(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- George Street Playhouse (GSP) announced that they are the recipients of a $500,000 grant from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) under Phase II of the Activation, Revitalization, and Transformation (A.R.T.) program. This grant will support an expanded run and "Choose Your Price" performances for GSP's upcoming production of My Lord, What A Night, designed to increase access to professional theater for audiences across New Jersey.
The NJEDA A.R.T. Phase II program aims to catalyze community placemaking efforts by leveraging New Jersey’s arts and cultural sector as a creative force for change, and by supporting non-profit organizations focused on public art installations and arts-based initiatives. Funded through the American Rescue Plan (ARP), A.R.T. Phase II replicates the first phase of the program, which focused on Atlantic City and Newark, by expanding eligibility to municipalities throughout the state. The A.R.T. Phase II program adds to the NJEDA’s robust toolkit of existing programs meant to expand access to arts and culture, which includes the Cultural Arts Facilities Expansion (CAFE) program, which provides tax credits to incentivize broad scale capital projects for arts and cultural venues in New Jersey.
Six performances will be offered as “Choose Your Price” events: Wednesday May 6 at 1:00pm; Friday May 8 at 7:30pm; Saturday May 9 at 7:30pm; Sunday May 10 at 7:00pm; Tuesday May 12 at 7:00pm; and Wednesday May 13 at 2:00pm. For these performances, anyone may purchase tickets at a price of their choosing, starting at $10 (all fees included). The initiative is designed to reduce barriers to attending live theater and welcome new audiences from across the region.
“Choose Your Price” tickets begin at $10 and are available here. Performances take place at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, which is located at 11 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
“George Street Playhouse has long been a cornerstone of New Brunswick’s vibrant arts community, and this $500,000 NJEDA A.R.T. grant is a well-deserved recognition of its continued impact,” said New Brunswick Mayor Jim Cahill. “By expanding access through ‘Choose Your Price’ performances, GSP is ensuring that more people throughout our region can experience the power of live theater right here in the heart of our city. We are proud that New Brunswick remains a place where arts, culture, and community come together, and we congratulate the entire George Street Playhouse team on this exciting achievement.”
Added Lindsay Erben, Director of the Arts Institute of Middlesex County, “We are committed to ensuring that everyone has access to meaningful, high‑quality arts experiences right here in Middlesex County. The ‘Choose Your Price’ model is a powerful way to welcome audiences who may have previously faced cost barriers, while also encouraging those who are able to invest more deeply in a treasured community institution. We are proud to support George Street Playhouse as a Core Partner Institution and applaud their continued leadership in making theater accessible to all.”
Additionally, GSP will offer Spanish Open Captioning at the performances on Saturday May 9 at 7:30pm, and Sunday May 10 at 7:00pm.
“The Consulate of Mexico in New Brunswick is delighted that George Street Playhouse will offer two performances with Open Captioning in Spanish on May 9th and 10th,” said Mariana Diaz, Head Consul. Head Consul Diaz welcomed this initiative, stating that “it allows the Spanish speaking community of New Jersey to experience art and culture in a way that is easier to understand, and also brings people closer to GSP and their wonderful programming.”
My Lord, What a Night is written by Deborah Brevoort (Blue Moon Over Memphis) and directed by Sheldon Epps (Play On!). Previews for My Lord, What a Night will begin on Tuesday April 28, 2026, with opening night set for Friday May 1, for a limited engagement through Sunday May 17, 2026, at George Street Playhouse.
A Remarkable Friendship. A Night That Changed History.
Princeton, 1937. When world-famous contralto Marian Anderson is turned away from a hotel because of her race, she finds an unexpected host in Albert Einstein. What begins as a simple act of hospitality grows into a unique friendship between two brilliant minds—one that will resonate through history.
Based on true events, My Lord, What a Night offers an intimate look at the meeting of these two icons and the events that ignited Anderson’s legendary performance on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
The cast and creative team of My Lord, What a Night will be announced at a later date.
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) serves as the State’s principal agency for driving economic growth. The NJEDA is committed to making New Jersey a national model for inclusive and sustainable economic development by focusing on key strategies to help build strong and dynamic communities, create good jobs for New Jersey residents, and provide pathways to a stronger and fairer economy. Through partnerships with a diverse range of stakeholders, the NJEDA creates and implements initiatives to enhance the economic vitality and quality of life in the State and strengthen New Jersey’s long-term economic competitiveness.
For more than 50 years, George Street Playhouse has produced groundbreaking new works, inspiring productions of the classics, and hit Broadway plays and musicals that speak to the heart and mind, with an unwavering commitment to producing new work. As New Brunswick’s first producing theatre, George Street Playhouse became the cornerstone of the revitalization of the City’s arts and cultural landscape. Entering its 52nd season, the organization has a rich history of producing nationally renowned theatre.
Under the leadership of Artistic Director David Saint (1997-2025) the Playhouse filled a unique theatre and arts education role in the city, state, and greater metropolitan region. George Street Playhouse appointed Edgar Herrera from Managing Director to Executive Director in January 2025.
Beginning with the 2019-20 Season, George Street Playhouse moved to the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center in downtown New Brunswick. Featuring two state-of-the-art theatres—The Arthur Laurents Theater with 253 seats and The Elizabeth Ross Johnson Theater which seats 465—and myriad amenities, the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center marks a new era in the esteemed history of George Street Playhouse. Founded by Eric Krebs, George Street Playhouse, originally located in an abandoned supermarket on the corner of George and Albany Streets, was the first professional theatre in New Brunswick. In 1984, the Playhouse moved to a renovated YMCA on Livingston Avenue, and in 2017 took temporary residence in the former Agricultural Museum at Rutgers University during construction of its new home.
The Playhouse has been well represented by numerous productions both on and off-Broadway. In 2018, George Street Playhouse was represented on Broadway with Gettin’ the Band Back Together which premiered on the Playhouse mainstage in 2013. American Son, produced by George Street Playhouse in 2017, opened on Broadway in 2018 starring Kerry Washington and Stephen Pasquale, and was seen on Netflix. Other productions include the Outer Critics’ Circle Best Musical Award-winner The Toxic Avenger. In 2015, It Shoulda Been You opened on Broadway and Joe DiPietro’s Clever Little Lies opened off-Broadway. Both shows received their premieres at the Playhouse. Other productions include the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Drama League Award-nominated production of The Spitfire Grill; and the Broadway hit and Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning play Proof by David Auburn, which was developed at the Playhouse during the 1999 Next Stage Series of new plays.
George Street Playhouse programming is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Grant funding has been provided by the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Commissioners through a grant award from the Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund.
