New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu


?>

 

Celebrate Halloween With Something Wicked


By Gary Wien, JerseyArts.com

originally published: 10/29/2020


In a year that has been anything but normal, the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey will provide a semblance of normalcy this week with their annual production of “Something Wicked This Way Comes.” Its a program that mixes classic literature of the macabre and supernatural, eerie ghost stories, and a dash of humor to go along with the chills. This is the 11th straight year for the production, which changes the stories in the show each time.

“It’s become a bit of an annual tradition for many of our patrons,” said Brian B. Crowe, the Director of Education at Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, who directs the production. “It’s where we get together to relish and enjoy in the celebration of these great stories. I do think it gives some sense of normalcy, but it’s a different setting this year.”

“It’s not inside of the Kirby Theatre; we’re outside at our Back Yard Stage in Florham Park, which is delightful. It opens up a few new possibilities for us in terms of how to approach the materials. We’ve picked some pieces that are very specific to the outdoor setting. There’s a beautiful forest around us and the audience walks through a wooded path to get to the stage. It’s going to be a really nice experience for everybody.”

Presenting the show outside adds new dimensions to the production. Crowe notes that the audience will be able to see the moon above them, hear the wind in the trees and the rustling of leaves, and revel in the perfect setting for ghost stories. As Shakespeare said, “All the world’s a stage,” and this production proves it.

“There’s something about when you’re outside that I love so much,” added Crowe who often directs outdoor shows for the company. “It takes on a much grander scale immediately.”




Follow New Jersey Stage on social media
Facebook, Threads, Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky



Performances are scheduled for October 29 - 31 at 7:00 p.m. each night at the company’s Back Yard Stage. There will also be a special kid-friendly performance on Halloween at 4:00 p.m. (a slightly shorter show that removes some of the scarier works). This year’s production includes a collection of stories and poems - a mix of short and long pieces. Using the outside as inspiration, they’ve got some stories set in a graveyard. There are great selections from Edgar Allan Poe, some new pieces, and some from Shakespeare himself.

The Shrewd Mechanicals who have been seen in the company’s recent productions of “Crazy Love!” and “Shaw! Shaw! Shaw!” return for “Something Wicked This Way Comes.” They have been with the company for most of the year.

“They came here as part of our Shakespeare LIVE! touring company and then COVID-19 hit, so we had to stop our in-school tour,” explained Crowe. “They stuck around because we kept hoping the virus would go away. It didn’t, but they wound up being part of our family pod or unit. They were all quarantined together during all of this, which allowed us to not only do this production but the others as well. It’s a tremendous cast of actors that are pulling this together. I think it’s going to be fun and unique, especially in this holiday season.”

The Backyard Stage area is designed to provide a wonderful experience for everyone. It includes 56 “pods” that can accommodate up to 212 patrons. Everyone is required to wear a mask unless they are eating or drinking, and the pods are all socially distanced. If the forecast looks like bad weather, the decision whether or not to cancel the show will be made earlier in the day. All patrons will be emailed and called, and the cancellation notice will be noted at ShakespeareNJ.org and across their social media channels.

Audience members are welcome to come in costume and Crowe said they hope to see people in costume for the two performances on Halloween itself. They will have goodie bags for the kids that day and the staff members will be in costume.

“We’re trying to find a way to have people get in the Halloween spirit when they may not be able to go trick-or-treating in their neighborhood,” said Crowe. “We’re hoping to provide that extra outlet for people’s creativity and imagination.”

It’s been a difficult and trying year for all theatre companies, but the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is in a better place than most. They have been able to expand some of their regular programming like their Shakespeare Book Club through virtual means. The club takes place twice a year and involves reading of a couple of plays, talking about them, and doing a deep dive into the work. Crowe says they usually have about a dozen people sign up for it, but the virtual version has over forty. He thinks the virtual format may have made the program stronger in many ways as well. But what has really helped keep the company going through this year is being able to stage shows - something few theatre companies have done.




Follow New Jersey Stage on social media
Facebook, Threads, Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky



“I feel very blessed for where we are as an institution right now,” said Crowe. “We’ve been very lucky that we have this outdoor space on our own property that we’ve been able to transform into a performance venue. We’re doing live theatre, which virtually no one is doing. Frankly it feels a bit life affirming that we can do that and continue the work that we do. The number of people who come up to us before they even see the show and say, ‘thank you for doing this, we need this right now’ is really encouraging. And we’re going to continue forward as best as we can as we have been.”

