The Shakespeare Theatre to Present MISALLIANCE, 8/5-30

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey will present George Bernard Shaw's comedy Misalliance, directed by Artistic Associate/Casting Director Stephen Brown-Fried. Performances begin Wednesday, August 5th and continue through Sunday, August 30th at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue (at Lancaster Road) in Madison. Individual tickets and subscriptions can be purchased by calling the Box Office at 973-408-5600 or by visiting ShakespeareNJ.org.

Published in 1909 by Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw, Misalliance transports audiences to Edwardian-era England and the lush Tarleton solarium, where patriarch John Tarleton struggles to maintain control over his rebellious daughter and headstrong son, as well as a host of unexpected visitors. Over the course of a single Saturday afternoon, Shaw creates a chaotic clash of class, gender, and generation and explores the idiosyncrasies of the British classes and their family values.

The Playwright:

Born in 1856, Shaw enjoyed a successful career in the literary realm. In 1925, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for Saint Joan, and in 1938 he won an Oscar for his contributions to the film Pygmalion. As a critic, essayist, and public speaker, Shaw's social interests were widespread. In particular, he was interested in the theme of male-female relations, which he explored over the course of several of his plays.

The Cast:

In his thirteenth season with The Shakespeare Theatre, Ames Adamson returns to the Main Stage as undergarment magnate John Tarleton. Company credits include A Most Dangerous Woman, Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, Timon of Athens, Hamlet, King Lear, Henry V, and numerous productions with Shakespeare LIVE! Recently, Mr. Adamson appeared in Arms and the Man, as well as Martin Crimp's adaptation of The Misanthrope at Quintessence Theatre Group in Philadelphia.

Brian Cade returns to The Shakespeare Theatre stage in his sixth season as Johnny Tarleton, heir to his father's undergarment business. Company credits include The Liar, All's Well That Ends Well, Richard III, and The Cherry Orchard on the Main Stage; as well as Shakespeare LIVE! productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo and Juliet, and Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece. Recently, Mr. Cade has worked with Gorilla Rep., Pulse Ensemble Theatre, and the Lookingglass Theatre Company. Additionally, he has appeared Off Broadway in The Constant Couple at the Pearl Theatre Company. Recent Film and TV credits include Netflix Original Series House of Cards, The Guiding Light, and As the World Turns.

In her fifth season at The Shakespeare Theatre, Katie Fabel plays Hypatia Tarleton. Company credits include The Liar, The Taming of the Shrew, Noises Off!, and Amadeus. Recently, she appeared in Ernest in Love and The Shaughraun at the Irish Repertory Theatre. Off-Broadway credits include The Belle of Belfast at Cherry Lane Theatre and Mary Broome at The Mint Theatre. Internationally, she has performed at London's West End Palladium, the Royal National Theatre, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the Royal Academy of Music, and the English National Opera. She is a member of the sketch comedy group Pirate Sugar and performs stand-up comedy across New York City.

Playing Lord Summerhayes, Jonathan Gillard Daly is in his first season with The Shakespeare Theatre. Since 1998, he has worked with the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, first as a Resident Company Member, and currently as an Artistic Associate. Select Milwaukee Rep roles include Elwood P. Dowd in Harvey, Otto Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank, and Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. He is also a founding member of the Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona, Minnesota. Select additional regional credits include the American Players Theatre, Repertory Theatre of Saint Louis, and PCPA Theatrefest. Additionally, Mr. Daly's original plays The Daly News and To The Promised Land have been professionally produced across the United States.

Making his Shakespeare Theatre debut as Bentley Summerhays is Matthew Sherbach. Recent regional credits include work at The Goodman Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Fox Valley Repertory, About Face Theatre, Dog & Pony Theatre Co., Strawdog Theatre Company, and First Floor Theatre. Mr. Sherbach is a frequent solo performer at Salonathon.

Erika Rolfsrud takes the stage in her second season at The Shakespeare Theatre as Mrs. Tarleton. Company credit: I Capture the Castle. Broadway credits include The Coast of Utopia, Exit the King, and Rabbit Hole. Off-Broadway, Ms. Rolfsrud has appeared in Electra In A One Piece (Good Company), Misalliance (The Pearl Theatre) The Cocktail Party (TACT), and Love's Fire (The Public Theatre) Regionally, she has appeared on stage at the Old Globe, Ford's, Hartford Theatreworks, Pittsburgh Public, St. Louis Repertory, Two River Theatre, and the Utah, Seattle, and Idaho Shakespeare Festivals.

