Under a sun-soaked sky, dress rehearsal was underway for the opera “Ipsa Dixit” in an unlikely setting.

PS21, or Performance Spaces for the 21st Century, is a state-of-the-art, sophisticated theater hosting contemporary works of art on a 100-acre apple orchard in rural Chatham.

PS21 was founded by the late Judy Grunberg in 2006. But the 300-seat, open-air pavilion, which can be transformed into a black box theater, was built three years ago.

“So you can actually work with any parameters of all types of productions and fulfill requests and wishes and whims and imaginations of contemporary creators in many different ways,” said Executive Director Elena Siyanko.

With more than 15 years of experience managing art and media ventures, Siyanko became PS21’s executive director in 2019. She works tirelessly to carry on its founder’s legacy: to bring modern performance art to this small pastoral town in Columbia County for little-to-no cost.

At this organization, conservation, connecting to the land and community building are just as important as the acts on stage.

Through an initiative called Pathways, PS21 offers children’s climate talks, educational hikes and sprawling land – open to neighbors day and night.

“It doesn’t feel packaged to me. It doesn’t feel like a product, that you sort of come, you pay for an expensive ticket, you arrive, you park and then you leave. Here you can prolong your visit. You can come and hike, and its informal enough you can grab a glass of wine and come to a performance in this great theater,” says Siyanko.

There is also a dance barn, one of Siyanko's favorite spots on campus.

Growing up in Russia, Siyanko studied ballet and folk dance as a young girl. The barn is where theatrical workshops and free yoga and ballet classes are offered on the weekends, continuing the mission of community connection and accessibility to the arts.

PS21's season-ending celebration is Sept. 17. Tickets are available.