Shakespeare Theatre Of NJ Announces HAMLET Casting Including Cuccioli, Antaramian & More

Bonnie J. Monte, artistic director of The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, has announced additional casting for William Shakespeare's Hamlet, which Ms. Monte will direct. Hamlet will begin performances on September 9 and continue through October 11 on the Shakespeare Theatre Main Stage - The F. M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue at Lancaster Road in Madison. For tickets, call the box office at 973-408-5600, visit www.ShakespeareNJ.org or email boxoffice@shakespearenj.org.

Leading man Gareth Saxe returns to The Shakespeare Theatre to lead the cast of Hamlet. Saxe appeared as Joey in last season's Drama Desk Award-winning Broadway revival of The Homecoming and previously in the Roundabout Theatre's acclaimed production of Heartbreak House. He also appeared in A Moon to Dance By with Robert Cuccioli and Jane Alexander at The REP in Pittsburgh, PA. For The Shakespeare Theatre, Saxe has appeared in The Importance of Being Earnest, Les Liaisons Dangereuses and The Merchant of Venice.

Joining the cast is Broadway veteran and Tony Award nominee Robert Cuccioli as Claudius, The King of Denmark. Cuccioli last appeared at The Shakespeare Theatre in the 2008 smash hit Amadeus. He received a Tony Award nomination and the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for his portrayal of the title roles in the hit Broadway musical Jekyll and Hyde. Also on Broadway, he played Javert in Les Miserables. His off-Broadway credits include Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, Enter the Guardsman and And the World Goes ‘Round. For The Shakespeare Theatre, in addition to Amadeus, Cuccioli has played Brutus in Julius Caesar, Macbeth in Macbeth, Antony in Antony and Cleopatra and the leads in Carnival and Enter the Guardsman. He has also performed at many prestigious theatres across the nation including The Shakespeare Theatre Company D.C., The Guthrie Theatre, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, Paper Mill Playhouse, McCarter Theatre and George Street Playhouse.

Making her Shakespeare Theatre debut is Jacqueline Antaramian as Gertrude, Hamlet's mother, the Queen of Denmark. Antaramian is currently the understudy for Janet McTeer in Broadway's acclaimed Mary Stuart. She has also appeared on the Great White Way in Coram Boy, Wrong Mountain and Julius Caesar. Regionally, Ms. Antaramian has appeared at the Old Globe Theatre, Utah Shakespeare, The Wilma Theatre and McCarter Theatre. On television, she has appeared in Fringe, Lipstick Jungle and The Sopranos.

Newcomer Daniel Stewart joins the cast as Laertes. Stewart appeared on Broadway in The Overwhelming (Roundabout Theatre) and Not About Nightingales, directed by Trevor Nunn. Off-Broadway, he played Phileas Fogg in Around the World in Eighty Days at Irish Rep. He has appeared regionally at Cincinnati Playhouse, Alley Theatre, Syracuse Stage and The Old Globe. In the UK, Stewart appeared in Not About Nightingales at the Royal National Theatre as well as in productions at the National Studio Theatre, Greenwich Theatre and Cambridge Theatre Co.

Single tickets for Hamlet are now on sale and range in price from $30 to $54 depending on performance day and time. Patrons can save up to 40% off regular ticket prices by purchasing a 3 or 4-Play Discount Ticket package at significantly discounted prices. Four-Play packages (Noises Off, Hamlet, The Grapes of Wrath and Twelfth Night) are available for as low as $76. Three play packages start at $60. Ticket Packages also offer additional benefits such as discounts on additional tickets and free and flexible ticket exchange privileges. Patrons may also select FlexPasses -- discounted vouchers that are redeemed for tickets during the season. Single ticket prices include a $2 facility fee not subject to discount. For tickets, call the box office at 973-408-5600, visit www.ShakespeareNJ.org or email boxoffice@shakespearenj.org.

For more information about the season, call 973-408-5600, email or visit www.ShakespeareNJ.org.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey's 2009 Season continues with 4 remaining productions on the Main Stage.

One of the most popular back-stage comedies, Noises Off by Michael Frayn, is next running August 5 through August 30th. Quickly earning an exalted spot in the canon of classic comedies, Noises Off pulls back the curtain on a third-rate troupe of actors performing the sex farce Nothing On, where backstage romance, slamming doors, missing actors and a plate of sardines lead to hilarious on-stage chaos. Noises Off is directed by Paul Mullins.

Hamlet takes the stage next running September 9 through October 11.

Adapted by Frank Galati from the epic novel by John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath runs October 21 through November 21. The story of Tom Joad and his family's flight from the Dust Bowl of Oklahoma during the Great Depression is a majestic and deeply affecting portrait of American life and the American soul at a defining moment in our nation's history. The production is directed by Joe Discher who directed the 2004 acclaimed production of Of Mice and Men.

Closing the season is Shakespeare's Twelfth Night running December 2 through January 3, 2010. Directed by Bonnie J. Monte, Twelfth Night is a shimmering confection - delightfully tart, ravishingly bittersweet and spectacularly frothy all at once. It is a joyous show for the holidays and for families of all ages.

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 Outdoor Stage is located at the Greek Theatre on the campus of the College of St. Elizabeth in Morristown. 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. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call 973-408-5600, email boxoffice@ShakespeareNJ.org 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.

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