(MADISON, NJ) -- The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (STNJ) will conclude their 61st season with a slightly altered version of Shakespeare's most popular comedy A Midwinter Night's Dream. "Re-seasoned" by Bonnie J. Monte and Joseph Discher, with direction by Brian B. Crowe, this production is rife with magical winter wonderment and fun for the whole family. This holiday season do not miss being transported into the dazzling and frosty world of Shakespeare's hilarious romantic comedy that is sure to warm the coldest hearts. This production will run December 6-31, 2023.
The large cast features an exciting mix of STNJ “regulars” as well as a number of talented artists making their Shakespeare Theatre debuts.
Joining the company for the first time is recent Carnegie Mellon graduate Emily S. Chang as Hermia and Snowpea. Ms. Chang’s recent credits include work with Texas Shakespeare Festival, Steppenwolf Theatre, and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre.
Last seen at STNJ in the title role in Shakespeare’s Henry VIII, David Foubert returns to take on the hilarious role of Nick Bottom. In his tenth season with the company, Mr. Foubert has appeared in ten productions at STNJ.
For the second time this season, Christian Frost makes an appearance on the Main Stage as Demetrius and Frostbite. Recently seen as the young solider Eric in And a Nightingale Sang… , Mr. Frost has been an STNJ company member since 2019.
Isaac Hickox-Young, last seen in the season’s opening production of The Rose Tattoo, is back to finish out the season as Lysander and Blizzard. This is Mr. Hickox-Young’s sixth season with STNJ, and has been seen in nearly 20 productions since he first joined the company in 2018.
In the roles of Hippolyta and the Fairy Queen Titania is Jessica Ires Morris. Ms. Morris has been with the company for seven seasons and was seen in these same roles during her time with the Shakespeare LIVE! touring company. Over the years she has worked with The Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, the Hippodrome State Theater of Florida, and The Texas Repertory Theater among others.
Fiona Robberson returns for her sixth season with STNJ as Helena and Holly after having last been seen as Hero in last season’s Outdoor Stage production of Much Ado About Nothing.
New to STNJ’s stage is René Thornton, Jr. who will be taking on the roles of Theseus and the Fairy King Oberon. Mr. Thornton Jr. has performed professionally in all of the plays in Shakespeare’s Folio and has worked with The Utah Shakespeare Festival, Orlando Shakespeare Festival, and the American Shakespeare Center among many others.
A favorite of STNJ patrons, Billie Wyatt is back as Philostrate and Puck. Last seen as Rosa Delle Rose in The Rose Tattoo earlier this season, Ms. Wyatt is one of the company’s most versatile, young leading ladies, and has been with the company since 2019.
Rounding out the cast’s pivotal roles are Jeffrey Marc Alkins as Peter Quince and Flake; Darin F. Earl II as Starveling and Sugarplum; James Egbert as Tom Snout and Snowball; Keith Hale as Francis Flute and Mistletoe; and long-time STNJ veteran Eric Hoffmann as Egeus and Snug.
The Director: Brian B. Crowe is currently one of STNJ’s resident directors and the Director of Education. In January of 2024, he will assume the role of Artistic Director, succeeding Bonnie J. Monte. He has been with the company for 27 seasons, and has directed 21 productions for STNJ, as well as overseeing the Theatre’s prestigious touring company, Shakespeare LIVE! for many years.
The Creative Team: A Midwinter Night’s Dream features the work of set designer Brian Ruggaber, costume designer Yao Chen, Lighting Designer Andrew Hungerford, and Sound Designer Drew Sensue-Weinstein. Robert Long is the Music Coach. Josiane Lemieux Jones is the Production Stage Manager.
Tickets: Single tickets for A Midwinter Night’s Dream begin at $34 for preview performances and $55 for regular performances. Prices range from $34 to $65. The Theatre offers various cost-saving opportunities, including $15 student rush tickets, which are available 30 minutes prior to each performance with a valid student ID, and a limited number of Pay What You Can tickets for every performance on a first-come, first-served basis. STNJ also has a $30 Under 30 ticket option, which offers $30 tickets for patrons aged 30 and under with valid ID. Other discounts are available including subscription discounts, and a 10% discount for members of PBS/Thirteen and AAA. For tickets, patrons can call the Box Office at 973-408-5600 or visit ShakespeareNJ.org. TDF tickets are also available for most performances.
Audience Enrichment & Accessible Performances: For the same price as a regular ticket, the Symposium Series performances offer a post-show discussion with the cast and artistic staff. For A Midwinter Night’s Dream, Symposium performances will be held on Tuesday, December 12th at 7:30pm, Saturday, December 16th at 2:00pm, and Saturday, December 23rd at 2:00pm.
Know-the-Show pre-show talks are offered free of cost with the purchase of a performance ticket. Prior to the Thursday, December 14th performance, at 7:00pm. Director, Brian B. Crowe will conduct a pre-show talk and Q&A for interested patrons. The performance that night follows at 8:00pm.
The Shakespeare Theatre also offers Closed-Caption performances and Audio-Described performances throughout the season. The captioned performance for A Midwinter Night’s Dream will be on Thursday, December 14th at 8:00pm. The Audio-Described performance will be on Thursday, December 21st at 8:00pm. For more information, please contact the Box Office.
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 classic 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, MacMillan Family Foundation, The Edward T. Cone Foundation, CTW Foundation, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Shakespeare in American Communities: National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest, The Samuel H. Scripps Foundation, E.J. Grassmann Trust, Hyde and Watson Foundation, New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund at the Princeton Area Community Foundation, Union Foundation, The Merrill G. and Emita E. Hastings Foundation, Turrell Fund, The Jack K. Ayre & Frank Ayre Lee Theatre Foundation, The John R. Eckel Jr. Foundation, and the Howard Gilman Foundation, as well as contributions from numerous other foundations, corporations, government agencies, and individuals.
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