‘Private Lives’ Brings Comedy and Passion to Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey

Posted on May 26, 2026 by Karen Nowosad
Fiona Robberson as Sibyl Chase, Britt Michael Gordon as Elyot Chase, Ashley lanchet as
Amanda Prynne, and Clark Carmichael as Victor Prynne. Photo by Avery Brunkus.

Private Lives: A Review

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (STNJ) opens its 2026 season with Private Lives by Noël Coward. The play is a comedy filled with many funny moments as two couples seek to enjoy loving relationships on their honeymoons. Complications occur as the story develops the characters through witty dialog, passionate moments, and physical comedy. STNJ is in top form with their presentation of this play.

The play premiered in 1930 when there were many events resulting in a negative hold on the world. Playwright Coward took his ability to write plays that included laughter as a necessary skill. To explain why he valued the humor of his work, he once said, “Grab it while you can. Grab every last scrap of happiness while you can.” According to the show’s director Michael Stewart Allen, “The characters in the play are doing just that.” There is no doubt that they are seeking that happiness. How it occurs is worth considering. Director Allen addresses that concept:

Private Lives is an outrageously funny play but, while the audience is laughing, the play invites  them to feel as well. It is like some beautiful confection that looks delicious but when you take a bite you truly realize the complexity of all the flavors in the dish.

Private Lives is a fine choice with which to open the new season. Not only does this play provide laughs, but it is also beautifully staged and carried out by a superb cast. Additionally, it does bring with it a complexity of life. Some of the action in the play will cause moments of pause to do reflection.

The Story Begins with a Wild Coincidence

Four characters make up the cast with one additional player (Louise – Nicole Lawrie) brought in towards the final part.

Sibyl Chase (Fiona Robberson) is honeymooning with Elyot Chase (Britt Michael Gordon). Sibyl is very happy to be married. However, she is curious about her new husband’s former wife, Amanda. Although Elyot has been divorced for five years, the air of concern of lingering feelings for Amanda is on Sibyl’s mind. Yet, they appear to be a couple well suited for each other particularly since Elyot does not give any reason for the concerns Sibyl has.

Amanda Prynne (Ashley Blanchet) is also on a honeymoon following her recent marriage to Victor Prynne (Clark Carmichael). Amanda is called Mandy by Victor which is a good idea to block out memories of a previous love affair.

So what are the chances that two couples .might end up at the same French hotel on their honeymoon? Probably it happens quite often. But what rarely happens is that the two couples each have one person who has been married to the other’s partner. And to add to that humor, they have rooms next to each other where they are sharing places on the terrace.

Britt Michael Gordon as Elyot Chase and Ashley Blanchet as Amanda Prynne. Photo by Avery Brunkus.

As Amanda and Elyot discover what has happened, both of them retreat to their respective new spouses asking them to leave the hotel immediately with them. Sibyl and Victor see no need for this. Each leaves to go to dine alone. This allows Amanda and Elyot to acknowledge the love they still have for each other. They depart the hotel together.

You will note in your program that there is a 5 minute pause as this is the close of Act I. A scenery change takes place. Be sure to watch this as it is handled in a most humorous manner.

Can Love be Rekindled?

A few days pass and Amanda and Elyot have fallen into the routines that led to their divorce. They love each other passionately but they cannot live with each other. This is where Blanchet’s depiction of Amanda really shines. She looks like a lovely, soft, feminine woman. But don’t get her mad because if you do, you might get a record smashed over your head like Elyot experiences. There are a lot of scenes like pillow fights and other more aggressive behavior seen at this point in the play. How do we feel about hitting a woman? How do we feel about a woman hitting or breaking a record over a man’s head? Is this passion when a couple can’t live without each other but cannot live with each other?

Both couples seek to answer these questions. No spoilers here – you need to find out for yourself. The final part of the play may surprise you, but maybe not.

Let’s just suffice it to say that you will have an enjoyable time seeing this show which has some delightful moments in it.

Additional Information about the Show

Private Lives runs May 16 through June 7 at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre on the campus of Drew University.

For tickets, patrons can call the Box Office at (973) 408-5600 or visit ShakespeareNJ.org.

Prices range from $45 to $85. The Theatre offers a variety of other cost-saving opportunities, including $25 student tickets with a valid student ID and a limited number of Pay What You Will tickets for every performance on a first-come, first-serve basis.

STNJ also has a $35 under 35 ticket option, which offers $35 tickets for patrons aged 35 and under, with valid ID.

