About the Theatre
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (STNJ), originally called the "New Jersey Shakespeare Festival,” is one of the leading Shakespeare theatres in the nation, serving approximately 75,000 adults and children annually. It is New Jersey's largest professional theatre company dedicated solely to Shakespeare's canon and other classic masterworks. Through its productions and education programs, the company strives to illuminate the universal and lasting relevance of the classics for contemporary audiences.
The company's dedication to the classics, and its commitment to excellence, endeavors to set critical standards for the field. Under new leadership of Artistic Director Brian B. Crowe, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is proud of its extraordinary record of consistent critical acclaim. Now in its 64th season, it is the longest-running Shakespeare theatre on the east coast. It is the only independent arts organization in residence on the Drew University campus in Madison, NJ. Through the Theatre's involvement with the University, Drew has been able to offer theatre students the opportunity to enjoy an active relationship with New Jersey's only professional theatre dedicated to the classics.
The annual Main Stage season, presented in the intimate, state-of-the-art F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre in Madison, runs May through December. An Outdoor Stage production is typically presented each summer at The Greek Theatre, an open-air amphitheater located on the College of Saint Elizabeth campus in nearby Florham Park.
The institution's staff works year-round to produce the company's performance season, educational programming, various special events, and fundraising and marketing campaigns. Each year, STNJ works with over 200 artists and students during the course of the season and through its various Main Stage, Outdoor Stage and touring productions plays to approximately 75,000 audience members each year, primarily from New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Through non-traditional casting and significant outreach efforts, the Theatre continues to build a culturally and geographically diverse audience.
In 2002 and 2006, The Star-Ledger named the company "Regional Theatre of the Year." In 2014, The Wall Street Journal singled STNJ out as "The Best Company of the Year." In 2002, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation awarded the Theatre a prestigious Strategic Partnership Grant in the amount of $1 million, "in recognition of the artistry, achievements, and leadership of this acclaimed Madison, New Jersey-based performing arts and education organization." STNJ has garnered numerous other awards and recognitions over its long history.
by Marina Kennedy - March 03, 2026
American Theater Group (ATG) is topping off their 2025-2026 season with a superb main stage production of Lerner and Loewe’s musical theatre gem, My Fair Lady....
by Marina Kennedy - March 02, 2026
See the poignant, re-imagined production of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House at Two River Theater (TRT). ...
by Marina Kennedy - February 24, 2026
New Jersey Repertory Company (NJ Rep) is launching their exciting 2026 Mainstage Season with the world premiere of 'Samantha Inside Out' by the award-winning playwright, Marisa Smith....
by Marina Kennedy - February 10, 2026
The re-imagined production of 'Come From Away' is now on stage at Paper Mill Playhouse through Sunday, March 1. The production, ingeniously directed and choreographed by Richard J. Hinds, features actors playing musical instruments live onstage...
by Marina Kennedy - December 10, 2025
The Christmas spirit is on full display at George Street Playhouse with a show that will surely please all. 'Ebenezer Scrooge’s Big Jersey Christmas Show' will be performed through...
by Marina Kennedy - December 09, 2025
‘Tis the season for a show that will delight and inspire. 'It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play' is now being performed at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (STNJ) and it tops off their 2025 season....
Past Shows
“No man is a failure who has friends.”Step in from the cold as our stage is transformed into a 1940s radio studio for this cherished...
“Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful.”Who is the real monster — creature or creator? Lightning flashes, thunder rumbles, and ghost stories crackle in...
“Civil blood makes civil hands unclean.”Set in a time of deadly civil division, Shakespeare’s masterful tragedy continues to hold up a heartbreaking mirror to our...
![The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] [again]](https://cloudimages2.broadwayworld.com/regionalshows/nd79AA1034-D16C-4200-A2E2FC4D3B4CFCED.jpg?format=auto&width=212)
“All 37 Plays in 99 Minutes!”Fasten your seat belts for a high-energy, slapstick rollercoaster ride through Shakespeare’s entire canon! Three madcap actors scamper their hapless...
“A Trivial Comedy for Serious People”Double dual identities, a domineering matriarch, and a mysterious handbag spark hilarious confusion in Oscar Wilde’s delightful comedy of manners....
Videos