(MADISON, NJ) -- The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (STNJ) presents The Sound of All Things, a new art exhibition by painter Ted Papoulas, on display throughout the run of the Theatre's upcoming production of It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play — playing December 3-28, 2025 at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre in Madison.
A celebration of Brooklyn's fading eras and enduring character, The Sound of All Things features a series of richly detailed gouache paintings that draw inspiration from the 1930s and 1940s. With an eye for the poetic details of urban life — storefronts, stoops, street corners, and the iconic Coney Island Boardwalk — Papoulas captures a time when neighborhoods hummed with rhythm, grit, and unmistakable heart.
"This project found me!" exclaimed Papoulas. "The award-winning author, Myron Uhlberg, had written The Sound of All Things based on his experiences as the hearing child of two deaf parents in the 1930s and 1940s. [He] saw my paintings of Brooklyn and thought I'd be a great match. Although I had never done more than three or four paintings in a specific series, I jumped at the chance."
Papoulas studied at the prestigious Pratt Institute and spent the majority of his post-college years in Brooklyn, a landscape that became both home and muse. "I fell in love with Brooklyn," said Papoulas. "One of the things I love most are the old brownstones and general historic feel, as compared with the modern skyscrapers of Manhattan. [M]y subjects are often what I call 'Disappearing Brooklyn' — small family-run establishments like a donut shop, bakery, diner, or an old-fashioned local pharmacy." Now residing in Montclair with his family, Papoulas continues to create work grounded in memory, atmosphere, and the subtle music of city life.
The Sound of All Things will be on display for the duration of It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, offering theatregoers and art lovers alike the opportunity to experience the exhibition before or after attending the production.
Select pieces will be available for purchase. For more information, visit TedPapoulas.com or contact 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 75,000 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 Shubert Foundation, The Edward T. Cone Foundation, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, CTW Foundation, The Samuel H. Scripps Foundation, Union Foundation, E.J. Grassmann Trust, Hyde, and Watson Foundation, Jack K. Ayre and Frank Ayre Lee Theatre Foundation, The John R. Eckel Jr. 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.