Other discounts are available including subscription discounts; and 10% discounts for members of Seniors, PBS/Thirteen, Active Military, Madison Loyalty Club card holders, and AAA members. STNJ also honors the Family First Discovery Pass for families receiving benefits through SNAP, WIC, or Work First New Jersey.

Special Events for Private Lives

Symposium Series #1: Tuesday, May 26th following performance – A lively post-show chat with the cast and artistic team.

Know-the-Show Series & Closed Captioning: Thursday, May 28th starting at 6:45 p.m. – A pre-show talk with the artistic team about the playwright and work Closed Captioning provided at this performance by Globetitles.

Hobnob & Hang: Friday, May 29th following the performance – A chance to mix and mingle with fellow theatre lovers after the show; bites and cash bar available.

Symposium Series #2: Saturday, May 20th following matinee performance – A lively post-show chat with the cast and artistic team.

Sensory Seminar & Audio Described Performance: Wednesday, June 3rd starting at 1:15 p.m. A pre-show experience for Blind/low-vision patrons. Audio Description provided at this performance.

Patisserie on the Patio: Friday, June 5th starting at 6:30 p.m. A pre-show gathering open to patrons; bites and cash bar available.

Backstage Tour: Saturday, June 6th starting at 11:30 a.m. A peek behind-the-scenes of the production at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre.

Symposium Series #3: Saturday, June 6th following matinee performance – A lively post-show chat with the cast and artistic team

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‘My Lord, What a Night’ – A Fascinating Story of Concern and Compassion

Posted on May 6, 2026 by Karen Nowosad
Rashidra Scott and Anthony Cochrane – Photo by T. Charles Erickson

My Lord, What a Night – Review

They were an unlikely pairing of two people to become life long friends. When they met in 1937, Albert Einstein was a world renowned physicist who made his mark in the world with his theory of relativity. Marian Anderson was regarded as one of the greatest opera voices of all time. Yet despite her talent, racism and segregation kept her from wide notoriety. What started as s simple act of hospitality was the beginning of a lifetime friendship for the two. It also set the stage for the events that led to the groundbreaking concert given by Anderson on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in April, 1939.

This is the basis of the play My Lord, What a Night currently running at George Street Playhouse through May 17, 2026. Written by Deborah Brevoort, My Lord What a Night is a beautifully crafted show that tells an amazing story resulting in excellent theater.

My Lord, What a Night is a play that deals with actual historic events and is based on a true story. It was commissioned by Premiere Stages at Kean in partnership with Kean University’s Liberty Hall Museum through the Liberty Live Program. This program has a commission directive for playwrights’ intent on telling little-known stories about New Jersey. My Lord, What a Night was developed and presented in their 2015 – 2016 Program selections. The photo below comes from that presentation.

Photo Credit to the Liberty Live Program – Premiere Stages at Kean

Sheldon Epps directs this play at George Street Playhouse that uses an interesting detailed set built to resemble Einstein’s home library in Princeton, NJ. A superb cast delivers well written dialog allowing the show to move at a comfortable pace. Staged intrusions by the press looking to cover Anderson’s visit to Einstein’s home are powerful giving rise to the discomfort Anderson feels. All of this adds up to an excellent theatrical program.

A Story of Friendship Guided by Concern and Compassion

Einstein (Anthony Cochrane) was a long time fan of Marian Anderson (Rashidra Scott). He attended her concert given at Princeton University. The year is 1937. The two meet backstage after the concert. Anderson is on her way to spend the night at the Nassau Inn where she has a reservation. She is denied accommodations because of the Inn’s stated “whites only” policy. Einstein invites her to stay at his Princeton home for the night. Once at Einstein’s home, two more people arrive. Abraham Flexner (Mitch Greenberg) and Mary Church Terrell (Gayle Samuels). Flexner comes through the back door because there is a lot of press assembled on the front lawn of Einstein’s home and he does not want to be seen

The cast of My Lord, What a Night gathers at Einstein’s home. Photo – T. Charles Erickson

After checking in with her manager, Anderson announces that she will not be speaking with the press. There are varying degrees of acceptance of this decision because the two newcomers each have their own agenda. Their agendas directly involve Anderson.

Terrell is a well known activist who advocated for suffrage and civil rights. She is an accomplished, strong woman of the day. She comes to petition Anderson to speak to the press to publicize injustices being done to Blacks.

Flexner’s mission is to convince Einstein to allow him to take Anderson from his home and bring her to a place where a Black woman would be welcome to stay. Flexner was the founder of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton where Einstein works. His concern is that the negative publicity from this event at Einstein’s home will lead to funding being cut for the Institute.