 

Performances take place October 29, 30, and 31 at 7:00 p.m. for ages 11 and up, with a kid-friendly performance on Saturday, October 31 at 4:00 p.m. for ages 7 and up. Tickets: $20 for kids 15 and under; $30 for adults. The Back Yard Stage is located on the Great Lawn behind their Theatre Factory at 3 Vreeland Road in Florham Park, New Jersey. 

 

For information on their COVID-19 guidelines visit https://www.shakespearenj.org/BackYardStage_COVID19guidelines.html




About the author: Gary Wien is a music journalist from Belmar, NJ. A three-time winner of Asbury Music’s Music Journalist of The Year, his writing and photographs have been seen in publications like Upstage Magazine, Backstreets Magazine, Gannett Newspapers, and Princeton Magazine. He is the also the author of two books: Beyond The Palace (about the history of rock music in Asbury Park) and Are You Listening? (his picks for the Top 100 Albums of 2001-2010 by New Jersey Artists) and is the publisher of New Jersey Stage magazine.

Content provided by Discover Jersey Arts, a project of the ArtPride New Jersey Foundation and New Jersey State Council on the Arts.



FEATURED EVENTS

ART | COMEDY | DANCE | FILM | MUSIC | THEATRE | COMMUNITY

To narrow results by date range, categories,
or region of New Jersey
click here for our advanced search.


Vivid

Vivid Summer Solos: Where is Everybody?

Wednesday, July 09, 2025 @ 6:30pm
Visual Arts Center of New Jersey
68 Elm Street, Summit, NJ 07901
category: theatre


 

A

A Broadway Tour of America

Thursday, July 10, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Grunin Center - Black Box Theater
1 College Drive, Toms River, NJ 08754
category: theatre


 

The

The MAC players at the Middletown Arts Center present "Hairspray"

Friday, July 11, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Middletown Arts Center
36 Church Street, Middletown, NJ 07748
category: theatre


 

A

A Broadway Tour of America

Friday, July 11, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Grunin Center - Black Box Theater
1 College Drive, Toms River, NJ 08754
category: theatre


 

The

The Wizard of Oz

Saturday, July 12, 2025 @ 2:00pm
Algonquin Arts Theatre
60 Abe Voorhees, Manasquan, NJ 08736
category: theatre


 


 

EVENT PREVIEWS

Original

Original 'RENT' Cast Member and Obie Award-winner Anthony Rapp to Teach Master Class at Gateway Playhouse

(SOMERS POINT, NJ) -- Somers Point's Gateway Playhouse is thrilled to announce that original Broadway cast member of the international hit, Jonathan Larson's "RENT," and Obie Award-winner, Anthony Rapp, will teach a master class to the all-teenage cast of "RENT: School Edition" on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, as part of the Gateway to the Arts program. The class runs from 9:00am to noon.



Two

Two River Theater Announces Lineup for Their 14th Annual Crossing Borders (Cruzando Fronteras) Festival

(RED BANK, NJ) -- Two River Theater's celebrated Crossing Borders (Cruzando Fronteras) Festival of new plays by Latine playwrights will take place from Thursday, July 31 to Sunday, August 3, 2025 in the Joan and Robert M. Rechnitz Theater. Now in its 14th year, this annual event joyfully showcases the richness, diversity, creativity, and talent of Latine theater artists. All festival events are open and free to the public.



Players

Players Guild of Leonia to Hold Auditions for "Where The Time Goes"

​​​​​​​(LEONIA, NJ) -- The Players Guild of Leonia will hold auditions for Where The Time Goes on Tuesday, July 15 and Wednesday, July 16, 2025 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm each night at their theater. This is a World Premiere musical featuring the iconic songs of The Baby Boomer Generation.



Speranza

Speranza Theatre Company presents "Princess Pals"

(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- Speranza Theatre Company, joined by students from Speranza Studio's Summer Acting Intensive, presents its summer stage production, Princess Pals, from July 11-19, 2025 outdoors at the Museum of Jersey City History at The Apple Tree House. Written and directed by Nick Radu-Blackburn. Happily Ever was just the beginning... turns out "after" isn’t all it's cracked up to be. Bored after their fairy tale endings, princess-frenemies embark on a mischievous adventure. Can they put their differences aside to save their kingdoms, all while dealing with an unexpected twist?



Raconteur

Raconteur Radio presents Theatrical Adaptation of "The Hobbit" at Ocean County Library Barnegat Branch

(BARNEGAT,NJ) -- Feel like taking a journey through Middle Earth? Raconteur Radio presents a special theatrical presentation of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit on Tuesday, July 8, 2025 at the Barnegat Branch of the Ocean County Library. The event begins at 7:00pm.