The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey Awarded Grant by New Jersey Council for the Humanities

On June 19th, 2020, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (STNJ) was awarded a grant from the prestigious New Jersey Council for the Humanities (NJCH) through the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to support and promote virtual accessibility to STNJ's popular Shakespeare Book Club. The award will enable the Book Club to reach a wider and more diverse audience, providing accessibility to the program both in-person and online. The Book Club is part of STNJ's Shakespeare Theatre Academy, and the next session begins on October 6, 2020.

The Shakespeare Book Club unites Bardo-philes and Shakespeare-novices via a fun, social, and informative exploration of his plays. The STNJ staff encourages participants to read the plays as both detectives and directors, deciphering Shakespeare's clues to more clearly envision the multiple ways the plays may be interpreted. Our wide range of participants have repeatedly told us how much fun they have had in the class, and how much the class has increased their appreciation of and joy in seeing Shakespeare in performance.

Director of Education Brian B. Crowe said, "This grant from the NJCH will allow us to reach more people in our immediate community and as well as those from farther afield. Participants will have the option of attending in person (with proper health and safety protocols in place) or virtually through Zoom. By eliminating the obstacles of travel, distance, and health concerns, a broader spectrum of theatre lovers will be able to experience these engaging classes while connecting with others with similar interests."

According to the New Jersey Council for the Humanities' recent announcement, "CARES Act funding, allocated to NJCH through the National Endowment for the Humanities, allowed NJCH to build a brand new COVID-19 Response Grant program. Announced to the public on May 1, this emergency funding was made available in two categories, General Operating Support ($5,000 to $20,000) and Program Support ($3,000 to $10,000), for New Jersey humanities organizations that have experienced financial hardship due to COVID-19. The applications that were submitted reveal considerable hardships across the sector.

Eighty-two organizations were awarded $649,620 in emergency COVID-19 Response Grant funding. This funding will be crucial for the many organizations that are suffering across the state. These organizations, often the cherished cultural anchors in their communities, promote lifelong learning and the exploration of our history, cultures, values, and beliefs. A complete list of grant recipients is available on www.njhumanities.org.

'We have a longstanding history of running successful grant programs for public humanities organizations, and so know well the remarkable cultural and historical organizations that serve this state's communities,' said Executive Director Carin Berkowitz. 'We are honored to contribute to their recovery by administering this emergency grant program. This public health crisis has left no sector untouched and our hope is that this funding provides some much-needed relief to our nonprofit program and project partners.'"

For more information about The Shakespeare Theatre's Book Club, please email education@ShakespeareNJ.org or visit www.ShakespeareNJ.org or call (973) 845-6745. Registration opens on July 6.

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