McCarter Theater
91 University Place, Princeton. 609-258-2787 or www.mccarter.org.
The theater’s drama season starts with the world premiere of “I & You: The Musical,” adapted from Lauren Gunderson’s play. McCarter artistic director Sarah Rasmussen directs. In the show, 17-year-olds Caroline — stuck at home with an illness — and Anthony — an earnest overachiever toting Walt Whitman and waffle fries — are classmates pulling an unexpected all-nighter. What starts as a reluctant assignment soon sets both of their worlds spinning into a soul-searching exploration of fate, friendship, and the fragile wonder of being alive. September 13 through October 12.
David Sedaris, the beloved humorist and bestselling author, returns for an evening of razor-sharp wit, incisive observations, and unforgettable storytelling. Friday, October 3, 7:30 p.m.
Andy Borowitz: An Evening of Sanity is an evening of sharp comedy, candid conversation, and audience Q&A with the celebrated satirist and creator of The Borowitz Report. Friday, October 24, 7:30 p.m.
“300 Paintings,” created and performed by Sam Kissajukian, comes from off-Broadway to McCarter for a one-week run. In 2021, Sydney comedian Sam Kissajukian quit standup, rented an abandoned cake factory, and spent six months in a manic whirlwind, creating 300 large-scale paintings, unknowingly documenting his mental state through the process. In this hilarious and original show, Kissajukian brings audiences on a rollercoaster ride that explores the ties between art, mental health, and creativity. Stay after the show to meet Kissajukian and view his paintings in a curated lobby exhibition. October 29 through November 2.
George Street Playhouse
Arthur Laurents Theater, New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, 11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. www.georgestreetplayhouse.org.
“An Old Fashioned Family Murder” is a comic mystery written by Joe DiPietro and starring Sally Struthers. When a pompous writer spills a family secret, tensions turn to murder and every guest is a suspect. A sharp-eyed widow, a smooth-talking fiancé, a jealous daughter—no one is who they seem, and everyone has something to hide. Secrets unravel, betrayals come to light, and Mrs. Peck’s motherly instincts might just outmatch the detective’s. October 14 through November 2.
State Theater
15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. www.stnj.org.
“Mrs. Doubtfire” is a musical based on the beloved film about an out-of-work actor who will do anything for his kids. Saturday, November 1, 2 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, November 2, 1 p.m.
“Mark Twain Tonight” is a hilarious one-man show originally featuring Hal Halbrook, now being performed by Richard Thomas. Wednesday and Thursday, November 5 and 6, 7:30 p.m.
Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Jukebox, with pianist Adam Ben-David, features Patinkin’s hand-picked collection of classic musical numbers, expressed as only he can through a unique mastery of word and song. Friday, November 7, 8 p.m.
Bucks County Playhouse
70 South Main Street, New Hope, Pennsylvania. 215-862-2121 or www.bcptheater.org.
“She Loves Me,” the musical that inspired the hit film “You’ve Got Mail,” is a love story about Amalia and Georg, two clerks in a 1930s perfumery who are constantly at odds. Through September 14.
The theater season continues with the perennial favorite, “The Rocky Horror Show,” the musical that follows innocent couple Brad and Janet as they seek shelter at a mysterious old castle on a dark and stormy night, where they encounter transvestite Dr. Frank ‘N’ Furter, his “perfect” creation Rocky, and an assortment of other crazy creatures. October 10 through November 2.
The Playhouse Institute Fall Conservatory presents “We Are the Tigers,” set at a high school cheerleading squad’s annual sleepover. From love triangles and viral cheer stunts gone wrong to one lustful boyfriend, team bonding is about to get complicated. But when one of the Tigers turns up dead in the front yard, the night spirals into a hilarious whodunnit with pom-poms. Lambertville Hall, 57 Bridge Street, Lambertville. October 24 through November 2.
Bristol Riverside Theater
120 Radcliffe Street, Bristol, Pennsylvania. 215-785-0100 or www.brtstage.org.
Christopher Durang’s Tony Award-winning “Vanya and Sonia and Mashsa and Spike,” which premiered at McCarter Theater in 2012, is set in Bucks County and portrays a dysfunctional family navigating its past, future, and each other. September 16 to October 5.
