(MADISON, NJ) -- The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (STNJ) continues their 2019 season, entitled Incredible Journeys, with their popular summer tradition, a production on their Outdoor Stage located on the campus of the College of Saint Elizabeth in Convent Station. Now through August 4th, The Theatre will stage Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor’s newest, hilarious riff on the Bard, William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play (abridged), which will feature a trio of versatile actors who take on the daunting challenge of playing scores of characters from all of Shakespeare’s plays in under two hours — from Richard III to Juliet in an irreverent and delightfully outrageous manner.
After directing last year’s Titus Andronicus on the Main Stage, director Brian B. Crowe returns to the Outdoor Stage with this zany, witty, high-energy romp through Shakespeare’s canon. “William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play is a rollicking good time for the whole family. If you know Shakespeare, you’ll get a great kick out of the wild pairings and reimagined iconic scenes. If you don’t know Shakespeare, you’ll be in stitches with the silly array of characters and the wildly talented trio of gifted actors who bring them all to life with great comedic skill. It’s fast-paced and full of great slapstick, not to mention songs, puppets, water pistols, and a mermaid! This is a delightfully wacky opportunity for kids to ‘meet’ Shakespeare for the first time (he actually makes an appearance) and for the family to laugh together under the stars,” says Crowe.
Outdoor Stage veterans Connor Carew (STNJ’s The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) (revised), Love’s Labour’s Lost, and The Servant of Two Masters) and Jonathan Finnegan (STNJ’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream) return to the Greek amphitheater. The Shakespeare Theatre is proud to welcome Main Stage veteran Ryan Woods to his first Outdoor Stage debut. He was last seen at STNJ in 2018’s The Winter’s Tale on the Main Stage.
The production’s design team include the imaginative talents of Scenic Designer Brian Ruggaber, Costume Designer Paul Canada, Lighting Designer Jason Flamos, and Sound Designer Kӓri B. Berntson. The Production Stage Manager is Katie Galaro.
Performances take place outside on the campus of the College of St. Elizabeth, located at 2 Convent Road in Morristown, New Jersey. Travel back in time to centuries past via our Outdoor Stage. The beautiful grass-and-stone amphitheatre, inspired by the Theatre of Dionysus in Athens and one of the only theatres of its kind in the United States, debuted as our newest performance space in 2002. Bring a blanket or low beach chair, or rent a seat cushion for a nominal fee.