Caralyn Kozlowski returns for her eleventh season with The Shakespeare Theatre to play Polish acrobat Lina Szczepanowska. Company credits include As You Like It, Trelawny of the Wells, The Servant of Two Masters, Three Sisters, Othello, The Play's The Thing, and Private Lives. She has worked extensively in regional theatres around the country, including Seattle Rep., California Shakespeare Theatre, The Old Globe, Barrington Stage, and the Actor's Theatre of Louisville. Off-Broadway, Ms. Kozlowski has appeared in The Milliner, Secrets of a Soccer Mom, The Odyssey, and Fair Game.

Robbie Simpson makes his Shakespeare Theatre debut as Joey Percival. Most recently, Mr. Simpson appeared in The Last Five Years at The Majestic Theatre in Massachusetts. New York credits include appearances at Playwright's Horizons, The Old Globe, the Berkshire Theatre Festival, New Century Theatre, and the Papermill Theatre. He is a recent graduate of The Old Globe/USD MFA Acting Program and Syracuse University.

Rounding out the cast is Matt Kleckner, playing Gunner in his debut season with The Shakespeare Theatre. Regional credits include Fiddler on the Roof, Much Ado About Nothing, Snow White, Sweeney Todd, and South Pacific at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival. His original play, Thursday, Five Years From Now, was recently produced as a part of Between Us Productions' Take Ten Festival.

The Director

Stephen Brown-Fried is in his twelfth season with The Shakespeare Theatre, where he is currently the Artistic Associate and Casting Director. Company directing credits: All's Well That Ends Well, The Comedy of Errors (the Main Stage); A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth (Shakespeare LIVE!), and Coriolanus (the Next Stage Ensemble). Most recently, Mr. Brown-Fried directed Awake and Sing! at The Public, which received widespread critical acclaim. He has also worked with the Trinity Shakespeare Festival (Associate Artist), directing critically-acclaimed performances of Julius Caesar, The Merchant of Venice, Macbeth, and Much Ado About Nothing. Other select credits include work at North Carolina School of the Arts, the National Asian American Theatre Company, New Worlds Theatre Project, and Milwaukee Shakespeare. Mr. Brown-Fried also serves on the MFA Directing faculty at the New School For Drama, and in the past has taught at Marymount Manhattan College, the National Theatre Institute at the Eugene O'Neill Training Program, and the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey Summer Professional Training Program.

The Artistic Staff:

The world of the Misalliance comes to life with the help of scenic designer Brian Clinnin, costume designer Tilly Grimes, lighting designer Andrew Hungerford, and sound designer Toby Algya. Denise Cardarelli serves as production stage manager.

Tickets:

Single tickets for Misalliance start at $25 for preview performances and $32 for regular performances. Student Rush tickets are available a half-hour before curtain for $15 with a valid Student ID. For tickets, call the Box Office at 973-408-5600, visit www.ShakespeareNJ.org, or email BoxOffice@ShakespeareNJ.org.

Special Performances:

Discount preview performances for Misalliance take place on Wednesday, August 5thth at 7:30 PM, Thursday, August 6th and Friday August 7th at 8:00 PM, and Saturday, August 8th at 2:00 PM. Preview performances offer opportunities for reduced-priced tickets while enjoying the excitement of the very first performances in front of an audience. As always, the first Preview performance is Pay What You Can Night. Visit The Shakespeare Theatre Box Office between noon and performance-time on Wednesday, August 5th to purchase a ticket for that evening's 7:30 PM show, at a cost that is affordable to you. Offer subject to availability.

For no more than the cost of a regular ticket, three Symposium Series performances are offered for each show, and include a post-play discussion with the cast and artistic staff. Symposium performances for Misalliance will be Tuesday, August 11th at 7:30 PM and Saturday, August 15th and Saturday, August 22nd at 2:00 PM.

For each production, The Shakespeare Theatre presents the popular education program Know the Show. From 7:00 to 7:30 PM, an artist from The Shakespeare Theatre will present a pre-performance talk that provides background information and an insider's perspective on the production. The Know the Show performance will be held on Thursday, August 13th at 7:00 PM, and is free of charge.

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