The Shakespeare Theatre Of New Jersey Announces An Abundance Of Fall Events

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is excited to announce an autumn chock full of special one-night events. The Shakespeare Theatre will host The Great Book Swap on Sunday, September 16 at 3 Vreeland Road beginning at 3:00 p.m. On Monday, October 1 at 7:30 p.m., a staged reading of John Updike's Gertrude and Claudius will be presented as the last offering in The Shakespeare Theatre's Lend Us Your Ears play reading series. Following that event will be Mediterranean Nights on Friday, October 5 at 7:00 p.m.

Towards the end of October, the Theatre will host its annual Costume, Prop, Tag Sale, just in time for Halloween on Sunday, October 21 - great for all those who seek unusual items at tag sales. On Monday, October 29 at 7:30 p.m., the Theatre's annual Something Wicked This Way Comes presentation will provide a chilling, thrilling way to get excited about Halloween. This year the event will feature ghost stories. From September 19 to October 7, Sam Shepard's Pulitzer Prize-winning Buried Child will be presented on the Main Stage.

The Great Book Swap, Mediterranean Nights, and the Costume, Prop, and Tag Sale will take place at the Theatre's Production and Support Facility at 3 Vreeland Road. Gertrude and Claudius, Something Wicked This Way Comes, as well as Buried Child will take place at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre at 36 Madison Avenue, Madison. There is ample free parking at both locations. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 973-845-6732 or visit www.ShakespeareNJ.org.

The Great Book Swap will feature a delightful afternoon of book swapping and scintillating conversation with fellow book lovers. Patrons are encouraged to bring a copy of their favorite book to swap with a fellow guest. From 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., guests are invited to enjoy afternoon tea treats, champagne cocktails, as well as a small silent auction featuring very special volumes, including first editions, signed copies, or hard-to-find treasures. There will also be a fun Book Pull during the event, allowing people to pull and swap even more books. Tickets to this event are only $40, with proceeds benefiting the Theatre's many education programs. To purchase tickets, call the Box Office at 973-408-5600 or visit www.ShakespeareNJ.org.

Gertrude and Claudius is playwright Mark St. Germain's 2017 stage adaptation of John Updike's provocative novel of the same name, published in 2000. The events of the play serve as a prequel to Hamlet, and the focus is on Gertrude's girlhood, her arranged marriage to the man who becomes King Hamlet, and her middle-aged affair with her husband's younger brother. Drawing on aspects of ancient Scandinavian legends, hints from Shakespeare's play, and his own imagination, Updike paints a compelling tale of familial dysfunction, changing philosophical world views, and a world darkened by the shadow of Gertrude's brooding, malcontented son, Prince Hamlet. In Mr. St. Germain's capable hands, the tale makes the move from novel to play form, and The Shakespeare Theatre is eager to hear audience feedback on this new riff on these iconic characters. Tickets are $18 to this one-night event.

On Friday, October 5, the Theatre will turn 3 Vreeland into a Mediterranean oasis for their fall fundraiser, Mediterranean Nights. The festive night will be filled with live music, scrumptious delicacies, and special libations from the region. Guests could go home with special wines as the popular wine pull returns. A silent auction with unique items will also be offered. Tickets for this event are $100 and can be purchased by calling 973-845-6732 or visiting www.ShakespeareNJ.org.

The popular Costume, Prop, and Tag Sale is back and will be held on Sunday, October 21 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Theatre will be selling costumes, set pieces, furniture, albums, craft materials, fabrics, knick-knacks, jewelry, life-size puppets, and much, much more. The tag sale is perfect for anyone looking for incredible bargains and deals. For more information, call 973-408-5600 or visit 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 approximately 100,000 children and adults annually, it is New Jersey's largest 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 Bank of America, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, The F.M. Kirby Foundation, The Edward T. Cone Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, CTW Foundation, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, and The Merrill G. and Emita E. Hastings Foundation, as well as contributions from numerous corporations, foundations, government agencies and individuals.

To post a comment, you must register and login.