Kelsey Theater
Mercer County Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor. 609-570-3333 or kelsey.mccc.edu.
In “The Spongebob Musical,” presented by Playful Theatre Productions, the citizens of Bikini Bottom discover that a volcano will soon erupt and destroy their humble home, and SpongeBob and his friends must come together to save the fate of their undersea world. Fridays through Sundays, September 19 through 28.
Presented by MTM players, “South Pacific” follows two intercultural love stories: Nellie, a spunky Navy nurse from Arkansas, and Lieutenant Cable who both find themselves struggling to reconcile their own cultural prejudices with their amorous feelings, all while under the dark cloud of a war that is coming ever closer to their island paradise. Fridays through Sundays, October 10 through 19.
“Young Frankenstein” is the musical story of the bright young doctor Frankenstein (that’s Fronkensteen) who travels to Transylvania to complete the masterwork of his grandfather by bringing a corpse to life. Fridays through Sundays, October 24 through November 2.
When a cast of has-been actors attempt to revive their careers in this full-length comedic murder mystery, “Drop Dead!” presented by the Yardley Players, side-splitting antics ensue. Fridays through Sundays, November 7 through 16.
Wicked, (Part I), the untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Tony winner Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power, and global superstar Ariana Grande as Glinda, a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart. Come in costume for this interactive movie event and sing-along. Saturday, November 15, 7 p.m., and Saturday, November 22, 2 p.m.
“Seasonal Allergies” is a story about a group of friends in their late 30s getting together during the holiday season. Fridays through Sundays, November 21 through 30.
Passage Theater
Mill Hill Playhouse, 205 East Front Street, Trenton. www.passagetheatre.org.
Passage Theater launches its 41st season with “Dutchman and The Slave” by Amiri Baraka, performed as a single play. “Dutchman” is an emotionally charged and highly symbolic version of the Adam and Eve story, set on a subway car, and was Baraka’s first critical success. “The Slave” is an examination of racial tension in contemporary America told through the story of Walker Vessles, a Black man who visits the home of his ex-wife, a white woman now married to a white professor. October 31 through November 16.
Actors NET of Bucks County
635 North Delmorr Avenue, Morrisville, Pennsylvania. 215-428-0217 or www.actorsnetbucks.org.
Known as “The Breakfast Club for teachers,” “Evelyn in Purgatory” is a poignant and funny drama that chronicles Evelyn Reid and a group of public school teachers who have landed themselves in the disciplinary limbo of the “rubber room.” While they await their fate, they form an unlikely alliance, rediscover old passions, and bond overly the utterly unique experience that is being a public school teacher. October 10 through 26.
Music Mountain Theater
1483 State Route 179, Lambertville. 609-397-3337 or www.musicmountaintheatre.org.
“Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” goes back to before she was hit-maker Carole King, when she was Carole Klein, a spunky, young songwriter from Brooklyn with a unique voice. Through September 21.
“Deathtrap” is dark comedy thriller about a successful Broadway playwright’s plot to overcome a dry spell using a script received from a student. September 26 through October 12.
“Sweeney Todd” is the dark, witty and Tony Award-winning tale of love, murder and revenge set against the backdrop of 19th century London. October 17 through November 2.
“Annie” is the beloved musical about the orphan who escapes the cruel Miss Hannigan is explore the wonders of New York City and finds a new home and family in billionaire Oliver Warbucks. November 7 through 23.
Seuls en Scène
arts.princeton.edu/frenchtheater
The 14th edition of the annual festival features renowned and emerging French writers, actors, and directors in six productions of contemporary works recently presented on stages in France and related conversations, most performed in French, some with English supertitles organized by Florent Masse, Professor of the Practice in the Department of French and Italian and presented in collaboration with the 53rd Edition of Festival d’Automne in Paris and Festival d’Avignon.
In addition to various talks, the schedule of shows for this year’s festival is as follows. All are free, though tickets are required.
