Shakespeare Theatre of NJ receives NEA grant to participate in "Shakespeare for a New Generation"

MEDIA CONTACTS: Kerri Allen, 973-408-3261 kallen@ShakespeareNJ.org Bridget Daley, 973-408-3807 bdaley@ShakespeareNJ.org

PHOTOS AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 31, 2005

THE SHAKESPEARE THEATRE OF NEW JERSEY RECEIVES AN NEA GRANT TO PARTICIPATE IN “SHAKESPEARE FOR A NEW GENERATION” FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR Award is increased by $10,000 for the 2005–2006 school year, enabling The Shakespeare Theatre to bring A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo and Juliet to more economically disadvantaged schools MADISON, NJ — The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has announced that The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey has been selected, for the second consecutive year, to participate in their acclaimed initiative Shakespeare in American Communities: Shakespeare For a New Generation.

The Shakespeare Theatre will receive $35,000 in matching funds—a $10,000 increase from last year—to bring live performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo and Juliet to economically disadvantaged schools in underserved rural, suburban and urban areas in the mid-Atlantic region during the 2005–2006 school year. The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey remains the only New Jersey theatre company to be selected by the NEA for participation in this program. The largest tour of Shakespeare in American history, Shakespeare in American Communities: Shakespeare for a New Generation is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts in cooperation with Arts Midwest.

The plays will be performed by The Shakespeare Theatre’s acclaimed educational touring company, Shakespeare LIVE!, which brings professional actors and guest artist-educators to schools and other venues where they perform abridged productions of Shakespeare's plays, engage in post-show discussions with students and family audiences, and conduct interactive theatre workshops. The company is renowned for its dynamic, energetic and visually imaginative productions, and for its ability to make Shakespeare's plays appealing and accessible to children as well as adults. Although the plays are abridged to be performed within the time of a class period, Shakespeare LIVE! prides itself on keeping Shakespeare's language intact. The program will celebrate its tenth anniversary season in 2006.

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36 Madison Avenue, Madison, New Jersey 07940 Box Office: 973-408-5600  Administrative: 973-408-3278  Web: shakespearenj.org

THE SHAKESPEARE THEATRE OF NEW JERSEY RECEIVES INCREASED FUNDING FROM THE NEA, page 2

Said Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey artistic director Bonnie J. Monte, “We are thrilled and honored that our company has once again been selected to participate in this prestigious and effective program. Though the fee for a Shakespeare LIVE! performance is quite modest, only $825—which usually translates as less than $2 per student—there are many schools and school districts that simply don’t have the resources to bring important programs like Shakespeare LIVE! to their students.

Shakespeare for a New Generation will enable underserved schools to benefit from the experience of Shakespeare LIVE! performances and interactive workshops, as well as comprehensive study guides developed by The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey and a wonderful ‘teachers’ toolkit’ developed by the NEA.” With the NEA’s support, Shakespeare LIVE! performed this school year for 3,750 students at a dozen schools which could otherwise not afford the program, including Trailblazers Academy in Stamford, Connecticut; Cooper’s Poynt Elementary in Camden, New Jersey; Memorial High School in West New York, New Jersey; Burlington City High School in Burlington, New Jersey; Veterans Memorial Middle School, H. L. Bonsall Elementary and Woodrow Wilson High School in Camden, New Jersey; Vineland High School South in Vineland, New Jersey; University Middle School in Irvington, New Jersey; St. Philip’s Academy in Newark, New Jersey; and Intermediate Schools 2 and 51 in Staten Island, New York.

Teachers and students alike were thrilled with the performance and the opportunity to see Shakespeare’s work live on stage. “Had it not been for the reduced fee made available to us, it is highly unlikely that many of our economically disadvantaged students would ever be similarly exposed,” wrote George L. Egbert Intermediate School (IS2) principal Michelena DiBuono and school social worker Alice Miller in a letter to The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey following a Shakespeare LIVE! performance of Hamlet. “We are most grateful that the NEA has provided funding through Shakespeare for New Generation. Here at Egbert Intermediate School, the Bard does have a new following!”

Diana Stedman, the district supervisor of humanities, English and social studies at Memorial High School in West New York, said, “During these days of State and Federal testing and government guidelines, it was an absolutely wonderful experience for our students to be afforded the opportunity to view this production in their own school. The availability of this reduced-cost performance through Shakespeare for a New Generation made it possible for our entire senior class to see Hamlet, rather than the chosen few.” She continued, "Seeing as our kids have limited access to the arts due to their socioeconomic background and immigrant status, Shakespeare LIVE! allowed them to experience both theater and Shakespeare in a forum that they otherwise would have never have experienced."

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THE SHAKESPEARE THEATRE OF NEW JERSEY RECEIVES INCREASED FUNDING FROM THE NEA, page 3

About Shakespeare in American Communities During Shakespeare in American Communities’ first phase in the 2003–2004 school year, six professional theatre companies toured more than 100 American cities, while a seventh company toured 13 United States military bases. Thousands of high schools were reached via performances or Shakespeare educational toolkits designed by the NEA. The larger, second phase, Shakespeare for a New Generation, was implemented for the 2004–2005 academic year and focuses entirely on introducing middle- and highschool students to Shakespeare and live theater.

Nationwide, the number of companies involved in the program has expanded from 21 in 2004 to 35 in the upcoming 2005–2006 school year, receiving a total of $975,000 in grants. The new phase of this program will include theater companies that present full productions of Shakespeare’s plays and those that present the Bard’s work through model education programs. Arts Midwest, a regional arts organization based in Minneapolis, is managing the program. By the end of 2005, Shakespeare in American Communities will have introduced one million students to live, professional theater.

"We are delighted to broaden the scope of Shakespeare for a New Generation so that several hundred thousand more students will get the chance to see a great play in a great production," said Dana Gioia, NEA Chairman. "This program helps actors, students, teachers and theater companies while improving the quality of education across the country. It is a model of both artistic excellence and grassroots accessibility." ### About The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey The acclaimed Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is one of the leading Shakespeare theatres in the nation. Serving 100,000 adults and children annually, it is the state’s only professional theatre company dedicated to Shakespeare’s canon and other world classics.

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 contributions from numerous corporations, foundations and individuals. American Airlines is the official airline of The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. Crystal Rock Water is the company’s official water provider.

Additional major funding for the Shakespeare LIVE! program is made possible, in part, by a grant from Kraft Foods.

Shakespeare LIVE! is also supported by grants from The Ambrose and Ida Fredrickson Foundation, Bailye Family Charitable Foundation, FirstEnergy Foundation, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Pfizer, PSE&G, RBC Dain Rauscher, The Turrell Fund, Van Pelt Foundation and Verizon.

About the National Endowment for the Arts: The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts—both new and established—bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Endowment is the nation's largest annual funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities and military bases. Additional information about Shakespeare in American Communities or the Arts Endowment is available at www.shakespeareinamericancommunities.org.

About Arts Midwest: Based in Minneapolis, Arts Midwest connects people throughout the Midwest and the world to meaningful arts opportunities, sharing creativity, knowledge, and understanding across boundaries. Arts Midwest connects the arts to audiences throughout the nine-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. One of six non-profit regional arts organizations in the United States, Arts Midwest's history spans more than 25 years. Additional information is available at www.artsmidwest.org.