John Malkovich, photo by Lukas Beck
(PRINCETON, NJ) -- McCarter Theatre Center presents a weekend of comedy and theatrical invention with John Malkovich in The Music Critic on Saturday, April 17 in the Matthews Theatre, and The Improvised Shakespeare Company® for three performances April 16–17, 2026 in the Berlind Theatre.
In The Music Critic, John Malkovich stars in a sardonic and musically rich exploration of classical music criticism. Schumann is called a “composer,” Brahms a “giftless bastard,” and Debussy is deemed “simply ugly,” as composer Aleksey Igudesman assembles infamous critiques written about some of classical music’s most celebrated works. Malkovich inhabits the role of an unrelenting critic, while musicians Aleksey Igudesman, Hyung-ki Joo, and others respond with performances of works by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Brahms, Schumann, Debussy, Prokofiev, Ysaye, Kancheli, Piazzolla, and Igudesman. The evening culminates in “The Malkovich Torment,” a humorous musical “review” of Malkovich himself, set by Igudesman.
McCarter Theatre’s weekend continues with The Improvised Shakespeare Company®, a critically acclaimed improv troupe known for its spontaneous, fast-paced comedy. Performances are Friday, April 16 at 7:30pm and Saturday, April 17 at 7:00pm & 9:30pm.
Based entirely on a single audience suggestion, The Improvised Shakespeare Company creates a fully improvised Shakespearean play in real time—complete with characters, dialogue, and plot devised on the spot. Nothing is scripted or rehearsed, and even the performers discover the story as it unfolds.
Founded in Chicago in 2005, The Improvised Shakespeare Company has appeared at major venues and festivals including the Kennedy Center, 92nd Street Y, Bonnaroo, San Francisco Sketchfest, Bumbershoot Music and Arts Festival, Sun Valley Writers’ Conference, and the Just For Laughs festivals in Montreal and Chicago. Its flagship production, Improvised Shakespeare Chicago℠, continues its long-running success.
Tickets can be purchased online at mccarter.org, by calling Patron Services at (609) 258-2787, or in person at the McCarter Theatre Center Box Office, 91 University Place, in Princeton, New Jersey.
McCarter is one of the country’s flagship theaters and a vibrant center for community and the performing arts. Located on the campus of Princeton University, the company is an independent nonprofit, serving as a nationally renowned, multi-disciplinary creative hub for arts and ideas, offering theatre, music, dance, spoken word, and educational programs for all ages. A two-time Tony Award winner, McCarter’s legacy of artistic excellence dates back to the theatre’s first performances in 1930. Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, Kaufmann & Hart’s You Can’t Take It with You, and William Inge’s Bus Stop all had their premieres on the McCarter stage, paving the way for a long history of collaborations with playwrights to launch remarkable works that have gone on to tens of thousands of performances, reaching millions of audience members around the world.
The company is equally revered for presenting global artists on its stages, including Alvin Ailey, Yo-Yo Ma, Samara Joy, Hasan Minhaj, Jon Stewart, Caetano Veloso, Rhiannon Giddens, Patti Smith, Esperanza Spalding, Lake Street Dive, and Herbie Hancock, among many others. Of the 100,000 community members who directly participate in the company’s work every year, more than 5,000 are students taking part in McCarter’s robust educational offerings in Princeton, Trenton, and schools throughout the region. McCarter leads with values of “justice and joy, and beauty in belonging,” creating stories and experiences that enliven minds, expand imaginations, and engage communities.
