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Arts & Entertainment

Morris Township Resident Named Managing Director of Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey

Barrett hopes to get Shakespeare 'secret' out.

After more than a decade of leadership at , Jeanne Barrett has stepped into a new role.

“Managing Director is a great fit for me and it lined up very well with my involvement at the theatre. The fact that I have a history here and I know the challenges and opportunities gives me a different perspective than someone brought in from the outside,” Barrett said.

Through one of her clients at Chase Manhattan Bank, where she served as a vice-president for 20 years, Barrett was connected to the Shakespeare Theatre’s Board of Trustees.  

“As a mother of young children at the time, the variety and quality of the education programs really sparked my interest. I was hooked,” Barrett said.

From 1995-2006, Barrett served on the Board of Trustees and from 2000 through 2003 served as Board president. She also had been the Theatre’s general manager since late 2009.  

Barrett, who received her MBA at New York University’s Stern School of Business, will now oversee the business operations and finances of the Theatre. Together with artistic director Bonnie J. Monte and a team of six senior staff members, she will also oversee the production, artistic, education, development and marketing operations.

As an area local, Barrett believes that the Shakespeare Theatre was always one of area’s “best kept secrets.” But over the years, the theatre has become one of the largest and most respected producers of Shakespeare in the county. “We have a great reputation and I think that can only be enhanced as we go forward,” Barrett said.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is an independent, professional theater company located on the Drew University campus in Madison. Through its distinguished productions and education programs, the company strives to illuminate the universal and lasting relevance of the classics for contemporary audiences.

The theatre recently announced its 49th Anniversary season which begins in June with Moliere’s “The Misanthrope.” The season also includes Shakespeare’s “Timon of Athens” and “Othello,” “To Kill A Mockingbird,” "Fallen Angels" and “A Christmas Carol,” as well as “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” on its Outdoor Stage. 

The theater’s main stage is the 308-seat F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, on the Drew campus at 36 Madison Ave. 

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