“Une Ombre Vorace” by Mariano Pensotti: Jean Vidal, a mountain climber nearing the end of his career, decides one day to undertake the ascent of Annapurna in Nepal, where his father died some 30 years before; Vidal’s true story is adapted for the cinema. From there, Mariano Pensotti intertwines levels of fiction through the monologues of Vidal and Roux, the actor chosen to play Vidal’s role and who himself speaks of his own father. Wallace Theater, Lewis Arts complex. Friday and Saturday, September 12 and 13.
“Le Grand Sommeil” by Marion Siéfert: Collaborating again with actress Helena de Laurens, Siéfert crafts a wild investigation into the fantasies and norms of adolescence and womanhood, challenging de Laurens to embody the tortures, triumphs and terrors of teenage girlhood. Performed in French with English supertitles. Hearst Dance Theater, Lewis Arts complex. Saturday and Sunday, September 13 and 14
A Reading-Performance of “La Métamorphose” by Franz Kafka: Celebrated French actor Micha Lescot comes to Seuls en Scène for the first time, accompanied by musicians, and presents a musical reading performance of Franz Kafka’s masterpiece “La Métamorphose.” Performed in French with English supertitles. Wallace Theater, Lewis Arts complex. Wednesday, September 17.
A screening of “Les Amandiers” by Valeria Bruni Tedeschi is followed by a Q&A with Micha Lescot, nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the French Academy Awards (2023) for his role as Pierre Romans. In French with English subtitles. James Stewart Film Theater, 185 Nassau Street. Thursday, September 18.
“Insuline & Magnolia” by Stanislas Roquette: When Stanislas Roquette discovers at the age of 15 that he has insulin-dependent diabetes, his carefree childhood is shattered by the evidence of the disease. Formerly a cheerful boy, now he isolates himself. But his life is soon turned upside down when he meets Fleur. Performed in French with English supertitles. Wallace Theater, Lewis Arts complex. Friday and Saturday, September 19 and 20.
“Mémoires sauvées de l’eau” by Nina Léger accompanied by Marina Chiche. The writer Nina Léger and violinist Marina Chiche, both former Villa Albertine residents, team up to offer a musical reading of excerpts of Nina Léger’s latest novel: “Mémoires sauvées de l’eau,” a project she developed while being a Villa Albertine resident in Oroville, California. Performed in French. Chancellor Green Rotunda. Saturday, September 20.
“Nous sommes un poème” by Stanislas Roquette and Gilles Geenen: An uplifting musical poetry recital of classic and contemporary French poems prepared by Stanislas Roquette and Gilles Geenen. A group of community amateur actors, trained by Roquette and Geenen, will participate in the musical reading. Performance in French. Chancellor Green Rotunda. Sunday, September 21.
Lewis Center for the Arts
arts.princeton.edu
The Program in Theater presents Mohammad Yaghoubi’s contemporary, award-winning play, “A Moment of Silence.” The play investigates the impact of the Iranian revolution through the imagination of a writer and charts the recent history of the country through the lives of young people. Berlind Theatre at McCarter Theatre Center. October 31 through November 8.
Crossroads Theater
Elizabeth Ross Johnson Theatre, New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, 9 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. crossroadstheatrecompany.com.
Lynn Nottage’s “Crumbs from the Table of Joy” centers on Ernestine Crump growing up and navigating the social and political tensions of 1950s Brooklyn. Following the passing of their beloved mother, Ernestine and her sister, Ermina, must cope with their loss, the family’s move from Florida, the disruption that comes with the introduction of progressive Aunt Lily, and their father’s sudden marriage to Gerte, a white German immigrant, amidst the social and political tensions of the Great Migration. October 24 through November 23.
Rider University
www.rider.edu/arts
Long after Neverland, Wendy sets out to find Peter — and herself — in “Lost Girl,” a poignant coming-of-age tale of first love, growing up, and letting go. Yvonne Theater, 2083 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville. Friday, October 10, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, October 11, 2 and 7;30 p.m.; Sunday, October 12, 2 p.m.
Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” meets a vibrant, jazz-funk score in this joyful musical celebration of love, identity, and self-discovery. BLC Theater, 2083 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville. Friday, October 24, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, October 25, 2 and 7;30 p.m.; Sunday, October 26, 2 p.m.