At this point in time, Einstein is known for his activism. He is deeply concerned about the Nazi takeover in Germany where he came from. This concern deepens as the play goes on because he has learned that the atom has been split. He already realizes the ramifications of this and he wants to get to speak to the President.

Anderson has her own career aspirations in mind and does not want to do anything that will harm that. However, it is not as one sided as it might sound. She realizes the importance of music as a means of breaking the stereotyping of African American people. Music is the most important thing in her life. So she chooses not to speak with the press.

The majority of the play deals with these agendas playing out and how they are resolved. The play forwards to 2 years later in 1939 when Anderson comes back to visit Einstein.

A Stunning Ending

The play does a good job of showing what leads up to Marian Anderson’s famous concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The scene on stage now has a light background curtain which serves as a projection screen showing the Lincoln Memorial in the background. Anderson comes on stage in front of it allowing the audience to feel as if they are at the concert.

Rashidra Scott uses her lovely singing voice to portray Marian Anderson singing a part of “My Country, Tis of Thee.” We hear how she changed a few words. The line of the traditional version is “of thee I sing.” She sings “to thee we sing.” A bold move indeed for a rather quiet person who had been denied the right to sing at Washington D.C.’s Constitution Hall because of the color of her skin. Instead, she provides a declaration that all have rights in this country. It is a very poignant moment in the play.

Choose Your Price Events

Six performances of My Lord, What a Night are being offered as “Choose Your Price” events. These performances will be on Wednesday May 6 at 1pm; Friday May 8 at 7:30pm; Saturday May 9 at 7:30pm; Sunday May 10 at 7pm; Tuesday May 12 at 7pm; and Wednesday May 13 at 2pm.

For these performances, anyone may purchase tickets at a price of their choosing, starting at $10 (all fees included). The initiative is designed to reduce barriers to attending live theater and welcome new audiences from across the region.

“Choose Your Price” tickets begin at $10 and are available at www.georgestreetplayhouse.org/events/detail/choose-your-price.

About My Lord, What a Night

This is one of the best plays I have attended this year. I highly recommend it for audiences of all ages.

This play runs approximately 90 minutes with one 15 minute intermission. For tickets, visit the George Street Playhouse website devoted to tickets for this show.

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1776 at Paper Mill Playhouse is Outstanding

Posted on April 13, 2026 by Karen Nowosad
The Company of 1776 at Paper Mill Playhouse – Photo Credit Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade (2026)

1776 – A Review

There are many celebrations setting up to commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. New Jersey’s Paper Mill Playhouse joins in as they present the Tony Award winning show 1776. This is a perfect pick for the occasion because the show takes us back to the days of the Second Continental Congress as they write and approve the Declaration of Independence. Our school textbooks rarely went into any depth about what was going on inside the meeting room. This musical gives you an idea of what might have occurred as the human side of the events are presented.

The musical 1776 first opened on Broadway in March, 1969. It ran for 1,217 performances before closing in February, 1972. There have been several revivals on Broadway as well as tours and visits to regional theaters like the Paper Mill Playhouse.

1776 comes from a book by Peter Stone with music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards.

With impressive direction by the Paper Mill’s own Producing Artistic Director Mark S. Hoebee, this production of 1776 provides theater goers with a story which includes very good music played by a 17 piece live band, a strong cast, and a presentation with very fine staging.

This is a show that families can come and enjoy together. .In fact, I’m betting that this is one which will long live in memories as a very special favorite.

The Setting

The time period for the play is Philadelphia – May, June, and July 1776. A calendar hangs on the back wall of the set serving as a reminder that the Continental Congress is moving towards that all important July 4th date. Of course the delegates to that Congress do not know how important that date becomes. But one thing is certain: there will be no new nation if the delegates cannot come to agreement through a vote for freedom.

The meeting room at times is sweltering as Philadelphia heat takes over. John Adams is determined to get the delegates to vote to put their colony into the Yea column to form a new nation.

Will Blum plays John Adams, the delegate from Massachusetts, He is one of the leaders of the movement to gain independence from England along with statesman Benjamin Franklin (John Treacy Egan) and John Hancock (James Moye). At first, there are not enough delegates willing to go against the crown. Early signs of problems occur as Adams calls for a vote and the song “Sit Down, John” performed beautifully by all the members of the Congress reflects the disagreement in the room.

