David Foubert

'Red Velvet,' is now onstage at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey through September 25th. This important and brilliant piece of theatre is written by Lolita Chakrabarti, directed by Bonnie Monte and features a stellar cast.

This month, New Jersey Shakespeare Theatre presents RED VELVET.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (STNJ) is proud to present the New Jersey premiere of British playwright Lolita Chakrabarti's multi-award-winning play, Red Velvet. Performances begin September 7 and continue through September 25 at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue (at Lancaster Road) in Madison. Tickets and subscriptions can be purchased by calling the Box Office at 973-408-5600 or going online at shakespearenj.org.

ACT and Director John Langs completely nailed it again and then some. I saw the production last year of ACT's Seattle tradition of "A Christmas Carol" and found myself struck by how well they conveyed this classic tale. And as much as I enjoyed it last year there was something even more magical and special in the air for this year's production (or they spiked my eggnog) as I completely found myself swept away by this incredible show and, yes, crying my eyes out.

'Henry VIII' directed by Paul Mullins in now onstage at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey through November 9th. Area audiences should relish the opportunity to see a stellar cast in Shakespeare's epic pageant.

David Foubert will play the role of King Henry VIII in the New Jersey Shakespeare Theatre's production of 'Henry VIII.' Directed by Paul Mullins, performances will begin on the Madison stage on October 15th.

Next up on its Main Stage, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey presents the Bard's epic pageant play Henry VIII. Centered around the tug-of-wars between church and state and husband and wife, the play culminates in the birth of England's future Queen Elizabeth I, Shakespeare's great patron and Henry's fierce and very female heir. Performances begin October 15 at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue in Madison. Tickets start at $25 for preview performances and $32 for regular performances. Student rush tickets for all performances are $15, available a half-hour before curtain for with a valid student ID. Performances are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. For tickets, call the Box Office at 973-408-5600 or visit www.ShakespeareNJ.org.

In my opinion One Act plays are an underutilized form in the theatrical world. Too short to take up an entire evening's entertainment and so they get overlooked. Thankfully ACT has chosen not to shy away from the form with their current offering, "An Evening of One Acts" and has even chosen works by some iconic American authors. And while the evening was loaded with quirky fun, two of the one acts felt as if they could have ended a few times over and ran a bit long.

A full plate of theatre portioned out in three short plays, ACT - A Contemporary Theatre presents An Evening of One Acts. The line-up begins with a curtain raiser by Steve Martin, Patter for the Floating Lady, followed by Woody Allen's Riverside Drive, and the evening culminates with Sam Shepard's The Unseen Hand. All three plays deliver an experience that will stretch the imagination with magic, surprise, wonder, and a dose of science fiction fantasy.

A full plate of theatre portioned out in three short plays, ACT - A Contemporary Theatre presents An Evening of One Acts. The line-up begins with a curtain raiser by Steve Martin, Patter for the Floating Lady, followed by Woody Allen's Riverside Drive, and the evening culminates with Sam Shepard's The Unseen Hand. All three plays deliver an experience that will stretch the imagination with magic, surprise, wonder, and a dose of science fiction fantasy.

I've never particularly been a fan of Shakespeare's histories. To me they amount to a lot of political posturing. But even with all the posturing they usually amount to a story with high stakes for all involved. Unfortunately the pacing and some performances from Seattle Shakespeare Company's current production of "Richard II" are so middle of the road and one note that the show lacked those high stakes and amounted to just so much of that posturing.

With recent airings on PBS via the BBC's 'Hollow Crown' series and a screening of the RSC production with David Tenant, the Puget Sound region has seen a mini-renaissance of Shakespeare's Richard II. Seattle Shakespeare Company starts the New Year with its own production of Richard II directed by Rosa Joshi. Artistic Director George Mount will play the title role in a cast that features 16 actors.

With recent airings on PBS via the BBC's "Hollow Crown" series and a screening of the RSC production with David Tenant, the Puget Sound region has seen a mini-renaissance of Shakespeare's Richard II. Seattle Shakespeare Company starts the New Year with its own production of Richard II directed by Rosa Joshi. Artistic Director George Mount will play the title role in a cast that features 16 actors.

A reading of 'ON THE WAY TO O'NEILL'S: JFK IN IRELAND', a new drama by ANN G. BAUER and DAVID BECKETT that imagines the later years of John F. Kennedy, will be presented as part of the MIDTOWN INTERNATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL'S Reading Series.

A reading of 'ON THE WAY TO O'NEILL'S: JFK IN IRELAND', a new drama by ANN G. BAUER and DAVID BECKETT that imagines the later years of John F. Kennedy, will be presented as part of the MIDTOWN INTERNATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL'S Reading Series.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey kicks off its 2009 Season with a world premiere stage adaptation of Around the World in Eighty Days. Adapted for the stage by Bonnie J. Monte from the beloved novel by Jules Verne, this inventive production is an exhilarating treat for people of all ages. Around the World in Eighty Days began performances on April 29 and continues through May 24 at the Shakespeare Theatre's Main Stage - The F. M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue at Lancaster Road in Madison. For tickets or more information, call the box office at 973-408-5600, email boxoffice@shakespearenj.org or visit www.ShakespeareNJ.org.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey kicks off its 2009 Season with a world premiere stage adaptation of Around the World in Eighty Days. Adapted for the stage by Bonnie J. Monte from the beloved novel by Jules Verne, this inventive production is an exhilarating treat for people of all ages. Around the World in Eighty Days begins performances on April 29 and continues through May 24 at the Shakespeare Theatre's Main Stage - The F. M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue at Lancaster Road in Madison.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey concludes its record breaking 2008 Season with William Shakespeare's mercurial romance The Winter's Tale.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey concludes its record breaking 2008 Season with William Shakespeare's mercurial romance The Winter's Tale.

he Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey announced today a one week extension of its zany and irreverent send-up of Shakespeare, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield. Performances run now through Saturday, July 26.