Founded in 1993, StageWorks is one of the Hudson Valley's premiere professional Equity theater companies. Since its inception, it has met the growing demand for quality performing arts programs by offering a series of exceptional outreach programs and performances for a wide-ranging audience as well as artistic opportunities for local and national professional and emerging theater artists. In recognition of its artistic contributions to the community, StageWorks has been honored with the 1998 Excellence in Business Award from the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce and the 1997 award for best "Arts Organization" from the Columbia County Council on the Arts. StageWorks was also distinguished in Metroland Magazine's "The Year In Review" for producing two of the ten best plays of the 1999 season (How I Learned to Drive and Ten by Ten: The Purple Plays) and two of the ten best performances (Danielle Skraastad and Chris Karczmar in How I Learned to Drive) as well as for producing the best production (How I Learned to Drive) of the 1999 season in Dutchess County's Taconic Weekend.