In celebration of the Theatre’s 40th season, we have chosen a lineup of plays that embody and celebrate the grand magic that is theatre — the laboratory where a special kind of alchemy takes place, where dreams and philosophies and tales are mixed with elements as simple as sawdust, rhinestones and paste, resulting in wondrous transformations and visions of life that illuminate, that entertain, that makes us feel and know things we didn’t know or understand or pay attention to before. The alchemists themselves are the writers, actors and artists of all kinds who work their magic, mixing thoughts and words with paint, light and glitter. Finally, they lift from deep within themselves the most important substance of all: the contents of their hearts and souls. Breathing these vapors of passion and life into the mix, they create the illusions that define the reality of what it means to be human.

With Shakespeare as our guiding force, we will explore not only the mythical worlds of his creation, but also those of writers from neo-classical France, pre-World-War-II Italy, and twentieth-century America. We invite you, as always, to journey with us on our voyages to these realms, and to explore as well the many other “magical” events this special anniversary season has to offer. Our Shakespeare LIVE! touring productions for young people, a forty-year retrospective exhibition the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, our grand “ruby anniversary” gala, the 17th Biennial Shakespeare Colloquium, free Picnic Series performances on the lawn, and our numerous education and training programs —an exciting array of grand magic awaits you this season! We hope you will join us!

Lastly, we thank each and every one of you who have participated in the 40-year life of this exceptional place that we call The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, for you are, ultimately, the most critical element in this mix. Without an audience, the alchemy of theatre does not work; the lights do not shine, the visions do not come to life, the illusions never appear, the glitter lies dully on the floor, and there is only silence. So thank you, for what a grand audience you are! And you are all very much a part of our grand magic.

With much gratitude and affection,

Bonnie J. Monte
Artistic Director