Rutgers and the State Theatre, Perfect Together

Part of my job as University Liaison consists of engaging the Rutgers community in all things State Theatre. We present world-renowned artists in almost every discipline and many times these artists are available for workshops, master classes, Q&A's etc. We want Rutgers students, faculty, and staff to take advantage of all we have to offer. But they need to know about these special opportunities in order to participate. Last year around this time, I organized a presentation to Rutgers faculty and staff to promote last season's events. On Wednesday, July 1st, we will do it again for our 2009-2010 performances. There are several performances we hope will generate excitement, among them The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey's adaptation of The Grapes of Wrath, MacHomer, Scrap Arts Music, and The Amish Project. We want the Rutgers community, especially students, to see the State Theatre as their neighborhood entertainment and performing arts venue. There is so much more happening here than most people think. Hopefully on Wednesday we will begin to plan for some great collaborations with Rutgers.

–Katie Pyott, Education Associate & University Liaison

The State Theatre is located at 15 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick, NJ. For information or to purchase tickets call 732-246-SHOW(7469) or visit http://www.statetheatrenj.org/. Check us out on Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace.

Laughter is the Best Medicine -- And We Need It

"Give us more comedy!"

Every day patrons give us their feedback as to what types of artists we should book at the State Theatre. And leading the pack right now, more than ever, are comedians. Why is that, you ask? Well, it's simple, times are crappy and people want to laugh (and believe me, so do us arts folks). Comedians help us to lighten up and forget, even for just an hour or so, the reality of our situations. So, with that said, you asked for comedy and we have answered. This fall, we have scheduled 3 comedians, all with their own brand of comedy: Lewis Black, Joy Behar, and Jim Gaffigan.


(above is a funny bit about cinnabons by Jim Gaffigan)

So, if you need a laugh, come and visit us at the State or if you want to laugh RIGHT NOW, check out Jim Gaffigan's YouTube page. Either way, treat yourself and find time to laugh...you know you want to...

The State Theatre is located at 15 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick, NJ. For information or to purchase tickets call 732-246-SHOW(7469) or visit http://www.statetheatrenj.org/. Check us out on Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace.

State Theatre presents school performances of Harold and the Purple Crayon and more for 2009-2010

Now that the 2008-2009 education season has wrapped up, we are well on our way to putting out information about next season’s shows. We’ve got some orders in already and school’s not even out! The 2009-2010 education season is looking to be a great one, seeing some familiar titles like The Grapes of Wrath, Harold and the Purple Crayon, The Nutcracker, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. We’ve also got some shows that you may not have heard of, including MacHomer, a one-man version of Shakespeare’s Macbeth told in the voices of characters from The Simpsons. Also, The Man Who Planted Trees a show based on a children’s book about a man who makes it his life’s work to plant trees all over the south of France. Although it’s still very early and we have just put these shows and several others on sale, we already seem to have some favorites including The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other Eric Carle Favorites for the preK-3rd grade crowd. This is a return event for us and already we have some big orders for the 3 performances. For older students, it looks like the returning of performance poets and New Jersey’s own the Mayhem Poets will be a favorite. They will be here to help us celebrate National Poetry Month in April. You can find more information about the entire education season at http://www.statetheatrenj.org/education/performancesschools.asp.

–Jenn Cunha, Education

The State Theatre is located at 15 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick, NJ. For information or to purchase tickets call 732-246-SHOW(7469) or visit http://www.statetheatrenj.org/. Check us out on Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace.