News
It takes a village to remount a theatrical classic, and PST’s upcoming production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is no exception. Yale MFA candidate Maeli Goren returns for her third mainstage production alongside a talented team of designers. Take a look inside the rehearsal room with Goren, costume designer Jules Peiperl, sound designer Naveen Bhatia, and puppet designer Toria Sterling!
A Midsummer Night’s Dream runs July 25 - August 4 on the Hamilton Murray Stage.
From her time as a board member to her four years and counting as “playwright-in-residence,” Annika Bennett has found an artistic home at Princeton Summer Theater. Though based in Seattle, she’s returned to direct the second mainstage production of the 2019 Season, “Deathtrap.” Check out the exclusive video interview below to learn more about the show and take a glimpse behind what will surely be PST’s twistiest show of the season!
Two-time PST Artistic Director Daniel Krane has always been drawn to complex, ensemble-focused plays. From his student productions of Blue Heart and The Flick to Uncommon Women and Others (his PST directorial debut) to his original solo show The Joshua Tree, he’s enjoyed exploring both biological and found families.
He’s excited to bring these previous experiences to PST’s Falsettos, his first musical production. Though directing his favorite musical has presented new and exciting challenges for Daniel as a director, he’s relished the opportunity to share a story that lies so close to his heart on the Hamilton Murray Stage.
Check out this exclusive video interview with Daniel below to learn more about the production!
Director Nico Krell shares his thoughts on The Baltimore Waltz!
What most excites you about The Baltimore Waltz? It’s a really exciting and dense play because it leaves itself open to go down many different roads. It’s source is so rich in its intertextuality – it stands at a lot of intersections of pop culture and American impressions of Europe, but also the AIDS crisis and all of the political ramifications of that.
Compared to your previous shows that you’ve directed, whether in Princeton or elsewhere, what do you think is unique about The Baltimore Waltz? What’s particularly exciting is the energy of this show which is very unique for me, it’s very fun, it’s very 80s, it’s very kind of like scandalous and goofy mixed with incredibly emotional. It’s bright colors, whereas, what I have done in the past, Crucible is extremely kind of stark, intense, iconic type of work. This one has a lot more playing, which is a blast.
What would you say you want the audience members to learn and discover from this play? In life, we’re given a lot of struggles. We’re given a lot of hardships. We’re given a lot of first times. And we make a lot of mistakes. And I think, when you really get down to it, The Baltimore Waltz teaches us that… it’s always going to be a process to continue – it’s always going to be hard work to understand why you need to change, what you need to change, and how to change, in order to keep going. But what’s so beautiful about The Baltimore Waltz, is that it shows us how in those mistakes and in those missed opportunities, in those fights we have with our loved ones, you can always grow forward, you can always learn and find sweetness in what you have and what you had. And you can always aim to grow.
Director Victoria Davidjohn shares her thoughts on Tick, Tick...Boom!
What is the show about to you? "As an audience, Jonathan Larson means a lot to us. He revolutionized what music genres Broadway could handle, he opened the door to hard and ignored subjects, he gave many underrepresented stories a voice. Before that happened, however, he was an unsuccessful, frustrated, and anxious human (and artist). Tick, Tick, Boom...! is the story of life before success, and a reminder of what the combination of hard work, determination, and a dream can accomplish."
What about the show resonates most with you? "I want to pursue a career in theater post graduation, and the question I get most often from adults in my life and teachers in my university is "are you sure you want to be doing this?" To me, I felt like all of the experiences I have garnered throughout my life could be put to use most effectively in a rehearsal room, so the answer is always "Yes!" Even so, its emotionally tasking to have everyone around you doubt your choices. Tick, Tick, Boom...! has and keeps serving as a blueprint for what life might be like for the next five, ten years -- it is always a comfort and a gift to hear the hard stories of those whom we respect for their contribution to theater."
What do you like most about working on this production and with the cast? "My cast is truly incredible. They are some of the most imaginative, open, unafraid and willing human beings I have ever met. They are fearless in the best way, and that energy is exuded every time they take on these characters. I'm so lucky."
Princeton Summer Theater (PST) is happy to invite Central Jersey residents to join us for our 2018 Season. We are proud to present performances of four riveting and extraordinary pieces of theatre, running from June 21st through August 19th at the Hamilton Murray Theater on Princeton University’s campus.
Since its founding in 1968, PST has been a fixture of the New Jersey theatre community providing patrons with high quality summer entertainment and artistry from some of the bright stars of tomorrow. We are proud to announce that our last season won the 2018 JerseyArts.com People's Choice Award for “Best Small Theater” and we look forward to continuing in PST’s proud tradition of bringing excellent theater to our community.
This summer's season explores self-discovery, as seen through critical turning points in our characters' lives. Whether facing graduation, middle age, an unexpected diagnosis, or a scandal, the challenges these characters face test them and help each one find out what truly matters. With four brilliant takes on responding to adversity and change, these plays push us to closely examine our lives, to dream big, and to fight for those we care about. We are looking forward to you joining us this summer!
