originally published: 01/16/2026

(MADISON, NJ) -- The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey has announced its 2026 season, Method & Madness, which features three brilliant comedies, an explosive American classic, the world's most famous sleuth, and a Shakespeare masterpiece. The season will include five shows and a special add-on performance on its Main Stage at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre on the campus of Drew University in Madison.

"It's a season of secrets, surprises, and shocking twists!" says Artistic Director Brian B. Crowe. "This season of Method & Madness we invite audiences to revel in the exhilaration—sometimes funny, sometimes dangerous—of what happens when control and chaos collide on stage and in the human heart. We look forward to once again welcoming new and returning audiences to beautiful Madison, NJ to experience world-class theatre right in their own backyard without the bridge or tunnel...and without the New York prices. We know you'll be glad you came."

The 2026 season kicks off in May with Noël Coward's side-splitting gem, Private Lives from May 16 – June 7. A razor-sharp comedy of manners, Private Lives crackles with Coward's signature wit and elegance. When ex-spouses Elyot and Amanda find themselves honeymooning with their new partners in the same French Riviera hotel, sparks ignite, insults fly, and old passions resurface. Sophisticated, fast-paced, and deliciously irreverent, this timeless play delights in turning love, rivalry, and social convention on their heads.

Up next, a laugh-out-loud mystery in the summertime! Ken Ludwig's Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery puts a theatrical twist on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic tale from July 11 – August 2. Featuring a legendary curse, a suspicious cast of characters, and wildly inventive stagecraft, Ludwig's clever adaptation delivers suspense, comedy, and Holmesian brilliance in equal measures. A small ensemble takes on dozens of roles, creating a tour-de-force of quick changes and comic ingenuity designed to keep audiences guessing and delighted.

In the Fall, buckle up as Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? storms the stage with a searing battle of wit, marriage, and illusion. Over one volatile night, two couples collide in a darkly comic, brutally honest reckoning that peels back the myths we tell ourselves to survive. Audacious, intimate, and unforgettable, Albee's Tony-Award winning landmark American drama remains as urgent, unsettling, and electrifying today as when it first shocked audiences. The production runs from September 5 - 27.

Next, one of the Bard's most electrifying plays returns to Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey's Main Stage for the first time since 2009. A towering tragedy of ambition, betrayal, and moral reckoning, Hamlet follows a young prince pulled into a deadly web of secrets embroiled at the seat of power. Urgent, suspenseful, and fiercely human, Shakespeare's most psychologically-rich play crackles with tension as it probes the cost of action — and inaction — in a world where truth is a slippery thing. Epic and endlessly relevant, Hamlet asks what it truly means to live with a conscience in a corrupt world. The production runs from October 10 – November 15.

The Method & Madness Season will wrap up in December with a yet-to-be-revealed production which promises an engaging theatrical experience perfect for the holiday season.

In addition to the five Main Stage productions, audiences can look forward to a new Season Add-on in the summer — Shakespeare in the Wild! Harkening back to original Shakespearean practices, Shakespeare in the Wild is theatre at its most daring. With no director and only a week of rehearsal, performers come in memorized and dive straight into the work, trusting their instincts and the brilliance of Shakespeare's language to guide them. The result is an edge-of-your-seat experience — unfiltered, unpredictable, and wildly alive.

This season, a troupe of talented Shakespeare Theatre actors will be set loose on The Merry Wives of Windsor from August 14 - 23, Shakespeare's fast-paced comedy bursting with mischief and unforgettable hijinks. When the boastful Sir John Falstaff is outsmarted by two clever women, chaos ensues in this joyful tale of comic revenge. Filled with wordplay, disguises, and unexpected twists, it's a timeless celebration of ribaldry and charm.

Complete Works Subscriptions are now on sale! Smaller and flexible discount packages will be available in February, and single tickets will go on sale later in the spring. To ensure that they get the best seats at the best prices, and to get early access to tickets for the Shakespeare in the Wild production, patrons are encouraged to purchase subscriptions now.

For more information regarding The Shakespeare Theatre's subscription packages, programming, and more, visit ShakespeareNJ.org or call the Box Office at (973) 408-5600.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (STNJ) is one of the leading Shakespeare theatres in the nation, serving approximately 40,000 adults and children annually. It is New Jersey's largest professional theatre company dedicated to Shakespeare's canon and other classic masterworks. Through its productions and education programs the company strives to illuminate the universal and lasting relevance of the classics for contemporary audiences.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey's programs are made possible, in part, by funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional major support is received from the F.M. Kirby Foundation, The MacMillan Family Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, The Edward T. Cone Foundation, The Samuel H. Scripps Foundation, CTW Foundation, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, The New Jersey Cultural Trust, The Hearst Foundations, Shakespeare in American Communities, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest, Union Foundation, John and Margaret Post Foundation, Provident Bank, Hyde and Watson Foundation, E.J. Grassmann Trust, Jack K. Ayre and Frank Ayre Lee Theatre Foundation, The John R. Eckel Jr. Foundation, Mimi Washington Starrett Foundation, Turrell Fund, the Merrill G. and Emita E. Hastings Foundation, and the Howard Gilman Foundation, as well as contributions from numerous other foundations, corporations, government agencies, and individuals.