Three Plays in Five Days: Art and Transformation

HUNTER - On Valentines Weekend, Maude Adams Theater Hub (MATH) and the Catskill Mountain Foundation will present three plays over five days at the Doctorow Center for the Arts, at 7971 Main Street, Hunter. This will be MATH’s fourth annual winter season festival, affectionately known as V Season, which brings acclaimed plays to the Catskills. From February 11 – 15, 2026, audiences will be treated to Six Degrees of Separation by John Guare, The Shape of Things by Neil LaBute, and Circle Mirror Transformation by Annie Baker.

When Maude Adams Theater Hub first stumbled on the idea of presenting three plays over five days in 2021, they never thought the reception would be so strong that it would be repeated for the next three winters. Originally conceived as a way for actors and creatives to pop up shows in the dead of winter when little else is going on, it was decided that actors would use scripts, and be encouraged to think of these productions as staged readings due to the short rehearsal time of only six weeks. Audiences love to see how the productions get lifted off the ground. 

V-Season took its name from Valentine’s Day, and the idea of putting together plays with some kind of connection to love.  Though the themes have changed over the years, the principle remains the same:   meaningful theater that's easily approachable for the actor, and the audience. 

This V-Season welcomes plays about art and transformation, starting with prize winning Six Degrees of Separation by John Guare. When art dealers Flan and Ouisa Kitteridge welcome a stranger into their apartment, their entire social circle is flipped on edge. Directed by MATH newcomer Ben Rendich and featuring a large cast with stand-out performances by another new face, Josh Perez, and regional favorites Katrina Lantz, Marc Wolf, John Remington, and Jessica Gibbon, as well as many other local favorites.

Hot on its heels is Neal LaBute’s likewise dark and twisty drama, The Shape of Things, a modern take of the classic Pygmalian. Directed by familiar face Jacob Shipley, and starring Ashley Hill, Jordan Zakka, Ashley Krysinski, and local HTC graduate Ernie Briskey.  

Rounding out the pack is Circle Mirror Transformation by the award-winning playwright Annie Baker. Shelli Koffman, co-director of the brilliant Columbia County Players, directs in her MATH debut.  

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. The power-house cast includes Jessica Gibbons, Maya Rock, Laila Monsen, Brian Flynn, and Bill Solley.

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 www.catskillmtn.org.