Hubbard Hall to begin 2025 theater season with "As You Like It"

CAMBRIDGE – Get ready for a brand-new theater season at the Hubbard Hall Theater Company.  

Thursday, June 19, the Cambridge theater company officially announced its 2025-2026 theater season and theater show lineup. Beginning Wednesday, Aug. 20, Hubbard Hall will bring their Free Shakespeare tour program to communities across Washington County, NY and North Bennington, VT. 

This year’s play will be As You Like It, by William Shakespeare. The local production, directed by Megan Stacy, will feature Jewel Winant as Orlando (Hubbard Hall’s 2025 Shakespeare Fellow), Tess McHugh (Rosaland), Hannah Thien (Celia), Warren Schultz (Touchstone), Kimberly Martin (Jaques), Chris Wehrman (Duke Senior/Duke Frederick), Lauren Ogden (Phebe), Erin Nicole Harrington (Silvius), Abigail Weeden (Amiens), Orie Tucker (Oliver), Anna Schiele (Corin), Jackie DeGiorgis (Charles/Audrey), Michael Giordano (Adam/William), and Vincent Panetta (Le Beau/Jaques de Boys).  

A lovelorn Orlando stands amongst the joyful residents of the forest of Arden; little does he know the object of his affections is under his nose the whole time. From left to right: Lauren Ogden as Phebe, Erin Nicole Harrington as Silvius, Hannah Thien as Celia, Ocie Tucker as Oliver, Anna Schiele as Corin, (standing) Jewel Winant as Orlando, (kneeling) Tess McHugh as Rosalind in the guise of Ganymede, Michael Giordano as Adam, and Warren Schultz as Touchstone.  Photo provided by Hubbard Hall

Where is the tour being held?

Starting Wednesday, Aug. 20, As You Like It will begin at the Greenwich Free Library Commons (148 Main St., Ste. 2, Greenwich, NY 12832) at 6:00 p.m. The play will next be held Thursday, Aug. 21 at Owl Pen Books (166 Riddle Road, Greenwich, NY 12834) at 6:00 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22, the play will move to the Historic Salem Courthouse Lawn (58 E Broadway, Salem, NY 12865). Saturday, Aug. 23, the play will take place at two locations, with the first being held at the Cambridge Community Garden (located directly across Washington Street from the Hubbard Hall Campus) at 2:00 p.m. The evening performance will be held at Park-McCullough Historic Site (1 Park St, North Bennington, VT 05257) at 6:00 p.m. Concluding Sunday, Aug. 24, the play will be held at Georgi on the Battenkill Museum and Park (21 Adams Ln, Shushan, NY 12873) at 2:00 p.m.  

All performances are free and open to the public.

 In case of inclement weather, both the Greenwich Free Library, Giorgi on the Battenkill, and the Cambridge Community Garden shows will be moved inside to the Hubbard Hall Mainstage Theater (25 E. Main St. Cambridge, NY 12865). For the remaining rain location, the Owl Pen Books show will be held inside their store, the Historic Salem Courthouse show will be held inside Fort Salem Theater (11 E Broadway, Salem, NY 12865), and the Park-McCullough show will be held inside the Park-McCullough Barn.  

The Free Shakespeare Tour, according to Executive Director Erin Nicole Harrington, Hubbard Hall has a long-standing tradition of producing free summer Shakespeare, a hallmark of its commitment to making high-quality theater accessible to all. This event was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and was joyfully revived in 2024 with Twelfth Night. 

About As You Like It  

William Shakespeare’s As You Like It follows the banished and escaped members of an oppressive royal court as they obscure their identities and find a better life in the woods.  

As You Like It is Shakespeare’s exploration of love in all forms: romantic, familial, platonic, unrequited, unexpected, and downright silly, Harrington said.   

“Shakespeare is known, historically, for having all men in his productions, and having these men do all sorts of funky gender things, such as pretending to be a woman who then disguises himself as a man, who then has a man pretending to be a woman, fall in love with the man pretending to be a woman disguised as a man.” Harrington explains. “The plot of As You Like It is no different, with a woman disguising herself as a man, and then pretending to be a woman to help her love interest learn to love!” 

 As You Like It an Inclusive Play

Harrington aims to make As You Like It a gender-blind and sensory-inclusive production. The production will also integrate American Sign Language (ASL), and inclusive design used to create a more welcoming theater experience.  

For example, the Forest of Arden represents a space of freedom, love, and transformation. It also symbolizes a location that’s beyond societal constraints, where people are free to explore identity and relationships without the pressures of class, gender, or reputation.  

In this local production, Jackie DeGiorgis will perform a female character, Audrey, and a male character, Charles.

“By casting women in traditionally male roles without disguising their identities or altering pronouns, the production invites audiences to reimagine what love, leadership, and transformation can look like.” Harrington explains. “These are not stories about gender-they are stories about human connection, wonder, and possibility.” 

Tongue-tied by love, Orlando finds his voice not in speech but in gesture, fingers tracing the letters of Rosalind’s name. In Arden, even silence becomes a language of the heart. (from rehearsal L-R Jewel Winant as Orlando, Tess McHugh as Rosalind). Photo provided by Hubbard Hall

Harrington will include American Sign Language (ASL), as inspired by the “lived experience” of Jewel Winant who plays Orlando. Winant’s character communicates through both spoken English and ASL to reflect his emotional interior, especially when words fail him. 

“In the world of the play, Orlando is denied education, inheritance, and agency. By using ASL, he expresses himself more fully and connects more deeply with others, particularly Rosalind.” Harrington said.  

Hubbard Hall’s Commitment to Accessibility 

Hubbard Hall remains committed to accessibility by incorporating a wide range of sensory-friendly and neuro-affirming supports that are developed by and for autistic artists. As You Like It is the first of its kind in the Capital Region to be community-based, artist-led, and grounded in lived experience rather than a corporate or commercial model, Harrington said.  

As part of As You Like It, and the additional performances on the Hubbard Hall theater season lineup, the hall will include the following supports; Social Narrative (a step-by-step guide, written in first-person, with photos and images describing what to expect before, during and after the show), Venue Maps (customized maps showing the layout of each space including entrances, exits, quiet zones, seating areas, restrooms, and pacing paths), Character/Story Guide (a visual reference showing each character what they look like in costume and a short description of their role in a story), Script Access (A PDF copy of the script will be made available to anyone who wants to read it beforehand in order to follow along/review in advance at their own pace), Music (Audio/video clips of the featured music will be shown in advance so audience members who are sensitive to sound or unexpected sensory input can preview them first), and a Pre-Show Modeling/Curtain Speech.  

Before each performance begins, a cast member will offer a welcoming explanation that the show is a sensory-friendly and accessible performance. It will include the modeling of any moments of stage violence, explaining the ASL applause sign, and reminding that movement, stimming, and sound are welcomed and celebrated.  

The supports, according to Harrington, were co-designed and implemented by two autistic actors in As You Like It, one of whom is a trained consultant in sensory-friendly performance and is mentoring the other in how to coordinate a fully neuro-affirming process. The supports are a part of a new training program to help prepare autistic theater artists as accessibility consultants for sensory-friendly performance. In addition, the supports are implemented to help audience members and actors reduce anxiety and provide predictability.  

The supports were made on the values of universal design. They will not only benefit those who are the most impacted by traditional barriers, it will also make the overall theater experience more welcoming for everyone. 

For More Information 

To learn more about William Shakespeare’s As You Like It, and where to go and catch the 2025 Free Shakespeare tour, go to As You Like It - Free Summer Shakespeare Tour - Hubbard Hall.