Tick, Tick...Boom
by Jonathan Larson
June 21st-24th, June 27th-July 1st, and July 5th-8th
Directed by Victoria Davidjohn
From the genius mind behind Rent, Tick, Tick…Boom! tells the autobiographical story of a composer searching for his big break. Fueled by Jonathan Larson’s brilliant rock and pop score, this intimate show pulls back the curtain on the man whose breakthrough would change American musical theater forever in an inspiring appeal to follow your dreams.
Uncommon Women and Others
by Wendy Wasserstein
July 12th-15th and July 18th-22nd
Directed by Daniel Krane
Wendy Wasserstein’s watershed debut play follows a group of graduates from Mount Holyoke College at the dawn of second-wave feminism as they make new friendships, fall in and out of love, and imagine a brighter future for themselves. This comedy tackles what it means to dare to be an Uncommon Woman in a world that constantly tells women to accept less.
The Children's Hour
by Lillian Hellman
July 26th-29th and August 1st-5th
Directed by Maeli Goren
In The Children’s Hour, one child's lie throws a girls’ boarding school into chaos. This fiery American classic by Lillian Hellman (The Little Foxes) depicts a world where rules are rigid, rumors fly faster than truth, and the hint of scandal is enough to bring two schoolteachers’ lives crashing down.
The Baltimore Waltz
by Paula Vogel August 9th-12th and August 15th-19th
Directed by Nico Krell
The Baltimore Waltz follows Anna and Carl through Europe on a film-noir inspired trip, filled with mysterious detectives, devious doctors, and alluring men as they search for a cure for Anna’s disease. This comedic fantasy, written by Paula Vogel in response to the AIDS crisis, is a fierce portrait of two siblings’ love and a call to live life to the fullest.
Performances:
Thursday-Saturday at 8pm
Saturdays & Sundays at 2pm
(New!) Select Wednesdays at 8pm
Coming Soon:
Our Annual Family Show!
By Annika Bennett
Family Show Performances:
Fridays and Saturdays at 11am, from July 6th-July 29th
(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Princeton Summer Theater is pleased to announce that Daniel Krane and Hannah Semmelhack will serve as the company’s new leadership team for the 2018 season. Daniel Krane, originally from Brookline, MA, will serve as PST’s Artistic Director, with Princeton native Hannah Semmelhack as Executive Director. Both are Theater certificate students at Princeton University.
"Daniel and Hannah have been delighting winter audiences with incredible productions on the Princeton campus,” said Geoff Rich, the President of the Board of Trustees of PST. “I know they'll carry forward the great tradition of presenting a compelling summer of great theater for the Princeton community."
Since 1968, Princeton Summer Theater has provided the Mercer County community with high-quality works of theater produced by young artists, and continues to be dedicated to training and fostering the talent of the up-and-coming leaders of the theater world. In March PST was awarded the JerseyArt’s People’s Choice award for “Favorite Small Theatre” and this summer marks the company’s 49thseason.
Krane and Semmelhack are leaders on the boards of Princeton Shakespeare Company and Theatre Intime, and both have recently worked on productions with the Lewis Center for the Arts.
Krane and Semmelhack said, “We cannot be more delighted to bring a season of exciting and timely theater to life this summer.”
Daniel Krane is thrilled to serve as Artistic Director for the upcoming season of Princeton Summer Theater. He is currently a senior at Princeton University, studying Spanish and Portuguese, with a certificate in Theater. A director and writer from Brookline, MA, his directing credits at Hamilton Murray Theater include The Flick by Annie Baker and Blue Heartby Caryl Churchill. At the Lewis Center for the Arts, he directed a piece with Theatre for One for the opening Festival of the Arts, a workshop production of an original opera by Andrew Lovett, and worked on a production of We are Proud to Present…by Jackie Sibblies Drury for his theater thesis. Daniel spent his last summer working as an intern for The Public Theater’s Public Works program, helping with their production of As You Like It,and is the current Artistic Director of the Princeton Shakespeare Company.
Hannah Semmelhack is flattered to have been chosen as Princeton Summer Theater’s Executive Director for the 2018 season. She is currently a sophomore at Princeton University, majoring in Classics with certificates in Theater and Musical Theater. On campus, she is involved with student theater groups as well as the Lewis Center for the Arts. Her experience is primarily in stage management, most recently Theater Intime’s She Kills Monsters; but she is also interested in lighting design, most recently the Lewis Center for the Art’s Letters and Dreams. While Hannah is very involved with technical theater, she is also interested in theater management with her role as Theatre Intime’s Production Manager. She will be stage managing an upcoming student-written thesis production, Trailing Rhiannon, for the Lewis Center this May.
Preparations are currently underway for PST’s 2018 season. More information regarding specific productions, directors, and ticketing will be announced later this spring. Performances will run from June 21 to August 19.
We are thrilled to announce Princeton Summer Theater's 2017 season! This summer’s season explores the interplay between the past and the present. The four diverse selections reflect the challenges posed to us today by a society that is divided over whether it is better to look to the past for inspiration or to move in the direction of future progress. The characters in each play demonstrate vastly different ways of dealing with their individual histories, and are made stronger by facing this adversity. We look forward to sharing these stories with you!
