(RED BANK, NJ) — The new school year is in full swing and Two River Theater is offering many exciting ways for students to create, learn from and enjoy professional world-class theater in Red Bank.
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” says Director of Education Kate Cordaro. “We’ve been in planning mode for many months and now it’s time to fling our doors open wide and welcome this year’s students back to Two River. Marvelous stories await to be told, artists have wisdom to share, and life-long friends are eager to meet for the first time. Come join us!”
Introducing students to professional world-class theater is an important aspect of Two River’s programming, as we believe that arts education promotes two central goals: supporting the artist within every student, and building future audiences. Through those goals we inspire empathy, risk-taking and a sense of adventure, and support academic achievement and life-long learning. With that in mind, Two River’s Education Department has created various opportunities and experiences for students to participate in, beginning this month!
Auditions and Backstage Opportunities for A Little Shakespeare: Love’s Labour’s Lost
Each season, Two River Theater produces a 90-minute adaptation of a Shakespeare play—directed and designed by theater professionals and performed and supported backstage by high school students. The “Little Shakes” program, now in its 11th year, is completely free for all participants and includes two months of rehearsals and 12 public performances. High school actors should submit a video audition by Oct 30, and then read in-person with other students at Two River Theater on November 2 or 3, by appointment only. High school backstage artists should submit backstage forms from our website by October 30 and will be contacted about interviews. Adapted and directed by Tai Thompson and performed on Two River’s Marion Huber stage, Love’s Labour’s Lost is a raucous celebration of head versus heart. Performances run March 1-10, 2024.For detailed information on the upcoming auditions and backstage opportunities, click here.
Student Matinees
Every year, over 3,000 students and teachers from area schools see a show at Two River Theater, and experience high quality, professional productions created by accomplished writers, directors, designers, and actors. The themes of our plays will inspire engaging and relevant discussions for your classrooms, after-school clubs, and groups. For more info on their 2023/24 student matinee offerings, visit https://tworivertheater.org/student-matinees or email stumats@trtc.org.
UPCOMING SHOWS
Hair: October 12 and October 19, 2023
The Scarlet Letter: February 15, 21 and 22, 2024
A Little Shakespeare: Love’s Labour’s Lost: March 5-8, 2024. Limited Availability. Please contact us to be added to their wait list.
A Thousand Maids: April 18, 24 and 25, 2024. Limited Availability.
Tickets are just $15 and include: Convenient 10:00am performances; Curriculum Guides to help teachers integrate the work on stage to their work in the classroom; A post-show Q & A with the actors
The 2023/24 Howard Aronson Metro Scholars
This year-long program offers a unique opportunity for high school juniors from across New Jersey to learn about professional theater and contribute to the work at Two River. Participants take workshops with professional artists, assist staff in a variety of departments throughout the organization AND see every show in our season for free. Perfect for students who want to attend a university program focused on theater, are interested in pursuing a career in the performing arts, or who simply enjoy theater and want to learn more about how it really works. For more information, click here.
The Two River Theater 2023/24 Howard Aronson Metro Scholars are: Zachary Berg (Ocean Township High School), Bobby Cook (River Dell Regional High School), Aileen Espino, Katelen Estrada, Summer Hipper, Layla Kuya, Gianna Martinez (East Brunswick Magnet School), Griffin King (St. John Vianney High School), Fathia Matthews, Melanie Nina (Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy), Eli McDaniel (Howell High School), Vivian Oliver (Middletown High School North), and Ava Romano (Middletown High School South). Congratulations to their newest class of “Metros!”
Two River Theater’s education programs are supported in part by Investors Foundation, Manasquan Bank, The Stone Foundation of New Jersey, Zynergy Retirement Planning, and are made possible in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
Two River Theater is supported in part by public support through the National Endowment for the Arts and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional private support includes the Achelis & Bodman Foundation, Citizens Philanthropic Foundation, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Helen Clay Frick Foundation, The Merrill G. and Emita E. Hastings Foundation, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, The Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey, OceanFirst Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, Springpoint Senior Living Foundation, Stolfe Zeigler New Jersey Family Law Group, UMAMI Girl, and many other generous foundations, corporations and individuals.
Two River Theater produces American and world classics, new plays and musicals, programs for young people, and festivals of new work. Each year, they serve over 20,000 students, families and community members through our 4-6 show season, and 40+ events that reflect the diverse community of Monmouth County. Two River produces work on two stages—the 350-seat Joan and Robert Rechnitz Theater, and the flexible 110-seat Marion Huber Theater. In 2020 they expanded their campus to 80,000 square feet with the opening of the Center for New Work, Education and Design.
Two River Theater has commissioned and premiered original projects including Be More Chill by Tony Award nominee Joe Iconis and Joe Tracz (the theater’s first Broadway production) and Hurricane Diane by former Playwright-in-Residence Madeleine George (which won an Obie Award for its Off-Broadway run), and in June 2019, Two River was nationally recognized by USA TODAY as one of “10 great places to see a play.” Two River Theater is led by Artistic Director Justin Waldman and Managing Director Nora DeVeau-Rosen.