Madison, New Jersey Madison is a borough in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 16,937. Located along the Morris & Essex Lines, it is noted for Madison's historic railroad station becoming on ...

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

The Star-Ledger ''The Star-Ledger'' is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to '' The Jersey Journal'' of Jersey City, ''The Times'' of Trenton and the '' Staten Island Advance'', all of ...

Drew University Drew University is a private university in Madison, New Jersey. Drew has been nicknamed the "University in the Forest" because of its wooded campus. As of fall 2020, more than 2,200 students were pursuing degrees at the university's three sch ...

Florham Park, New Jersey Florham Park is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the borough's population was 11,696,Cape May, N.J. After 7 summer seasons in Cape May, three fall seasons in Boston, and two fall tours, the Festival was without a home. With the help and encouragement of Dr. Robert F. Oxnam, President of Drew University (1961-1974), the Festival relocated in 1972 to a permanent home on the campus of

Drew University Drew University is a private university in Madison, New Jersey. Drew has been nicknamed the "University in the Forest" because of its wooded campus. As of fall 2020, more than 2,200 students were pursuing degrees at the university's three sch ...

. Productions were staged in the University's Bowne Gymnasium, which Festival technicians converted into a performance space. Paul Barry, Artistic Director, and his wife, Ellen Barry, Producing Director, led the Festival for 27 seasons through 1990. In October 1990, the Board hired Bonnie J. Monte to take the helm as Artistic Director. Monte had served as the Associate Artistic Director at

Williamstown Theatre Festival The Williamstown Theatre Festival is a resident summer theater on the campus of Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1954 by Williams College news director Ralph Renzi and drama program chairman David C. Bryant. I ...

in Massachusetts under Nikos Psacharopoulos from 1981 to 1989 and was one of the casting associates at the

Manhattan Theatre Club Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC) is a theatre company located in New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, Manhattan Theatre Club has g ...

from 1989 to 1990. Monte, along with former Managing Director Michael Stotts, revitalized the company and spearheaded the complete renovation of the old Bowne Gymnasium. In June 1998, The F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, a 308-seat performance space, officially opened. The new Kirby Theatre allowed for a significant expansion of the performance season into the fall and early winter months. The company now produces six to seven Main Stage shows each year. In 2003, the company renamed itself The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, providing a clearer identity.

Production history

The Shakespeare Theatre's production history from 2000 to the present. 2012 Season - The 50th Anniversary
'' Henry IV, Part One'', by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

'' The Liar'' by

David Ives David Ives (born July 11, 1950) is an American playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. He is perhaps best known for his comic one-act plays; ''The New York Times'' in 1997 referred to him as the "maestro of the short form". Ives has also written ...

, adapted from the comedy by Pierre Corneille
'' Measure for Measure'' by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

Charles Dickens' '' Oliver Twist'' adapted by Neil Bartlett
'' Man of La Mancha'' by Dale Wasserman, lyrics by

Joe Darion Joe Darion (30 January 1917 — 16 June 2001) was an American musical theatre lyricist, most famous for ''Man of La Mancha'', which is considered, by some critics, as a precursor to 1980s sung-through musicals such as '' Les Miserables''. Dario ...

, music by

Mitch Leigh Mitch Leigh (born Irwin Michnick; January 30, 1928March 16, 2014) was an American musical theatre composer and theatrical producer best known for the musical ''Man of La Mancha''. Biography Early years Leigh was born in Brooklyn, New York as Irw ...

''

Trelawny of the Wells ''Trelawny of the "Wells"'' is an 1898 comic play by Arthur Wing Pinero. It tells the story of a theatre star who attempts to give up the stage for love, but is unable to fit into conventional society. Synopsis ''Trelawny of the "Wells"'' te ...

'' by Arthur Wing Pinero
ON THE OUTDOOR STAGE: '' Comedy of Errors'' by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

2013 Season
''

The Playboy of the Western World ''The Playboy of the Western World'' is a three-act play written by Irish playwright John Millington Synge and first performed at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, on 26 January 1907. It is set in Michael James Flaherty's public house in County Mayo (o ...

'' by J.M. Synge
'' Fallen Angels'' by Noël Coward
'' Tovarich'' by

Jacques Deval Jacques Deval (1895–1972) was a French playwright, screenwriter and film director. Novels *''Marie Galante'' (1931) Plays *''Une faible femme''; a comedy in three acts (1920) *''Dans sa candeur naïve''; a comedy in three acts (1926); translate ...

, adapted by

Robert E. Sherwood Robert Emmet Sherwood (April 4, 1896 – November 14, 1955) was an American playwright and screenwriter. He is the author of '' Waterloo Bridge, Idiot's Delight, Abe Lincoln in Illinois, Rebecca, There Shall Be No Night, The Best Years of Our ...

The world premiere production of '' A Most Dangerous Woman'' by Cathy Tempelsman
''

Our Town ''Our Town'' is a 1938 metatheatrical three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover's Corners between 1901 and 1913 thro ...

'' by

Thornton Wilder Thornton Niven Wilder (April 17, 1897 – December 7, 1975) was an American playwright and novelist. He won three Pulitzer Prizes — for the novel '' The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' and for the plays ''Our Town'' and '' The Skin of Our Teeth'' — ...

''

Pericles Pericles (; grc-gre, Περικλῆς; c. 495 – 429 BC) was a Greek politician and general during the Golden Age of Athens. He was prominent and influential in Athenian politics, particularly between the Greco-Persian Wars and the Pelo ...

'' by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

ON THE OUTDOOR STAGE: '' As You Like It'' by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

2014 Season
'' The Tempest'' by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

'' The Devil's Disciple'' by

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

''

The Alchemist An alchemist is a person who practices alchemy. Alchemist or Alchemyst may also refer to: Books and stories * ''The Alchemist'' (novel), the translated title of a 1988 allegorical novel by Paulo Coelho * ''The Alchemist'' (play), a play by Be ...

'' by

Ben Jonson Benjamin "Ben" Jonson (c. 11 June 1572 – c. 16 August 1637) was an English playwright and poet. Jonson's artistry exerted a lasting influence upon English poetry and stage comedy. He popularised the comedy of humours; he is best known for t ...

, adapted by Bonnie J. Monte
''

Wittenberg Wittenberg ( , ; Low Saxon: ''Wittenbarg''; meaning ''White Mountain''; officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg (''Luther City Wittenberg'')), is the fourth largest town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Wittenberg is situated on the River Elbe, north o ...

'' by

David Davalos David Davalos (born 1965) is an American playwright. Works *2001 - ''Darkfall'' - a modern sequel to ''Paradise Lost''. World Premiere at Sacred Fools Theater Company in Los Angeles. *2002 - ''Daedalus'' - a fantasia of Leonardo da Vinci's time a ...

'' Henry VIII'' by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

''

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...

'' by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

ON THE OUTDOOR STAGE: '' The Learned Ladies'' by

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and worl ...

, translated into English verse by

Richard Wilbur Richard Purdy Wilbur (March 1, 1921 – October 14, 2017) was an American poet and literary translator. One of the foremost poets of his generation, Wilbur's work, composed primarily in traditional forms, was marked by its wit, charm, and gentle ...

2015 Season '' The Royal Family'' by George S. Kaufman and

Edna Ferber Edna Ferber (August 15, 1885 – April 16, 1968) was an American novelist, short story writer and playwright. Her novels include the Pulitzer Prize-winning '' So Big'' (1924), ''Show Boat'' (1926; made into the celebrated 1927 musical), '' Ci ...

''

The Guardsman ''The Guardsman'' is a 1931 American pre-Code film based on the play '' Testőr'' by Ferenc Molnár. It stars Alfred Lunt, Lynn Fontanne, Roland Young and ZaSu Pitts. It opens with a stage re-enactment of the final scene of Maxwell Anderson's ' ...

'' by Ferenc Molnar, new adaptation by Bonnie J. Monte, translation by Gabor Lukin ''

Misalliance ''Misalliance'' is a play written in 1909–1910 by George Bernard Shaw. The play takes place entirely on a single Saturday afternoon in the conservatory of a large country house in Hindhead, Surrey in Edwardian era England. It is a continuation ...

'' by

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

''Equivocation'' by Bill Cain ''The Diary of Anne Frank'' by

Frances Goodrich Frances Goodrich (December 21, 1890 – January 29, 1984) was an American actress, dramatist, and screenwriter, best known for her collaborations with her partner and husband Albert Hackett. She received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama with her h ...

and

Albert Hackett Albert Maurice Hackett (February 16, 1900 – March 16, 1995) was an American actor, dramatist and screenwriter most noted for his collaborations with his partner and wife Frances Goodrich. Early years Hackett was born in New York City, the s ...

, adapted by

Wendy Kesselman Wendy Kesselman is an American playwright. Life Wendy Kesselman came to the Actors Theater of Louisville in 1980. She lives in Wellfleet, Massachusetts. Awards She won the 1981 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, for ''My Sister in this House''. ...

