A center for contemporary performance in the heart of the Hudson Valley

About PS21

A vibrant center for contemporary performance in the Hudson Valley, PS21 “presents work that challenges and invites” (The New York Times). Our adventurous productions by leading and emerging American and international artists showcase what's new and thought-provoking in music, contemporary circus, dance, theater—and in entirely new genres. Largely supported by our generous donors, we're a must-see, must-experience destination for performances that you won't find anywhere else, at ticket prices that welcome all.

On our open-air Pavilion Theater stage, in our Black Box Theater, across our expansive grounds—and in our surrounding communities—PS21 cultivates and presents productions that transcend boundaries and encourage your expression and participation. Our programming often engages creatively with critical global and social issues: you’ll leave recharged, invigorated, and perhaps thinking differently.

We also host residencies for dancers, musicians, actors, and creators—supporting their development of new, even unclassifiable, work.

A model of innovative theater design, our green-energy spaces are state-of-the-art, and sit atop our 100 acres of unspoiled meadows, woodlands, and trails—all open to the public every day. With the sights and sounds of nature seeping into every Pavilion performance, PS21 offers truly unforgettable experiences and demonstrates our commitment to be open, inviting, and designed for everyone’s enjoyment.

Through our PATHWAYS programs, we bring visionary artists into workshops, classes, installations, and performances on our grounds and into the community—all free of charge or at low cost. PATHWAYS also fosters collaboration between community arts groups and the Town of Chatham—enhancing cultural life in the Hudson Valley.

Extraordinary times require both new art forms and innovative approaches to time-honored disciplines. PS21 is challenging and joyful, of our community and of our world, thought-provoking and magical.

Join us!

Mission

PS21 is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the performing arts. We are committed to:

Presenting innovative performances by leading and emerging artists in our state-of-the-art black-box and open-air pavilion theaters.
Fostering creativity through residencies and collaborations between performers working across disciplines and genres.
Serving the community via free and low-cost workshops, performances, and other programming.
Preserving our 100 acres of open spaces, meadows, woodlands, and orchards as an important resource for artists and the community.
Extending opportunities for arts engagement to all, regardless of age, economic status, and cultural background.

OUR SPACES

Our commitments are incorporated in the design of our theater and the surrounding grounds: open, inviting, and optimized for the public’s enjoyment and to encourage citizen expression and participation.

PS21’s Pavilion Theater, completed in 2018, is a 300-seat open-air proscenium stage protected by a pavilion roof, which converts in cooler months to a geothermally heated and air-conditioned black box seating 99. Nearby are the Dance Barn, a rehearsal and performance venue, and two artists’ residences accommodating sixteen visitors. The theater is built with technologically advanced systems that can accommodate all levels of artistic needs–from the analog use of our extensive system of sprung dance floors critical to the safety of movement-based performance, to our state-of-the-art lighting and sound capacities. The theater features one of the only fully LED green theatrical lighting systems in the country.

Our new facility sits above a nineteenth-century apple orchard at the apex of over 100 acres of beautiful Hudson Valley land, in the foothills of the Berkshires. Just five acres have been developed; the rest are meadows and woodlands. The PS21 property is also host to the Chatham Farm Animal Rescue.

Team

Staff

Kelly Mackerer, Director of Operations
Zack Levine, Director of Development
Maggie Pate, Marketing Coordinator
Connor Martin, Production Manager
Clare Sloane Vance, Producer
Liz Connell, Production Technician
Oleg Balitskiy, Production Technician
Steven Taylor, Staff Photographer

Board of Directors

Judith B. Grunberg, Founder and President, 1999–2019
Alice Kocis, Co-President
Louis Hedgecock, Co-President
Roger Sametz, Vice President
Natasha Stevens, Secretary
Judith Albert
James Abruzzo
Pooky Amsterdam
Claude Arpels
Judy Boomer
Sean Buffington
Anthony Calnek
Deborah Conrad
Miranda Cuckson
Marcia Fardella
Ted Jadick
Jamal Jackson
Julia Kent
Susan R. Kramer, Ph.D.
Marian S. Krauskopf
Tony K. Muoser
Anna Nearburg
Jennifer Harrison Newman

History

1999
PS21 was conceived in 1999 by our founder and long-time board president Judy Grunberg to bring world-class performances to Columbia County and the surrounding region.
2006
Our first season, 2006, was held under a temporary tent in Chatham: performances of classical music, modern dance, and theater, film screenings, and workshops and free performances for kids.
2018
Our programming and audiences soon outgrew the SaddleSpan tent, and in 2018 PS21 moved into its new, state-of-the-art theater just a few hundred yards up the hill from the former tent site. Geothermally heated and air-conditioned, the visually arresting structure houses a 99-seat black box that in warm weather expands to a 300-seat open-air pavilion theater. The building also houses PS21’s offices, a kitchen, artists’ dressing rooms, and rehearsal space.