(FLORHAM PARK, NJ) -- Due to the resounding success of its Back Yard Stage debut this summer, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (STNJ) will present a new, outdoor, live performance offering this fall. Artistic Director, Bonnie J. Monte, has selected three one-act comedies by George Bernard Show to fashion a 90-minute production entitled Shaw! Shaw! Shaw! The production will feature the Theatre’s non-Equity Shrewd Mechanicals company, and will be directed by Ms. Monte. The production runs October 14 – 25, Wednesday through Sunday, with all performances at 7:00pm, plus Sunday matinees at 4:00pm.
The Back Yard Stage venue, a new performance space that the company has created to accommodate the COVID-19 safety requirements, is located at their Kean Theatre Factory in Florham Park, NJ.
“Our audience was so enthusiastic about our Crazy Love! performances in August, and we were thrilled to hear that they wanted more!” said Ms. Monte. “They were very vocal about their desire for more classic theatre! I’ve always thought of Shaw as a kind of ‘indoors-y’ playwright, but unusual times call for unusual decisions, and I’m sure Mr. Shaw will do just fine in the night air. These three delightful comedies, which are not often produced, will be sure to please.”
Last month, STNJ’s Back Yard Stage production of Crazy Love! garnered wide-acclaim and The New York Times coined the event, “Medicine for the play-starved soul.” Audiences were thrilled to be able to see a live performance again after so long, and they were able to enjoy having Shakespeare, Molière and Edna St. Vincent Millay’s work come to life under a moonlit sky in a safe and beautiful environment. This second offering featuring Shaw’s works will serve up more of the same.
Shaw! Shaw! Shaw! includes the plays, Village Wooing, Passion, Poison and Petrification, and Overruled. Shaw’s one-acts are less well known than his full-length masterworks, but just as wickedly funny and socially astute. Village Wooing became quite popular in Great Britain in the mid-twentieth century, culminating in a 1979 television version, starring Judi Dench and Richard Briers.
The nine members of the Shrewd Mechanicals company are Jeffrey Marc Alkins, Dino Curia, Christian Frost, Ellie Gossage, Isaac Hickox-Young, Skye Pagon, Emily Walton, Billie Wyatt and Katja Yacker. For Shaw! Shaw! Shaw!, STNJ will be expanding seating capacity and adding some new lighting and sound features. The production runs October 14 – 25, Wednesday through Sunday, with all performances at 7:00pm, plus Sunday matinees at 4:00pm. Tickets start at $30. The performance will last approximately 90 minutes and all seating is socially distanced, following recommended guidelines. Audience members are required to wear masks. For more information, contact STNJ’s Box Office at (973)408-5600.
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