The season will feature six productions on its Main Stage at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre in Madison and one summer production on the popular Outdoor Stage — the Greek amphitheater on the campus of The College of Saint Elizabeth in Morris Township — as well as several special events and programs.
The season will begin with The Tempest, Shakespeare's work about the magician Prospero who rules over his enchanted island home, directed by artistic director Bonnie J. Monte.
“This was the first show that I directed at this Theatre in 1991, and this June I am excited to once again explore the play with a new vision," Monte said in a statement.
The outdoor stage will be home to Molière's comedy The Learned Ladies, directed by Brian B. Crowe.
Paul Mullins will direct George Bernard Shaw's The Devil's Disciple. Here's how the show is billed: "Set in the revolutionary tumult of Colonial America in 1777, an unlikely anti-hero makes the ultimate sacrifice, causing Loyalists and patriots alike to question the true meaning of honor." Ben Jonson's The Alchemist will be directed by Monte. "The rowdy, bawdy comedy about con men in 1610 demonstrates how little has changed about greed or gullibility in the affairs of mankind," press notes state. "Mr. Jonson's astute portrayal of three tricky gullers and the parade of outrageous characters they gull exemplifies the satirical wit of one of Shakespeare's greatest contemporaries."
The theatre will also present the the New Jersey premiere of Wittenberg, written by David Davalos and directed by Joseph Discher. "Davalos's play imagines a semester at Wittenberg University and features an unusual quartet — Doctor Faustus, Martin Luther, Helen of Troy, and a young Hamlet," press notes state. "Together, the characters pose queries and arguments about faith, existence, and even, tennis."
Shakespeare's Henry VIII will be directed by Paul Mullins, and Much Ado About Nothing will be directed by Scott Wentworth, who will play Benedick opposite his real-life wife Marion Adler as Beatrice.
The season at a glance follows:
The Main Stage
The Tempest
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Bonnie J. Monte
Begins May 28
Press Opening – May 31, 7:30 PM
The Devil's Disciple
By George Bernard Shaw
Directed by Paul Mullins
Begins July 2
Press Opening – July 5, 7:30 PM
The Alchemist
By Ben Jonson
Adapted & Directed by Bonnie J. Monte
Begins Aug. 6
Press Opening – Aug. 9, 7:30 PM
Wittenberg
By David Davalos
Directed by Joseph Discher
Begins Sept. 10
Press Opening – Sept. 13, 7:30 PM
Henry VIII
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Paul Mullins
Begins Oct. 15
Press Opening – Oct. 18, 7:30 PM
Much Ado About Nothing
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Scott Wentworth
Begins Dec. 3
Press Opening – Dec. 6, 7:30 PM
On the Outdoor Stage
The Learned Ladies
By Molière
Directed by Brian B. Crowe
Begins June 18
Press Opening – June 25, 8 PM
Call (973) 408-5600 or visit ShakespeareNJ.org for more information.
