Princeton Summer Theater

Organizational history

In the 1930s, members of student-run Theater Intime, initiated summer theater at Princeton. From the late 1920s until the 50s students called the summer company the University Players. The University Players operated from Hamilton Murray Theater for years. In 1968, the group became semi-independent from the University under the name "Summer Intime",and in the late 70s it was renamed Princeton Summer Theater. Every summer a new company of Princeton students forms to present a season of four main stage shows and two children's shows.

Dedicated to training future leaders of the theater world, Princeton Summer Theater offers students and young professionals experience working in every area of theatre production, from performance, to design, to marketing, to theater management. In recent years the company has also included members from the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, Rutgers University and Rider University. Notable alumni include John Lithgow, Bebe Neuwirth, William Hootkins, Geoff Rich, Mark Nelson, Winnie Holzman, Bretaigne Windust and Henry Fonda.

Hamilton Murray Theater was dubbed a "jewel box of a theater" by Stuart Duncan of the "Princeton Packet".

2015 season

The current 2015 season is the 46th season of Princeton Summer Theater in its current form. Princeton Summer Theater took a hiatus during the 2014 summer season in order to make renovations to the theater, which included the installation of an automated winch system, new L.E.D lights, and improved heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems. This year's season consists of:

Metamorphoses by Mary Zimmerman

Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw

The Real Inspector Hound by Tom Stoppard, paired with "The Actor's Nightmare" by Christopher Durang

Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl

The season will also include a production of a new children's play, "The Legendary True Story of Sparrow Jones and the Jersey Devil" by Brad Wilson and Maeli Goren. As part of its children's programming, Princeton Summer Theater will also host several Young Artists' Workshops for children ages 6–12.

University Players

1928

The Dover Road by A. A. Milne Beyond the Horizon by Eugene O'Neill The Torch-Bearers by George Kelly The Jest by Sam Benelli In the Next Room by Eleanor Belmont and Harriet Ford The New Way by Annie Nathan Meyer Is Zat So The Thirteenth Chair by Bayard Veiller

1929

The Devil in the Cheese by Tom Cushing The Donovan Affair by Owen Davis (directed by Henry Fonda) Outward Bound by Sutton Vane The Last Warning by Thomas F. Fallon (directed by Bretaigne Windust '28) Merton of the Movies by George S. Kaufman and Marc Connelly Crime by Kent Smith The Bad Man by Porter Emerson Browne The Czarina by Melchior Lengyel and Ludwig Biro The Constant Nymph by Margaret Kennedy and Basil Dean (directed by Charles Leatherbee)

1930

Murray Hill by Leslie Howard The Wooden Kimono by Bretaigne Windust The Watched Pot by Saki and Charles Maude Thunder on the Left by Jean Ferguson Black The Makropulos Affair by Karel Čapek The Firebrand by Edwin Justus Mayer Hell-Bent Fer Heaven by Hatcher Hughes The Marquise by Noël Coward A Kiss for Cinderella by J.M. Barrie

1931

Paris Found by Philip Barry Interference by Roland Pertwee and Harold Dearden Mr. Pim Passes By by A. A. Milne Coquette by Ann Preston Bridgers and George Abbott Her Cardboard Lover by Jacques Deval (Dans sa candeur naïve, translated by Valerie Wyngate and P. G. Wodehouse) The Trial of Mary Dugan by Bayard Veiller The Guardsman by Ferenc Molnár (original title: Testőr) Juno and the Paycock by Seán O'Casey The Silent House by John G. Brandon and George Pickett The Italian Straw Hat (Un chapeau de paille d'Italie) by Eugène Marin Labiche and Marc Michel

In July 1933 a fire devastated the theater, starting in the basement and burning up the entire stage. It was renovated over the summer.

1948

No Exit (Huis clos) by Jean-Paul Sartre How He Lied to Her Husband by George Bernard Shaw The Beautiful People by William Saroyan Yes Is for a Very Young Man by Gertrude Stein

1949

The Vegetable by F. Scott Fitzgerald Cathleen ni Houlihan by W. B. Yeats Purgatory by W. B. Yeats The End of the Beginning by Seán O'Casey The Streets of New York by Dion Boucicault

In 1951 and 1952, no productions were staged due to the Korean War.

