The mission of Summer Repertory Theatre is to produce high quality professional theatre that enriches the lives of the community and to provide significant professional training opportunities for developing theatre students.

The primary goal of Summer Repertory Theatre is to establish a professional theatre in the Hudson Valley area that:

• Performs a wide variety of plays celebrating the American experience, including new works and works by developing writers;
• Provides cultural enrichment for residents in and visitors to the Hudson Valley region;
• Facilitates community and university interaction through its productions, workshops and special projects;
• Provides the opportunity for local artists to continue to develop and apply their skills and talents in making theatre;
• Provides experiences that enhance the education and development of student majors in the Department of Theatre Arts.

History

The New Paltz Summer Repertory Theatre began thirty years ago when Theatre Department Faculty members Raymond T. Kurdt and Frank Kraat decided to convert an empty dining hall into a theatre. Parker Theatre, looking out over the Shawangunk Mountains, was closed as a dining hall in 1973 when a larger facility, the Hasbrouck Complex, was opened on campus. The Theatre Arts Department, housed in an adjacent building, acquired the use of the space and immediately set to work converting it into a theatre.

Since that small scale opening in 1973, Summer Rep has developed into what critics have called "the best summer theatre in the Hudson Valley." Over the years many of its productions have been named among the 'top ten' theatre offerings in the region. After three decades, the Summer Rep will pass another milestone this season as it welcomes its 150,000th audience member to the theatre. Each summer the professional quality productions regularly attract over 5,000 people from New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

The New Paltz Summer Repertory continues to be a center of excellence for SUNY New Paltz and a major center for theatre arts in the Mid-Hudson Valley. Not only does it draw audiences from near and far, but it also fills the role of a community-based theatre company by casting actors from throughout the region. In addition to community participation, many students join the theatre for its fine training opportunities. Students work during the summer for college credit doing everything from acting to carpentry and costume construction to ushering and stage managing. The summer season demands a great deal of work from these company members who work or rehearse most days and perform or operate productions in the evening. In order to assist these students, the Theatre Department offers them scholarships to help defray their expenses and to support their dedication and commitment to their craft.