Allison Janney to appear at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey Gala 4/10

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey will hold its renowned annual fundraiser gala and cabaret performance on April 10 at the Hilton Short Hills in Short Hills, New Jersey. In addition to kicking off the 2010 Season, The Shakespeare Theatre gala will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Artistic Director Bonnie J. Monte who took over the ailing company, then known as The New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, in 1990.

Under Ms. Monte's 20-years of leadership, The Shakespeare Theatre has undergone unprecedented programmatic expansion and received national and international acclaim for its work on stage and in the field of education. Ms. Monte, only the second artistic director in the Theatre's 48- year history, oversaw the capital campaign that resulted in the building of the Shakespeare Theatre's home - The F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre. In 1996, she instituted Shakespeare LIVE!, now the largest Shakespeare touring company for students in the mid-Atlantic region, playing to more than 30,000 students annually. During the Theatre's 40th season in 2002, she began a partnership with the College of St. Elizabeth and launched the Outdoor Stage-a unique second performance venue that attracts thousands of patrons of all ages each summer. Also in 2002, the Theatre received a prestigious one million-dollar Strategic Partnership Grant from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation to support the institution's artistic and educational programming.

Television, film and stage star Allison Janney is among the celebrities set to appear at the annual fundraising event. Emmy Award-winner Allison Janney worked with Ms. Monte early in her career both at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and in New York City. Janney is perhaps best known for her role as CJ Cregg on the hit television series The West Wing, for which she won four Emmy Awards. She has also appeared in the feature films Juno, Hairspray, American Beauty and Life During Wartime, among many others. On Broadway, Janney has appeared in Present Laughter, A View from the Bridge and, most recently, the hit musical 9 to 5, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award and won the Drama Desk Award for Best Actress in a musical.

"Twenty years ago, Bonnie Monte changed the course of this institution," said Shakespeare Theatre Board President Karl Meister. "Her stewardship over the past two decades has made The Shakespeare Theatre a world-class stage and educational institution dedicated to preserving the world's greatest plays. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we look forward to celebrating these accomplishments at our 2010 Gala and raising the important funds we need to continue to do the work that touches the lives of more than 100,000 patrons and students annually."

For more information or to purchase tickets, call 973-408-3761 or visit www.ShakespeareNJ.org.

The evening begins at 6:30 p.m. with fabulous dishes from carving and sauté stations, sumptuous passed hors d'oeuvres and cocktails while Gala attendees mingle with guests and artists, and shop the silent auction that promises scores of unique offerings. Guests may bid on a variety of silent auction offerings including Tiffany Jewelry, a signed script and Director's chair from the hit TV show Damages starring Glenn Close, a five-course tasting dinner at Copeland restaurant, a dinner party for six catered by Ome Catering, and other unique and unusual clothing, jewelry, getaways and sports and theatrical memorabilia items.

Afterwards, guests will enjoy a fabulous cabaret show of music and comedy sketches featuring notable performers from the stage and screen. The celebrity guest roster includes, thus far, Tony award and Emmy award Broadway veterans Laila Robins (Frozen, Heartbreak House), Becky Ann Baker (Assassins, All My Sons) and Mark Jacoby (Sweeney Todd, Ragtime), Tamara Tunie from NBC's series Law and Order: SVU, jazz vocalist Gregory Generet, Broadway performers Tom Galantich, Gareth Saxe and Bob Clohessy and many others.

Gala tickets range from $295 to $1,000 per person and there are numerous sponsorship opportunities available. A portion of each ticket is tax-deductible to the fullest extent provided by law. For more information or reservations, call 973-408-3164 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.