(MADISON, NJ) -- The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey presents Private Lives by Noël Coward from May 16 to June 7, 2026 in the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre. 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.
The cast includes Ashley Blanchet (Amanda Prynne), Clark Carmichael (Victor Prynne), Britt Michael Gordon (Elyot Chase), Nicole Lawrie (Louise), and Fiona Robberson (Sibyl Chase).
The production team includes Director by Michael Stewart Allen; Scenic Designer Dick Block; Costume Designer Hunter Kaczorowski; Sound Designer Steven Beckel; Lighting Designer Kevin Gartley; Fight Director Rod Kinter; Production Stage Manager Jackie Mariani; and Assistant Stage Manager Miranda Sage Rhode.
Tickets are available for purchase online. The theater is located at 36 Madison Avenue in Madison, New Jersey.
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 company's dedication to the classics, and its commitment to excellence, endeavors to set critical standards for the field. Under new leadership of Artistic Director Brian B. Crowe, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is proud of its extraordinary record of consistent critical acclaim. Itt is the longest-running Shakespeare theatre on the east coast and the only independent arts organization in residence on the Drew University campus in Madison, NJ. Through the Theatre's involvement with the University, Drew has been able to offer theatre students the opportunity to enjoy an active relationship with New Jersey's only professional theatre dedicated to the classics.
The annual Main Stage season, presented in the state-of-the-art F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre in Madison, runs May through December. An Outdoor Stage production is typically presented each summer at the Greek Theatre, an open-air amphitheater located on the College of Saint Elizabeth campus in nearby Florham Park.
The institution's staff works year-round to produce the company's performance season, educational programming, various special events, and fundraising and marketing campaigns. Each year, STNJ works with over 200 artists and students during the course of the season and through its various Main Stage, Outdoor Stage and touring productions plays to approximately 75,000 audience members each year, primarily from New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Through non-traditional casting and significant outreach efforts, the Theatre continues to build a culturally and geographically diverse audience.
