Shakespeare on the Hudson

Synopsis: Reality television documentary hosted by Kristin Chenoweth on the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival’s 2008 production of Twelfth Night. Follows the main actors through all the real off-stage drama as they prepare for opening night, from the high-pressure auditions and call backs to the final moments backstage before the performance begins. The documentary highlights the story of actress Maia Guest, who is given the part of Feste during auditions but worries whether she can pull it off an anxiety that’s amplified because she is also the director’s [John Christian Plummer] wife. Two young actors from Minnesota also struggle to prove they have what it takes to perform Shakespeare before their fellow cast mates, sceptical New York critics and theater-goers. The work of Philipstown resident, Charlotte Palmer-Lane, who designed the costumes, is also featured.
Language: English
Country: United States
Medium: Television
Technical information: Colour / Sound
Transmission details: 18 Sep 2008 at 20:00 (Channel: WNET Channel 13)

Director: Julie Cohen
Producer: Julie Cohen
Contributor: Charlotte Palmer-Lane; Kristin Chenoweth; Maia Guest; Max Polski; Paul Bates; Wesley Mann

Theatre company: Hudson Shakespeare Company
Production type: Documentary/Educational/News
Plays: Twelfth Night
Subjects: Drama
Keywords: Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); Rehearsals; Auditions; Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival; Reality TV
Related items: Twelfth Night

History: The one hour documentary and two hour film of the performance premiered on the PBS affiliate WNET (Channel 13 in New York City) on September 18, 2008. It was later transmitted on WLIW (Channel 21 on Long Island) and a number of PBS affiliates in the region. The performance is catalogued on this database separately.