Thinkery & Verse Unveils Bold, Historically Inspired 2025–2026 Season

Thinkery & Verse, the New Brunswick, N.J.-based theatrical company known for blending classical themes with urgent political storytelling, has announced its 2025–2026 season — a lineup that brings history, community, and environmental action to life across the region.

The season will include a mix of new plays, public art projects, and immersive events rooted in New Jerseys rich cultural and historical fabric. According to Co-Artistic Director Karen Alvarado, the programming is designed to explore what lies beneath the surface.

“Our new season is about uncovering whats buried, whether its clay beneath our feet, the untold stories of our ancestors, or the trees that should line our streets,” Alvarado said. “Were inviting the public not only to attend performances but to actively participate in shaping the narrative of New Jerseys past, present, and future.”

Highlights of the upcoming season include “Macbeth,” a haunting new adaptation of Shakespeares tragedy set in colonial New Jersey during the first wave of Scottish immigration, running from Oct. 9–25. “Scenes from a Revolution,” scheduled for Spring 2026, is an original work commissioned by Middlesex County for the America250 celebrations, dramatizing the rift between Benjamin Franklin and his Loyalist son during the American Revolution. Both productions aim to spotlight underrepresented Indigenous and Black histories.

Also on the schedule for Fall 2025 is “Monuments to Migration,” a new play created from community storytelling sessions as part of a statewide initiative honoring New Jerseys immigrant communities. “Holiday Spirits,” running from Dec. 4–13, is a festive evening of ghostly tales and poetry from Charles Dickens, Robert Frost, and Edgar Allen Poe, among others, staged by candlelight.

The season will feature interactive public programs as well. The Brick Makers Residency, held at East Jersey Old Town Village, will offer free hands-on workshops in 18th-century brick making from April through December. The companys climate-focused Trees Initiative will continue with street tree plantings and events across the region, including a Memorial Day planting at Willow Grove Cemetery and a bilingual reading of Joyce Kilmers “Trees” in Central Park.

Founded by Alvarado and J.M. Meyer, Thinkery & Verse has built a reputation for combining classical texts with contemporary themes, often using repertory performance to spark new creative approaches. The companys previous productions have earned acclaim from outlets such as The New York Times, The Scotsman, and The Austin Chronicle.

This seasons projects are supported in part by CoLab Arts, Fractured Atlas, and the Middlesex County Arts Institute.