V Season is a winter theater festival in Hunter, NY, presented by Maude Adams Theater Hub, featuring three acclaimed plays staged over five days in February at the Doctorow Center for the Arts. Designed to bring high-quality live theater to the Catskills during the off-season, V Season combines professional performances, innovative staging, and stories centered on love, art, and transformation.
A Unique Winter Theater Festival in the Catskills
When Maude Adams Theater Hub first stumbled on the idea of presenting three great plays over five fun days in 2021, they never thought the idea would work so well that it would be repeated for the next three winters.
Now in its fourth year, V Season returns to the black box stage at the Weisberg Hall in Hunter, NY, from February 11 until February 15. Originally conceived as a way for actors and creatives to pop up shows in the dead of winter when little else is going on, V Season took its name from Valentine’s Day, and the idea of putting together plays that have some kind of connection to love. Which, of course, most plays do.
Due to the very short rehearsal time (typically a mere six weeks from first read to on stage), it was decided that actors are allowed to use their scripts as little or as much as needed, and directors are encouraged to think of these stagings as works in process, which give the audiences a peek into how the productions get lifted off the ground.
Even so, the V Season productions are surprisingly polished and professional, and the scripts disappear into the action like a handy prop.
V Season 2026 Plays Exploring Art and Transformation
Six Degrees of Separation by John Guare
This V Season welcomes plays that are about art and transformation, starting with Six Degrees of Separation play by John Guare, a prize-winning classic with a large cast and multiple unexpected twists.
When art dealers Flan and Ouisa Kitteridge welcome a stranger into their apartment, their entire social circle is flipped on an edge, and everything they think about themselves and art is transformed by the end of the play.
With stand-out performances by MATH newcomer Josh Perez and regional favorites Katrina Lantz, Marc Wolf, John Remington, and Jessica Gibbons, plus a star-studded cast of regional actors, V Season’s first play to be directed by Ben Rendich will get the week started with a bang.
The Shape of Things by Neal LaBute
Hot on its heels is Neal LaBute’s likewise twisty drama about the power of artful transformation, The Shape of Things.
Directing for the first time since last year’s sell-out True West, Jacob Shipley works his magic with another four-hander starring Ashley Hill, Jordan Zakka, Ashley Krysinski, and local HTC graduate Ernie Briskey.
A modern-day update of the classic Pygmalion, The Shape of Things play follows the relationships of three college students as their lives are turned inside-out by a newcomer with questionable intentions.
Circle Mirror Transformation by Annie Baker
Rounding out the pack is Circle Mirror Transformation by the award-winning playwright Annie Baker. Set in a small studio in Vermont, this riveting play brings together four acting students and their determined teacher, putting them all through emotional upheavals and unexpected revelations that dig deeply into their quiet humanity and vulnerability.
Shelli Koffman, who co-directs the brilliant Columbia County Players’ annual summer Shakespeare at the Churchtown Dairy directs in her MATH debut. The power-house cast includes Jessica Gibbons, Maya Rock, Laila Monsen, Brian Flynn, and Bill Solley.
When and Where to See V Season in Hunter, NY
V Season will run from February 11 through 15 at the Doctorow Center for the Arts in Hunter, NY. For the full schedule, more information, and tickets, please visit catskillmtn.org.
While you’re planning your visit, explore the full calendar of live performances across the Catskills — from theater and music to festivals and special events — and start mapping out a year filled with unforgettable cultural experiences.