportunities for emerging professionals to develop and flourish. We work with both Equity and non-Equity actors. In 2002, HSF worked with 40 young artists (actors, musicians, designers, directors, etc.), 18 administrative/technical staff members, and over 50 volunteers and interns.