A multiple Tony Award-winning musical, Pippin is a mystical coming of age tale of adventure. A mysterious troupe, spearheaded by the enigmatic Leading Player, follows a young prince as he sets out to discover his purpose in the world. Schwartz’s iconic music establishes Pippin as a breathtaking story that explores what it means to live a truly extraordinary life.
Dates: June 22nd-25th, June 29th-July 2nd, and July 6th-9th
World-renowned crime novelist and playwright Agatha Christie brilliantly blends the genres of mystery, comedy, thriller in this fantasia on her typical whodunit work. Spider’s Web follows eccentric socialite Clarissa, who discovers a man murdered in her drawing room, having spent years spinning extraordinary tales of mystery to anyone who would listen. Drenched in suspense with surprising moments of levity and wit, Spider’s Web offers a unique and rewarding departure from the usual Christie canon.
Dates: July 13th-16th and July 20th-23rd
Regarded as a one of the foremost classics of American theatre, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible uses the proceedings of the Salem witch trials to examine the manic effects of mass hysteria in society. As an increasing number of upstanding townspeople are accused of witchcraft, Miller emphasizes the contagious nature of fear and the elusiveness of truth. The 1953 Tony Award-winning play invites us to question the importance of upholding morality in times of hardship.
Dates: July 27th-30th and August 3rd-6th
Members of the fragmented Lafayette family reconnect to settle their father’s affairs, but soon discover that they must first tackle their unresolved issues with each other. The Obie Award-winning play incorporates shocking reveals coupled with absurdist undertones that expose what it means to be part of a family, culture, and nation built upon a troubled past. A vivid and original take on the household drama, Appropriate takes its place in the American canon as an incomparable masterpiece.
Dates: August 10th-13th and August 17th-20th
Performances:
Coming Soon: Our Annual Family Show!
Dates: July 6th-July 29th, Thursday-Saturday at 11am
Subscribe & Save:
Become a subscriber and save over 30% off our regular ticket price! For just $79, you receive one ticket to each of our four mainstage shows, based on availability. Subscribe today by visiting www.princetonsummertheater.org/tickets or calling 732-997-0205!
Support PST by becoming a Patron:
By including a suggested donation of $10 or more with your subscription purchase, you can play a valuable role in helping PST offer exciting theatrical seasons for years to come. For your patronage, you’ll receive a special listing in the playbill and an invitation to our 2017 Season Gala. Every donation helps!
Our third production of the season opened to glowing reviews!
“Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead feels as fresh and inventive as it must have fifty years ago...the occasionally baffling, always hilarious play is currently receiving a superb staging by Princeton Summer Theater, a semiprofessional company that proves with this production to be the equal of a professional regional theater operating in New Jersey.”
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is a "funny, philosophical, verbally dazzling production...high production values, creative, intelligent staging, and thoroughly professional performances characterize this group and guarantee the rewards of an evening at PST." - Don Gilpin, Town Topics
It is "dazzling in its intricacy and its invention...it rewards close attention." - Tim Dunleavy, DC Metro Theater Arts
"You are seldom going to have the opportunity to see a finer mounting of the play." - Stu Duncan, U.S. 1
“Rosencrantz and Guildenstern may be dead, but Princeton Summer Theater is alive.
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The production is "performed with brilliant precision...Mr. Stoppard has fun upending expectations. As do the entire cast, who are splendid in this seriously amusing romp." - Bob Brown, TIME OFF Central Jersey
"Billy Cohen as the ingenuous Rosencrantz and Jake McCready as the skeptical, philosophical Guildenstern contrast and complement each other brilliantly." - Don Gilpin, Town Topics
"The ditzy Rosencrantz is played with a sweet irresistibility by Billy Cohen, while the more philosophical Guildenstern is sharply etched by Jake McCready...The tragedians function as a perfectly choreographed unit, led with verbal and physical dexterity by Olivia Nice's Leading Player. Casting a woman in this role, usually performed by a man, is a stroke of genius; Nice foregrounds a sexual energy that permeates the text." - Cameron Kelsall, Talkin' Broadway
See what the critics had to say about our second production of the season!
““A very funny play about the very worst in people. Don’t miss it.”
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God of Carnage is "a very funny show with some shocking surprises...catch this provocative playwright while you still can." - Bob Brown, TimeOFF, Central Jersey
"...a sharp and illuminating comedy that shows just how close the line between civilization and savagery really is. And the crueler it gets, the funnier it gets." - Tim Dunleavy, DC Metro Theater Arts
"Ms. Bennett has directed this excellent cast with skill and insight, to reveal vividly both the bright surfaces and the ugly underlying realities...the PST Company meets the challenges, to create four credible, committed individuals and their contentious relationships." - Don Gilpin, Town Topics
Annika Bennett "has paced the show at break-neck speed (a must) and has moved her characters with great skill." - Stu Duncan, U.S. 1
