SHAKESPEARE THEATRE KICKS OFF 60th ANNIVERSARY SEASON WITH A CHARMING and TIMELY ROMANTIC COMEDY

 

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey’s (STNJ) 60th season begins with  Enchanted April By Matthew Barber Based on the novel by Elizabeth von Arnim Directed by Bonnie J. Monte WHEN: June 8 – June 26th, 2022; a full performance calendar can be found on the STNJ website.  WHERE: F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue (at Lancaster Road), Madison, NJ TICKETS: Single tickets begin at $39 for preview performances and begin at $59 for regular performances. Prices range from $39 to $69. 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-serve 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 a 10% discount for Bank of America customers and employees, members of Thirteen, and AAA members. For tickets, patrons can call the Box Office at 973-408-5600 or visit ShakespeareNJ.org. A 2003 Tony Award nominee for Best Play and based on Elizabeth Von Arnim’s novel of the same name, it is the perfect show to launch STNJ’s re-opening as the company emerges from the pandemic shutdown.  Written in the wake of the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, it is an uplifting, funny, and moving tale about emerging from despair, and daring to hope and dream again. Patrons can purchase tickets by calling the Box Office at 973-408-5600 or by visiting ShakespeareNJ.org. Enchanted April was a huge hit with STNJ audience members during the company’s Lend Us Your Ears Play Reading Series in 2018. The play was slated to open the 2020 season but was canceled due to the pandemic. Artistic Director Bonnie J. Monte, who is also directing and designing the set for this production is thrilled to finally bring this play to life on the company’s Main Stage. “Never in our company’s history has a play had a more arduous journey moving from page to stage than Enchanted April.  We’ve been trying to mount a full production since 2019, and it has been delayed for various reasons (mostly the pandemic) three times now. I almost feel as though the play has waited for the exact right time to come to life for our audience. I can think of no better piece of writing to open our 2022 season, which not only marks our 60th anniversary, but also our long-awaited full re-opening after two years of darkness. Enchanted April is truly enchanting and enchanted, and it never fails to leave people feeling infused with hope, happiness and an inspiring sense of joy. Best of all, we are thrilled to welcome back a stellar cast of extraordinary theatre artists who will bring Mr. Barber’s play to exuberant life.” This production of Enchanted April has been generously sponsored in part by Dr. W. John Bauer and Nancy B. Boucher, exemplary patrons of the arts in New Jersey. Meet the Cast and Creative Team of Enchanted April   The Director: Bonnie J. Monte is in her 32nd season as the company’s Artistic Director. Under her leadership for over three decades, the Theatre has evolved into one of the most respected classical theatres in the nation. Since 1990, she has directed over 90 productions for The Shakespeare Theatre.  The Creative Team: The design team for Enchanted April includes the creative talents of Costume Designer Paul Canada, Lighting Designer Michael Giannitti, and Sound Designer Steven Beckel. The Production Stage Manager is Kelly Merritt. Special 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 Enchanted April, Symposium performances will be held on Tuesday, June 14 at 7:30 PM, Saturday, June 18 at 2:00 PM, and Saturday, June 25 at 2:00 PM. The Know-the-Show pre-show talks are offered free of cost with the purchase of a performance ticket. Prior to the Thursday, June 16th, performance, at 7:00 PM, an STNJ artist will conduct a pre-show talk and Q&A for interested patrons. The performance that night follows at 8:00 PM. The Shakespeare Theatre also offers Closed-Caption performances and Audio-Described performances throughout the season. The captioned performance for Enchanted April will be on Thursday, June 16th at 8:00 PM. The Audio-Described performance will be on Thursday, June 23 at 8:00 PM. 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 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.