(MADISON, NJ) -- The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (STNJ) has announced its 60th season lineup — a selection of plays in celebration of STNJ’s Diamond Anniversary. For the first time since the start of the pandemic, the company will return with five shows scheduled for its Main Stage at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre in Madison, and one summer production on the Outdoor Stage - the Greek amphitheater on the campus of Saint Elizabeth University in Florham Park. The 2022 season will include two plays by Shakespeare as well as one 18th century French farce, and three modern classics from the 1900s never before seen on the STNJ stage.
The Shakespeare Theatre kicks off its 60th season in June with Matthew Barber’s Enchanted April, a 2003 Tony Award nominee for Best Play. Based on Elizabeth Von Arnim’s novel of the same name, it is the perfect show to produce as the company emerges from the pandemic shutdown. Written in the wake of the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, it is an exuberant, funny, and moving tale about reawakening from despair and daring to hope and dream again. Artistic Director Bonnie J. Monte will direct this season opener.
Opening next is William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, staged for the first time ever on the company’s Outdoor Stage. At the core of this popular romantic comedy, is the tempestuous relationship between the infamous “singles” Beatrice and Bendick. - Centered around the bickering and tempestuous duo Beatrice and Benedick — Much Ado About Nothing speaks to love as both a daunting risk and a joyful adventure. STNJ will continue its successful free ticket program in 2022, for patrons 17 and under.
Next on the Main Stage will be The Metromaniacs, a Moliere-esque farce translated and adapted by David Ives (Venus in Fur, All in the Timing) from Alexis Piron’s La Métromanie, originally produced in 1738. The plot follows the mix-ups and trip-ups of fathers and sons, star-crossed lovers, and that most mystifying species of all - the Metromaniacs - passionate pursuers of all things written in verse. Long-time company member Brian B. Crowe directs.
While the Outdoor Stage will feature laughs and levity throughout June and July, in September the Main Stage will take on one of Harold Pinter’s great masterpieces, The Caretaker. This terse tale of a homeless man, and two brothers who give him shelter, makes for an exciting night of theatrical meta-realism that evokes a sense of danger that is palpable, and like all of Pinter’s plays, it draws you into a compelling and mysterious world. Artistic Director Bonnie J. Monte directs. Her previous productions of Pinter’s The Homecoming and No Man’s Land were both met with critical acclaim.
In late October we’ll debut on the Main Stage two one-acts by Alice Childress, billed as Two by Childress. One of STNJ’s core missions is to bring rarely-seen classics to life. Alice Childress, one of only a handful of female black playwrights from the first half of the 20th century, is finally getting some of the attention she deserved when she was at the height of her powers in the 1950s. Her work has stood the test of time, and hopefully, more and more people will become familiar with her plays and novels. Titles of the two one-acts will be announced soon.
One of Shakespeare’s best and most enticing comedies, Twelfth Night, will cap off the season. Not seen on STNJ stages since 2009, this tale of twins, shipwrecked on the shores of Illyria, is chock full of the Bard’s best comedic devices – as well as romance, music, colorful characters, wisdom, and beautiful verse. It is a perfect show for the holiday season.
Complete Works subscriptions and Season Memberships are now on sale! Smaller and flexible discount packages will go on sale in late February, and single tickets will go on sale for the 2022 season in mid-March. The Shakespeare Theatre will also continue its successful $30 under 30 ticket program in the 2022 season as well as its Pay What You Can Program and many other discount offerings. For more information regarding the Theatre’s programs, subscription packages, and options, visit ShakespeareNJ.org or call our friendly Box Office at 973-408-5600. Student matinee performances are available for select productions and dates. For more information on Student Matinees, visit ShakespeareNJ.org/Education.
The company also offers an audio-described performance for each Main Stage production, as well as a closed-caption performance for every Main Stage production. Assisted Listening Devices are also available for every show, as is wheelchair seating. Large print playbills are available upon request.
Annual Gala: The Gala returns on April 23, the same day as Shakespeare's birthday, in celebration of the Theatre’s 60 year anniversary.
Special Events: Many one-night special events will also take place throughout the season, including the company’s new Monday Night at the Movies Series. Information on all special events will be forthcoming.
The acclaimed Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is an independent, professional theatre company whose Main Stage is located on the Drew University campus. One of the leading Shakespeare theatres in the nation, it is New Jersey’s largest professional theatre company dedicated solely to Shakespeare’s canon and other world classics. Through its distinguished productions and education programs, the company strives to illuminate the universal and lasting relevance of the classics for a diverse and contemporary audience.
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey’s programs are made possible, in part, by funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional major support is received from the F.M. Kirby Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, The Hearst Foundations, The Edward T. Cone Foundation, CTW Foundation, The Samuel H. Scripps Foundation, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, The Rita Allen Foundation, Bank of America, E.J. Grassmann Trust, Hyde and Watson Foundation, Union Foundation, The Merrill G. and Emita E. Hastings Foundation, Turrell Fund, and the Jack K. Ayre & Frank Ayre Lee Foundation, as well as contributions from numerous other foundations, corporations, government agencies, and individuals.
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