Shakespeare Theatre of NJ Presents Brecht’s 'WOMAN OF SZECHWAN' Reading, 10/4

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey's new play reading series - Lend Us Your Ears - continues with The Good Woman of Szechwan by Bertolt Brecht, translated by Eric Bentley. The one-night-only reading, featuring a cast of prominent actors, will take place on Monday, October 4 at 7:30 p.m. at the Shakespeare Theatre's Main Stage, the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Ave. (at Lancaster Road) in Madison. Tickets are $15 for adults; $10 for students. For tickets or more information, call the box office at 973-408-5600 or visit www.ShakespeareNJ.org.

Lend Us Your Ears provides patrons the opportunity to join the directors, actors and artistic staff of The Shakespeare Theatre explore works under consideration for production in upcoming seasons. These script-in-hand readings feature members of The Shakespeare Theatre's esteemed company of actors as well as prestigious guest artists. Background information about the play is provided and a talk-back session with director, cast and audience follows each reading.

Written in 1948 by Bertolt Brecht, one of the giants of the modern theater and the author of The Three Penny Opera and Mother Courage and Her Children among others, The Good Woman of Szechwan is an enchanting parable. The gods have agreed to let the world continue as it is if they can find one good person, and they find one in Shen Te, a young prostitute. With the gods' generous reward, Shen Te tries to lead a decent life, but her compassion for her friends and neighbors causes her downfall. Only with the help of her hard-hearted "cousin" -- who appears mysteriously out of nowhere -- is she able to save herself.

The cast includes company members from Manhattan's prestigious Pan Asian Rep, Ma-Yi Theatre Company and NAATCO (National Asian American Theatre company) as well as

Shakespeare Theatre veteran actors including Joel de la Fuente who currently appears in a recurring role in Law & Order: SVU; Richard Bourg, Jay Leibowitz, Andy Paterson, Maureen Sebastian, Tina Stafford, Raphael Nash Thompson, and Patrick Toon. Newcomers to The Shakespeare Theatre include Wai Ching Ho, Jason Ma, Les Mau, Ching Valdes-Aran, and Henry Yuk. The reading will include live music from the erhu -- a Chinese violin -- performed by Todd Low.

The final reading in the Lend Us Your Ears play reading series will be Shakespeare's Henry VIII, directed by Artistic Director Bonnie J. Monte, on Monday, November 15 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets

Tickets for the reading series are $15 each for adults; Student tickets are $10. For tickets, call the box office at 973-408-5600, visit www.ShakespeareNJ.org or email boxoffice@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. Contact the theatre for more information. 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.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey's programs are made possible, in part, by funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional major support is received from The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the F. M. Kirby Foundation, The Edward T. Cone Foundation, The Shubert Foundation and Drew University, as well as contributions from numerous corporations, foundations, government agencies and individuals. Crystal Rock Water is the company's official water provider of The Shakespeare Theatre.

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