Scheduling problems and differences with recreation officials are overcome
By: David Campbell
Following a hiatus last summer due to scheduling problems, Princeton Rep Shakespeare Festival will bring its popular free outdoor summer festival back to the Pettoranello Gardens amphitheater at Community Park North starting in July with a six-week production of the Shakespeare comedy "Twelfth Night."
The Bard’s romantic comedy of mistaken identities and whimsical mayhem is scheduled to open July 20 and run through Aug. 27. The free summer Shakespeare performances in the outdoor amphitheater will start 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday evenings.
The roles of Viola and Malvolio are to be played by festival favorites Nell Gwynn and Donald Kimmel. Ms. Gwynn played the role of Beatrice in Princeton Rep’s 2004 summer production of "Much Ado About Nothing," and played the role of Regan in the Rep’s 2002 production of "King Lear," to critical acclaim, said Princeton Rep Co-Producing Artistic Director Victoria Liberatori.
Mr. Kimmel played Petruchio in the festival’s inaugural-season 2000 production of "The Taming of the Shrew" at Pettoranello, and played the role of Friar Lawrence in the Rep’s 2004 production of "Romeo and Juliet." He and Ms. Gwynn played opposite one another as husband and wife in the Rep’s production of "The Merry Wives of (West) Windsor" in 2003, Ms. Liberatori said.
Ms. Liberatori will direct the production of "Twelfth Night" this summer.
"We have high hopes that our audience will remember us and the 2006 season will be as successful as our incredibly well-attended first season at Pettoranello in 2000," she said. "We hope we can make up some lost time. We are elated we can continue this tradition of free professional Actors’ Equity Shakespeare in Princeton, because it’s a very unique cultural offering in the United States."
Starting this season, Alexandra Hoge, who previously served as associate producer and assistant director to the 2004 Princeton Rep Shakespeare Festival, has returned as its new co-producing artistic director, alongside Ms. Liberatori.
Ms. Hoge will focus on educational programming at Hopewell Valley Regional Performing Arts Center, where the repertory company is the center’s theater in residence. She is also engaged in fundraising and plans to direct future productions, she said.
She is relocating to the Princeton area from Washington D.C., where she just finished co-directing a critically acclaimed production of "Hapgood" by Tom Stoppard and curating a reading series of classical Greek plays for Washington Shakespeare Company.
"I’m just very excited we are going to be back in Princeton maintaining our very loyal audience base, but also excited we will be expanding in Hopewell Valley," Ms. Hoge said this week. "It’s really an exciting time we’re reaching outward to new audiences, new students, new parents and new lovers of Shakespeare."
The Rep’s 2006 summer season at Pettoranello comes following lengthy wrangling over use of the amphitheater, a problem that has dogged the relationship between the theater company and Princeton recreation officials over the years. Ms. Liberatori said the Rep’s contract with Princeton for use of the amphitheater this summer was sealed about a week ago.
Princeton Recreation Director Jack Roberts said officials in Princeton are pleased that free summer Shakespeare is returning to Pettoranello.
"We’re just extremely pleased they’re back, and we welcome the efforts they put out for the community," he said. "We want it to work because we know they’re putting in a lot of effort. Their product is top-notch."
Ms. Liberatori has long held that the festival put Pettoranello amphitheater on the map as an arts and performance venue, and has fought to retain the Rep’s desired two-play season of prior summers.
But Princeton recreation officials have seen increased demand for use of the amphitheater stage by other groups including the Thomas Sweet Outdoor Cinema program, New Jersey Opera Theater and the Blue Curtain concert series. Mr. Roberts has said Princeton officials have tried to accommodate everybody.
Princeton Rep last held a summer season at the amphitheater in 2004 with productions of "Romeo and Juliet" and "Much Ado About Nothing."
The Rep’s summer 2005 production of Shakespeare’s comedy "The Tempest" was canceled due to the scheduling dispute with recreation officials.
The Rep’s free outdoor summer Shakespeare festival was first mounted at Pettoranello in 2000, a season that drew large crowds, raising concerns by recreation officials about public safety, parking and other infrastructure issues there.
The 2001 summer season was canceled because the issues were not resolved, but the festival resumed in 2002 after Princeton Rep and Princeton officials worked together to upgrade the facility and provide additional parking and shuttle service to the site.