Will Blum as John Adams in 1776 at Paper Mill Playhouse

Many Difficulties to Overcome

Much of 1776 deals with all that went into trying to get a unified group to support independence from the rule of England’s Crown. This has been the life many knew and depended on so there is a lot of dissent amongst the group. Many votes are taken, posted, and moved around in the Yea, Nay, and Abstain columns on the tally board hanging in the room.

A decision is made to create a document which states the reasons for the break from England. Thomas Jefferson (Michael Burrell) is selected to write it. And here is where an interesting part of the play comes in. We see the day to day struggles these delegates are going through and they add great interest to the narrative. Jefferson struggles to write and encounters an obvious writer’s block. He makes it clear he misses his new, young wife. So Martha Jefferson (Liz Leclerc) is sent for and a playful song, “He Plays the Violin” justifies why she is in love with Jefferson. A day after her arrival, Jefferson is back to his work writing the document. One problem resolved!

John Adams misses his wife, Abigail Adams (Elena Shadow). In his imagination, he speaks to her about what is happening. The duet song “Till Then” is a testament to the caring these two have.

Delivering messages is a Courier from the fighting sent by George Washington. The news is disparaging and that sets the delegates into different levels of concern. One area of concern is the fact that the New Jersey delegation has been missing for awhile. Eventually, the Rev. John Witherspoon arrives to represent the colony.

Praise Oranika as Courier in 1776 at Paper Mill Playhouse Photo Credit Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade (2026)

Edits and Changes to the Document

Finally, Jefferson presents the document he wrote to the delegates. Edits and basic suggestions for wording changes begins. There are many ideas presented and accepted. However, a tense moment occurs when the question of how to address slavery in the document arises. The song “Molasses to Rum” powerfully performed by Edward Rutledge (Jonathan Young) nearly derails the success of the Congress until a compromise is agreed to. This allows a final vote to be taken and the Yeas for independence covers the tally board. The compromise is a shadow of times coming that will require more to take place. However, little would this group ever have known what that particular compromise would eventually lead to.

July 4, 1776

A grand finale takes place as the signing of the document known at the Declaration of Independence takes place. John Hancock volunteers to be the first one. A final pose of the entire Congress ends the show on a glorious note.

Cast of 1776

This cast does a marvelous job of making this show so enjoyable to see:

  • Will Blum – John Adams                              John Treacy Egan –  Benjamin Franklin
  • Edward Wattsas John Dickinson                  James Moye –  John Hancock
  • Elena Shaddow – Abigail Adams                   Michael Burrell – Thomas Jefferson
  • Jonathan Young –  Edward Rutledge            Bryant Martin – Richard Henry Lee
  • Liz Leclerc –  Martha Jefferson                      Praise Oranika –  Courier
  • Joey Birchler –  Lewis Morris                         Jonathan Chisolm –  Samuel Chase
  • Peyton Crim  –  Col. Thomas McKean          Aaron De Jesus  –  Robert Livingston
  • Sam Faustine –   Dr. Lyman Hall                   Philip Hoffman –  Stephen Hopkins
  • Alec Ludacka –  James Wilson                       Kruz Maldonado –  Leather Apron/Painter
  • Tuck Milligan  –  Andrew McNair,                 Stanton Morales –  George Read
  • Jay Russell –  Caesar Rodney                        Bryan Seastrom –  Dr. Josiah Bartlett
  • Paul Slade Smith-Rev. John Witherspoon  Graham Stevens –  Joseph Hewes
  • Price Waldman –  Charles Thomson              Branch Woodman –  Roger Sherman
  • Understudies are Noah LaPook and Claire Leyden.
Be sure to see this board hanging in the entrance area to the theater. Photo credit – K. Nowosad

Go to See 1776

The show runs 2 hours, 40 minutes which includes intermission.

The Paper Mill lists suggested age range as 10+.

Tickets for 1776 are available for purchase through the Paper Mill Playhouse’s website. Call the Box Office 973.376.4343 (Monday – Saturday, noon – 6 PM) for additional information.

Audience Enrichment Shows are also available:

Audio- Described Performances –  Saturday, April 25 at 1:30 pm and Sunday, April 26 at 1:30 pm.

Open Captioned & ASL Interpreted Performances – Saturday, April 28 at 1:30 pm and Sunday, April 26.

Student Matinees –Tuesday, April 28 at 11:00 am, Wednesday, April 29 at 11:00 am, and Thursday, April 30 at 11:00 am.

Q & A with the cast: Saturday, April 18th after the matinee performance.

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