(Courtesy of Envision Theater) Envision Theater, New Jersey’s premier educational theater company, is thrilled to announce it’s first Shakespeare Live Production—Twelfth Night— featuring the Envision Theater Acting Troupe. The show will be performed on Sunday, Aug. 9, at 11a.m. and at 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. on a backyard “stage” in Teaneck.

Envision Theater partners with over 15 yeshivot and Jewish day schools and is known for its top notch in-school and after-school theater arts programs and productions. Envision does not typically run summer programming, but this year made an exception. As Rebecca Lopkin, artistic director and founder of Envision Theater, explained, “all of the spring productions we ran we unfortunately canceled due to COVID-19. There are so many high school seniors who did not have the opportunity to perform their spring show live so I decided to reach out to many of the students I’ve worked with…and asked if they would be up for working on a live Shakespeare play to be rehearsed and performed in my backyard, with masks and social distancing rules in place. There was a resounding, enthusiastic, ‘yes!’” A cast was formed of nine recent grads from TABC, Frisch and Bruriah high schools and rehearsals got underway.

While Envision Theater quickly pivoted this spring and moved all of their classes, productions and even their Shakespeare festival online—to much success—it is very clear that both actors and audiences are clamoring for live theater. “There is simply nothing like the connection and energy created through a live performance. Zoom shows are wonderful but they are not theater,” explained Lopkin.

The actors are rehearsing a one-hour adaptation that mixes original text and modern text, set to a melange of modern music. The show is appropriate for all ages and promises to be an incredible return to live theater in Teaneck.

Chairs will be set up six-feet apart and all actors and audience members must wear masks. As there is limited space for seating, reservations are required. Tickets are $5 and a portion of the profits will go to The Actor’s Fund to help the theater community, which has been hit hard during the pandemic.

To reserve a seat, email Rebecca at [email protected].