The Merry Wives of Windsor by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

ON THE OUTDOOR STAGE: Love's Labour's Lost by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

Facilities

The F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre

In late 1990, the need to secure a viable and lasting home for the company was recognized. The 88-year-old Bowne Theatre had become a serious impediment to artistic and organizational success. The Shakespeare Theatre management and Board set out to create a partnership with

Drew University Drew University is a private university in Madison, New Jersey. Drew has been nicknamed the "University in the Forest" because of its wooded campus. As of fall 2020, more than 2,200 students were pursuing degrees at the university's three sch ...

. After a successful $7.5 million capital campaign, in June 1998, the Theatre raised the curtain on its 36th season in the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre at

Drew University Drew University is a private university in Madison, New Jersey. Drew has been nicknamed the "University in the Forest" because of its wooded campus. As of fall 2020, more than 2,200 students were pursuing degrees at the university's three sch ...

, on the site of the old Bowne Gymnasium. The Theatre includes three levels (approximately 22,000 square feet). Features of the Theatre include: * Exhibition space for artwork in the James R. Gillen Petite Promenade * The Sir John Gielgud Green Room for actors * A stage lift, two catwalks, two side box booms, and a central lighting grid * "The Studio," a rehearsal space * Full accessibility with basement-to-balcony elevators * Wheelchair seating in both the orchestra and balcony * A backstage lift from dressing rooms to the stage, for actors with physical disabilities * An infrared listening system for the hearing impaired

The Greek Theatre at the College of St. Elizabeth

The Theatre's Outdoor Stage is located on the campus of the St Elizabeth University in nearby

Florham Park Florham Park is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the borough's population was 11,696,Theatre of Dionysos in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

and of the only theatres of its kind in the United States hosting a professional theatre company, debuted as a new performance space for the company in 2002. The venue accommodates approximately 500 audience members.

3 Vreeland Road Support Facility

Early in 2012, the Theatre acquired and renovated an old valve factory in an effort to centralize all of the institution's behind-the-scenes operations and to allow for an expansion of its myriad education programs. Currently, the facility houses the administrative offices, a green room, rehearsal room, costume shop and storage, prop storage and a scene shop.

Education programs

''Shakespeare Live!'' Touring Company

The educational touring wing of The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, ''Shakespeare LIVE!'' is supported by Shakespeare in American Communities: Shakespeare for a New Generation, a national program of

The National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

in cooperation with Arts Midwest. The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is one of 42 professional theater companies selected to participate in ''Shakespeare for a New Generation''. The program is headed by Brian B. Crowe, and tours throughout the metropolitan region.

Summer Professional Training Program

Acting Apprentice Company

The Apprentice Company is designed for aspiring young jedi in the early stages of training with little or no professional experience to learn how to master the force. While a variety of classes are offered, the primary focus of the training is on Shakespeare and other classic works.

Intern Company

The Intern Company is designed for college students and early-career theatre professionals interested in specific fields other than acting. Interns work in one department for the duration of the training program, under the direction of The Shakespeare Theatre's professional staff. Some prior experience in the field of interest is necessary for most internships.

Next Stage Ensemble

The ''Next Stage Ensemble'' fosters the work of early career actors and provides training in ensemble-based performance techniques. Participants work with The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey resident directors and guest directors on fully developed productions of abridged classics and tour to over 30 locations throughout the region - including libraries, retirement homes, and community centers. The plays are rehearsed and performed in repertory.

The Shakespeare Theatre Academy

Introduced in the spring of 2013, The Shakespeare Theatre Academy offers youth and adult classes in a wide range of disciplines connected with classic theatre as well as weekend intensives on the art of auditioning.

''Pages to Players'': In-School Residencies

Focusing primarily on students in grades 5-8, the Pages to Players residencies take place during regular English/Language Arts class periods and often involve one or more entire grade levels at the school. Students work with Shakespeare Theatre teaching artists who lead the residency activities. Because these residencies are based in the English classroom, the primary focus is on using performance and the theatrical tradition as tools for achieving greater proficiency and pleasure in the study of the English language generally, and Shakespeare in particular. Students are also introduced to many of the fundamental exercises utilized by theatre artists, such as ensemble-building techniques, vocal projection, diction, focus and memory systems, and others which can have a lifelong impact. Other education programs include: the Lend Us Your Ears play reading series, the Symposium post-performance lecture series, the Know The Show pre-performance discussion series, ShakeFest, Shakesperience, ''LIVE!'' at The Kirby, and the Student Matinee performances.

References

External links

Interview with Artistic Director Bonnie J. Monte
in ''American Theatre Magazine'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Shakespeare Theatre Of New Jersey Drew University Buildings and structures in Morris County, New Jersey Madison, New Jersey Theatres in New Jersey Theatre companies in New Jersey Shakespearean theatre companies Tourist attractions in Morris County, New Jersey 1963 establishments in New Jersey