1953

Rose Tattoo by Tennessee Williams The Devil's Disciple by George Bernard Shaw The Infernal Machine by Jean Cocteau Hello Out There by William Saroyan The Apollo of Bellac by Jean Giraudoux Red Peppers by Noël Coward The Italian Straw Hat (Un chapeau de paille d'Italie) by Eugène Marin Labiche and Marc Michel The Tempest by William Shakespeare

1954

Camino Real by Tennessee Williams Right You Are (If you think so) (Così è (se vi pare)) by Luigi Pirandello A Penny for a Song by John Whiting (American première) Theatre of the Soul by Nikolai Evreinov Queens of France by Thornton Wilder Village Wooing by George Bernard Shaw Ghosts (original Danish title: Gengangere) by Henrik Ibsen Show Loves Me Not by Howard Lindsay Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll adapted by Mario Siletti Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

1956

Saint Joan by George Bernard Shaw Charley's Aunt by Brandon Thomas Blood Wedding by García Lorca The Grass Harp by Truman Capote The Father (Swedish: Fadren) by August Strindberg Ring Round the Moon by Christopher Fry (adapted from L'Invitation au Château by Jean Anouilh) The Happy Journey to Trenton and Camden by Thornton Wilder Bedtime Story by Seán O'Casey As You Like It by William Shakespeare

1957

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder Heartbreak House by George Bernard Shaw The Enchanted by Jean Giraudoux The Love of Don Perlimplín and Belisa in the Garden (original title: Amor de Don Perlimplín con Belisa en su jardín) by García Lorca The Tinker's Wedding by J. M. Synge The Shadow of a Gunman by Seán O'Casey Love's Labour's Lost by William Shakespeare Lord Byron's Love Letter by Tennessee Williams

1958

A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller The Matchmaker by Thornton Wilder Legends of Lovers by Jean Anouilh (original title Eurydice, translated by Kitty Black as Point of Departure and republished as Legend of Lovers) The Burnt Flower Bed (L'aiuola bruciata) by Ugo Betti An Evening of Tennessee Williams: Auto Da Fé, The Case of the Crushed Petunias, The Unsatisfactory Supper Misalliance by George Bernard Shaw Purple Dust by Seán O'Casey The Two Gentlemen of Verona by William Shakespeare

Summer Intime

1968

The Night of the Iguana by Tennessee Williams Amphitryon 38 by Jean Giraudoux The Trial (Le Procès) by André Gide and Jean-Louis Barrault (after the book by Franz Kafka) Arms and the Man by George Bernard Shaw

1969

The Little Foxes by Lillian Hellman L'Idiote (or A Shot in the Dark) by Marcel Achard Anne of the Thousand Days by Maxwell Anderson Heartbreak House by George Bernard Shaw

1970

The Eccentricities of a Nightingale by Tennessee Williams The Playboy of the Western World by J. M. Synge The Homecoming by Harold Pinter Misalliance by George Bernard Shaw

1971

The Rainmaker by N. Richard Nash Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare A Day in the Death of Joe Egg by Peter Nichols Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov

1972

Billy Liar by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall Happy Birthday, Wanda June by Kurt Vonnegut A Flea in Her Ear (La Puce à l'oreille) by Georges Feydeau What the Butler Saw by Joe Orton

1973

The Philanthropist by Christopher Hampton The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter The Beaux' Stratagem by George Farquhar Tango by Sławomir Mrożek George Washington Crossing the Delaware by Koch

1974

Arms and the Man by George Bernard Shaw Luv by Murray Schisgal Baby Want a Kiss by James Costigan The Lion in Winter by James Goldman

1975

Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad by Arthur Kopit Charley's Aunt by Brandon Thomas The Voice of the Turtle by John Van Druten U.T.B.U. (Unhealthy To Be Unpleasant) by James Kirkwood, Jr.

1976

Fallen Angels by Noël Coward The Imaginary Invalid (Le malade imaginaire) by Molière Two for the Seesaw by William Gibson Picnic by William Inge

1977

Cox and Box by F. C. Burnand and Arthur Sullivan Candida by George Bernard Shaw The Creation of the World and Other Business by Arthur Miller 110 in the Shade by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt Alice Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll, Florida Friebus and Eva Le Gallienne

1978

Tartuffe by Molière Holiday by Philip Barry Match Play by McCleery The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie

1979

Last of the Red Hot Lovers by Neil Simon Towards Zero by Agatha Christie The Matchmaker by Thornton Wilder After the Fall by Arthur Miller

Princeton Summer Theater

1980

The Devil's Disciple by George Bernard Shaw The Sorcerer by Gilbert and Sullivan The Mound Builders by Lanford Wilson Night Watch by Lucille Fletcher

In 1981 the theater was dark.

