ACTORS SHAKESPEARE COMPANY AT NEW JERSEY CITY UNIVERSITY OPENS 12th SEASON WITH A SHAKESPEARE SAMPLER

Actors Shakespeare Company at New Jersey City University, a professional theatre company in residence at the University, will open its 2011-2012 season with

ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE
A Shakespeare sampler of famous scenes and speeches

WHEN:  Sunday, September 18, 3 PM
WHERE: The bandshell in the G. Thomas DiDomenico Park of Bayonne. (commonly known as the 16th Street Park)
ADMISSION: free and open to the community
For further information or call 201.200.2390 or visit www.ascnj.org.

ASC’s Resident Artists will start the festivities at 1:30 PM with sword-fight and dancing demonstrations as part of pre-show activities in the park, commonly called the 16^th Street Park by Bayonne residents. There are more family-oriented games and crafts being planned beginning at 12 o’clock noon as part of an afternoon with a Renaissance Fair-like atmosphere.

“This will be the first-ever ‘Shakespeare in the Park’ for the city of Bayonne and more festivals are being planned with the Actors Shakespeare Company at New Jersey City University,” said Claire Greco, who is coordinating the afternoon with Bayonne Supervisor of Recreation, Pete Amadeo.

Also participating in event will be drama students from Bayonne High School, said Ms. Greco. Local vendors will display merchandise for Bayonne’s bard-loving crowd.

“ASC will conduct a raffle drawing at the end of All The World’s A Stage for season tickets to upcoming main stage ASC shows, said Peter Galman, ASC Marketing Director. “Thanks to contributions by Provident Bank and Bayonne Community Bank and other local businesses, we will be able to offer a number of delightful surprises for public, many of whom will get their first taste of live Shakespeare,” said Mr. Galman.

All The World’s A Stage was created by ASC Resident Artist Denise Hurd, who drew from favorites in Shakespeare’s canon such as scenes from As You Like It, Taming of the Shrew, Henry V and The Tempest to illustrate the points in Jacques’ famous speech from As You Like It. In that speech, which starts with “All the world’s stage,” Jacques describes the seven ages of man from birth to old age. The scenes chosen by Ms. Hurd are reflective of each age.

The “ASC in the Community” series brings the professional theater company’s work outside the NJCU campus. All The World’s A Stage is designed to travel.

“This short introduction to Shakespeare and to ASC at NJCU is available to travel throughout Hudson County and surrounding areas,” said Colette Rice, Producing Artistic Director of ASC at NJCU. “It works well as lunchtime entertainment, a special event performance, or as a unique presentation for senior centers, colleges and universities, middle and highschools, and others,” Ms. Rice said.

In addition to Ms. Hurd, Ms. Rice and Mr. Galman, ASC Resident Artists Anthony Bez, Cindy Boyle, Ron Sanborn and Paul Sugarman, along with Associate Artists Terence MacSweeny and Lynn Battaglia will participate.

ASC at NJCU officially became the University’s theatrical company-in-residence in 2008, making NJCU only the fourth institution of higher education in New Jersey to be affiliated with a professional theatre company. The collaboration between the company, which is in its twelfth season, and NJCU began in 2005. Since that time, NJCU and ASC at NJCU have partnered to present professional classical theatre to both the NJCU and wider Jersey City communities and NJCU faculty and students have been regularly involved in ASC productions and workshops.

ASC at NJCU works through the NJCU Foundation, a non-profit, tax-exempt organization, and is supported in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, New Jersey City University, and contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations.