Full of sound and fury, Tuesday night’s thunderstorm damaged the set for two plays at the amphitheater of Saint Elizabeth University, forcing the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey to postpone opening performances at the Morris Township venue.
“I cannot stress how devastating this is for us,” theater Artistic Director Bonnie Monte said Wednesday in a message to subscribers.
After a crippling ransomware attack in 2019, followed by the pandemic shutdown, and challenging rehearsals in extreme heat, the Shakespearean company was eager to perform again before live audiences, starting this Thursday, July 8, 2021, Monte said.
But Mother Nature had other ideas, ransacking the outdoor set with 70 mph gusts and buckets of rain.
Performances from July 8 through July 11 have been canceled. Monte is vowing to open next Tuesday, July 13, with additional shows at 11 am on Saturday, July 24, and Saturday, July 31.
The troupe is scheduled to present Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors, directed by Brian B. Crowe; and Snug, written and directed by Monte, on alternate dates through Aug. 1, 2021.
Marketing manager Sarah Haley said the damage was being assessed on Wednesday. Early indications are not encouraging.
“The Outdoor Stage set-up is a complex one – with the most important elements that make it possible never even seen by the audience,” Monte explained to subscribers.
“In addition to the set being literally impaled and knocked over, we have no idea yet if our sound and lighting systems have been damaged…
“Many, many artists have been working round the clock to bring you two wonderful shows, and they were confronted by the sight of that work dashed to pieces. Our state of mind was not helped by the fact that we had just soldiered through a day of rehearsal fully exposed to the extreme heat and humidity that preceded the storm.”
Monte said the set must be rebuilt. Props and costumes will be shuttled back to the Shakespeare Theatre’s “factory” in Florham Park, where indoor rehearsals will occur.
Which means the outdoor stage may be as new to the actors as it will be to spectators on opening night–whenever that is.
But fear not.
Describing her thespians as “unsinkable,” Monte, leader of the Madison-based operation for three decades, declared:
“We are going to open these shows and we are going to do so mostly fueled by gritty determination and stubborn refusal to be defeated. We have gone into ‘crisis-mode’ yet again, and are, as I write, figuring out how to proceed on all fronts.”
Hey, it could be worse.
This summer’s anticipated cicada invasion stayed south of Princeton, to Monte’s enormous relief.
“But this latest test of our mettle is truly a tough one,” she conceded.
This article was updated with comments from Bonnie Monte, and photos of the damage. The Shakespeare Theatre says it will contact affected ticket holders to offer exchanges or refunds. Call the box office at (973) 408-5600 for more details.