In 1982 and 1983 the summer company was known as Newstage at Intime

1982

Scapino! by Jim Dale and Frank Dunlop (an adaptation of Molière's Les Fourberies de Scapin) The Belle of Amherst by William Luce Happy End by Kurt Weill, Elisabeth Hauptmann, and Bertolt Brecht The Freedom of the City by Brian Friel

1983

Bus Stop by William Inge Talking With... by Jane Martin March of the Falsettos by William Finn Betrayal by Harold Pinter

1984

Sly Fox by Larry Gelbart Angels Fall by Lanford Wilson Say Goodnight, Gracie by Rupert Holmes Side By Side By Sondheim by Stephen Sondheim

1985

Beyond Therapy by Christopher Durang The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder A Coupla White Chicks Sitting Around Talking by John Ford Noonan Starting Here, Starting Now by Richard Maltby, Jr. and David Shire

In 1986, a company from outside PST occupied The Hamilton Murray Theater.

1987

Noises Off by Michael Frayn Don Juan in Hell by George Bernard Shaw Arms and the Man by George Bernard Shaw A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

The theater was dark in 1988 and 1989.

1990

The Nerd by Larry Shue Three Postcards by Craig Lucas Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

1991

The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie Same Time, Next Year by Bernard Slade Much Ado about Nothing by William Shakespeare Drinking in America by Eric Bogosian

1992

Dial M for Murder by Frederick Knott Barefoot in the Park by Neil Simon Run for Your Wife by Ray Cooney

1993

Sleuth by Anthony Shaffer Little Shop of Horrors by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman The Good Doctor by Neil Simon

1994

Speed-the-Plow by David Mamet Private Lives by Noël Coward A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare It's Only a Play

1995

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams The Real Inspector Hound by Tom Stoppard Much Ado about Nothing by William Shakespeare Wait Until Dark by Frederick Knott

1996

The Fantastiks by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones The Crucible by Arthur Miller Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Lend Me a Tenor by Ken Ludwig

1997

Arsenic and Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring Camelot by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare Our Town by Thornton Wilder

1998

Harvey by Mary Chase She Loves Me by Joe Masteroff, Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare The Seagull by Anton Chekhov

During 1999 and 2000 extensive renovations carried out to the theater leaving it "dark".

2001

Barefoot in the Park by Neil Simon Much Ado about Nothing by William Shakespeare Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds by Paul Zindel

2002

Direct from Moscow Baby with the Bathwater by Christopher Durang A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare The Fantasticks by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel

2003

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown by Clark Gesner Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard The Star-Spangled Girl by Neil Simon

2004

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield Scenes From American Life Private Lives by Noël Coward Proof by David Auburn

2005

The Voice of the Turtle by John Van Druten Godspell by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak Dial M for Murder by Frederick Knott Picasso at the Lapin Agile by Steve Martin

2006

Wait Until Dark by Frederick Knott Black Comedy by Peter Shaffer Little Shop of Horrors by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman Betrayal by Harold Pinter

2007

Bell, Book and Candle by John Van Druten Biloxi Blues by Neil Simon 10 Little Indians by Agatha Christie 'Art' by Yasmina Reza

2008

Arcadia by Tom Stoppard Bus Stop by William Inge An Inspector Calls by J. B. Priestley Blithe Spirit by Noël Coward

2009

Urinetown by Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams No Time for Comedy by S. N. Behrman The Underpants adapted by Steve Martin from Die Hose by Carl Sternheim

2010

The Heidi Chronicles by Wendy Wasserstein The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher Misalliance by George Bernard Shaw Fifth of July by Lanford Wilson

2011

Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine Barefoot in the Park by Neil Simon Beyond Therapy by Christopher Durang A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen

2012

A Little Night Music by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler Gas Light by Patrick Hamilton Boeing-Boeing by Marc Camoletti The American Plan by Richard Greenberg

2013

She Loves Me book by Joe Masteroff, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and music by Jerry Bock. Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley The 39 Steps by Patrick Barlow Time Stands Still by Donald Margulies