[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 124 (Friday, September 14, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1543]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


    50TH ANNIVERSARY OF MADISON'S SHAKESPEARE THEATRE OF NEW JERSEY

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                      HON. RODNEY P. FRELINGHUYSEN

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 14, 2012

  Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Shakespeare 
Theatre of New Jersey, Madison, Morris County as they begin their 50th 
Anniversary season this year.
  The proud tradition of the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey began in 
1963, when Paul Barry and Phillip Dorian formed the New Jersey 
Shakespeare Festival in Cape May. Their Festival was met with such 
success that the group was offered a permanent home on the campus of 
Drew University in Madison, New Jersey in 1972.
  The Shakespeare Theatre has been dedicated to bringing the classics 
of Shakespeare and classical playwrights alive for audiences for 50 
years. The Theatre's plays and outreach programs have showcased live 
theater to diverse audiences throughout the state and have also served 
as the training ground for the newest talents on the stage.
  To improve the theater experience for all patrons, the Theater has 
undergone a number of lasting and unique changes over its history. The 
first of these changes was the construction of the F.M. Kirby 
Shakespeare Theatre in 1998. This space arose out of the Shakespeare 
Theater's desire to create a lasting performing space that could meet 
the artistic demands of its schedule and provide an intimate setting 
for patrons to view the performances. This state of the art facility 
features modern theater lighting, sound and seating as well as complete 
handicapped accessibility. With just over 300 seats none of which is 
more than 32 feet from the stage, the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theater 
provides a truly unique venue to view theater.
  Debuting in 2002, the Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey's Outdoor 
Amphitheater on the campus of the College of St. Elizabeth, allows 
patrons to view the arts from a whole new perspective. The outdoor 
space takes its inspiration from the Theater of Dionysus in Athens and 
hopes to transport viewers back in time through a wide range of 
classical theatrical offerings and is one of the only theatres of its 
kind in the United States.
  The Theatre's newest addition is a 49,000 square foot renovated 
factory in Florham Park that will serve as a training and rehearsal 
space. The new facility will be filled with office spaces, scene and 
costume shops as well as multiple rehearsal and classroom spaces, 
greatly enhancing the educational and outreach capacities of the 
Theatre. This space will allow the Theatre to enhance current stage 
offerings and provide a future of unique performance and shows.
  Through its mission statement and commitment to the arts in New 
Jersey, the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey has proven to be a pillar 
of the local community and a large contributor to the arts in New 
Jersey.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating 
the Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey, Madison as they celebrate their 
50th season and their continuing contributions to New Jersey's vibrant 
arts community.

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