Playscripts Publishes Shakespeare Theatre of NJ’s The Servant of Two Masters

Playscripts, Inc., an innovative publisher and licensor of plays and musicals, has published a new translation of Carlo Goldoni's classic comedy The Servant of Two Masters translated and adapted by Bonnie J. Monte, artistic director of The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. Stock and amateur rights for the play, which had its critically acclaimed world premiere at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey's Outdoor Stage in July of 2010, are now available for theatres, schools and universities worldwide to produce. Playscripts, Inc. is an independent publisher of new plays and musicals, established in 1998 by brothers and playwrights Doug and Jonathan Rand for the mutual benefit of playwrights and theaters worldwide.

In reviews of the premiere of The Servant of Two Masters at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Monte's translation was called "simultaneously proper and casual," and "filled with exuberant mayhem that will leave you laughing long after you've left the theatre."

"It is very exciting to have Playscripts publish and license this script which provided such delight for all those who saw the premiere production at the Shakespeare Theatre last summer," said translator and adaptor Bonnie J. Monte. "As the artistic director of a classic theatre company, I found myself yearning for an English translation and adaptation of Goldoni's comedic masterpiece that honored both the time and circumstances from which it sprang, as well as its original style and its status as an important transitional classic. In this recently published work, I have tried to honor Goldoni's attempt to humanize and deepen the stock commedia characters as well as depict the bridge he created between the old Italianate style and his new one - one very much influenced by Molière and the English comedies of manners."

Ms. Monte has been the artistic director of The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey since 1990. In that time, she has directed more than 50 acclaimed productions for the Theatre and has created original translations and adaptations of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Marivaux's Triumph of Love, Enrico IV by Pirandello, Ostrovsky's Artists and Admirers, Maeterlinck's The Blue Bird, Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne and Old Echoes: New Ears, a play for young audiences.

Playscripts' exclusive catalog of new plays was officially released in March 2000, and has grown to include 1,655 plays by 791 authors. These plays represent a great diversity of voices, styles, and stories, and have been enjoyed in 92 countries. Playscripts licenses amateur and professional productions, and publishes acting editions, binder books, and paperback volumes. For information about Playscripts and The Servant of Two Masters translated and adapted by Bonnie J. Monte, visit www.Playscripts.com.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey's 2011 Season includes Jean Baptiste Molière's The Misanthrope, translated into English verse by Richard Wilbur (June 1 - 26); Shakespeare's Timon of Athens (July 6 - 24); Accidental Death of An Anarchist by Dario Fo, translated by Ed Emery (Aug 3 - 28); William Shakespeare's Othello (Sept. 7 - Oct. 2); To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, adapted by Christopher Sergel (Oct. 12 - Nov. 20) and Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, adapted for the stage by Neil Bartlett (Dec. 1 - Jan. 1). On its renowned Outdoor Stage, the Shakespeare Theatre will present Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (June 22 - July 31). For more information about The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey and its upcoming 2011 season, call 973-408-5600, email boxoffice@ShakespeareNJ.org or visit www.ShakespeareNJ.org.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey's Main Stage, the 308-seat F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, is conveniently located in Madison at 36 Madison Avenue (Route 124) at Lancaster Road (on the Drew University campus), just minutes from routes 287, 78 and 10. Parking is free. The F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre is barrier free with access into the theatre via a ramp and elevator access to all floors. Wheelchair seating and transfer seating is available. Braille and large print programs are available. Infrared listening devices are available free of charge. Some performances are audio described, captioned and sign-language interpreted. Contact the theatre for more information. The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey's Outdoor Stage, on the campus of the College of St. Elizabeth, is conveniently located at 2 Convent Road, off Madison Avenue (Rt. 124) in Convent Station, just minutes from routes 287, 78 and 10. Parking is free. The Theatre is barrier free. Wheelchair seating is available. Braille and Large Print programs are available. Infrared listening devices are available free of charge. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call 973-408-5600 or visit www.ShakespeareNJ.org.

The acclaimed Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is an independent, professional theatre company located on the Drew University campus. One of the leading Shakespeare theatres in the nation, serving 100,000 adults and children annually, it is New Jersey's only professional theatre company dedicated solely to Shakespeare's canon and other world classics. Through its distinguished productions and education programs, the company strives to illuminate the universal and lasting relevance of the classics for contemporary audiences.