Our Mission: Cape May Stage provides high quality professional Equity theatre, focused on excellence in acting in an intimate setting, to the residents and visitors of Cape May and surrounding areas; and fosters Arts Education in academic and non-traditional venues.

Cape May Stage Founder Michael Laird with Artistic Board Member Angel Hissom and Eric Hissom, 1987

The History of Cape May Stage

In January of 1853, the trustees of the Cape Island Presbyterian Church purchased a lot on the north side of Lafayette Street, at the corner of what is now Bank Street. Local builder, Peter Hand, designed and built their church, completing it by July with dedication services on July 17th. Mr. Hand designed a Georgian-vernacular style building with an oddly graceful onion-curved, mosque-like cupola. For the rest of that summer Cape Islanders and visitors alike thronged the beautiful new church. In the fall of 1853, the Cold Spring trustees sold it to the Methodists.

The church served the congregation until 1898 when they moved to their new church at Hughes and Decatur Streets. The trustees sold the old church to Annie Knight. She bought it for the local Episcopalians, who had no building.

In the mid 50s, one of the City’s proposed solutions to the increasing automobile parking problem was to tear down the Cape Island Presbyterian Church and an old fire station next to it to create a parking lot. The City purchased the church for $2,000 from the Church of the Advent Episcopalians, and began demolition plans. However, an early Cape Island preservationist, Tom Harris, intervened to save the building. Tom met with Mayor Sam Eldredge and the City Commissioners and convinced them that the building was worth saving. He pointed out that Cape May did not have a much-needed Central Community House. The City fathers agreed to support Tom’s effort. Incorporation papers were drawn up for the Historical and Community Center of Cape May (HCC), Inc. The Board declared the building available for art shows, dances, plays, association meetings, banquets, etc.

After running the Center for 17 years, Harris grew tired of the job and its responsibilities. In 1973 Mayor Bruce Minnix suggested that the City take over operating the Center. The City converted its primary use into a Visitor Welcome Center, though it still served for meetings, plays and such. They installed Connie Costen as director of the Welcome Center and she ran it for many years.

Meanwhile, in 1988 a rogue transplant from Philadelphia, Michael Laird, descended upon Cape May and incorporated Cape May Stage as an Equity theatre company. Laird, self-described as ‘an Equity actor and a director and producer and a sculptor and a playwright and a poet and a clown’ launched the first Cape May Stage production “Sea Marks” featuring Tom McCarthy at the Chalfonte Hotel in August, 1989. Ably assisted by Executive Director Angel Conran, during the theatre's formative years Laird produced Cape May Stage plays at various venues including Congress Hall, Cold Spring Village, the PAC in Middle Township and the now-defunct Cape May Institute.

In 1993, Laird persuaded the City Council to allow him to rent the Welcome Center to host his evening productions. That November, “The Dorothy Parker Story” became the first Cape May Stage production to be performed in its current home. For the next seven seasons Laird attracted award-winning actors from Philadelphia such as Jen Childs, Grace Gonglewski and Scott Greer to bring their talents to his stage. A highlight from those years was the production of “Love Letters” featuring Robert Prosky and Estelle Parsons. For several years Cape May Stage also offered Cabaret entertainment at the Chalfonte Hotel and introduced luminaries Guy Davis, Jilline Ringle and Vikky True to Cape May audiences.

Laird passed away too soon in January 2001 and the Board hired Michael Carleton as its new Artistic Director. With Joe Pannullo and Alicia Williams assistance as key administrative staff, the theatre grew and expanded into an eight-month production season by 2002.

Laird’s vision for a ‘real’ professional theatre space did not die with him. It was carried forward by the Board and staff and in 2004 Project Encore was born. This endeavor entailed a $1.4 million capital campaign that provided funding to restore the historic church as ‘the architectural jewel in the city’s crown’; inside the building arose a state-of-the-art theatre space. In an unprecedented non-profit campaign for Cape May, over 400 members of the Cape May community donated the required resources. The splendid restoration/renovation of building and grounds was completed by spring, 2008.

The former church now has a new life as the Robert Shackleton Playhouse, home of Cape May Stage. One of the most generous contributors to the Project Encore campaign was the Martel/Shackleton family. The building is named after Robert Shackleton, father of Leslie Shackleton Martel, a seasonal resident of Cape May along with her husband Myles.

As a young man in the 1930's and early 40's, Mr. Shackleton visited his brother, Jack Shackleton, numerous times in Cape May. Jack's family owned a house on Beach Avenue - the Griscom House – which is still owned by the family. After graduation from Temple University Mr. Shackleton appeared in Gilbert and Sullivan operettas with the Savoy Opera Company before moving on to Broadway.

Broadway and London stage credits for Mr. Shackleton included: "Where's Charlie?" with Ray Bolger: "Keep Off the Grass" with Jimmy Durante: "Three After Three" with Simone Simone: "Set to Music" with Noel Coward and Beatrice Lillie. His screen career included lead roles in "Where's Charlie?" with Ray Bolger, and "The Wonder Kid". Mr. Shackleton's theatre career was interrupted by World War II. He entered the Army as a private and attained rank of Major, serving as aide to General Omar Bradley. Tragically, Mr. Shackleton passed away at the age of 42 in 1956.

In 2009, Roy Steinberg took over the reigns as Artistic Director and Donald Toal came aboard to lead the expanding Education Outreach program. Now in its 23^rd consecutive year of producing extraordinary theatre for residents and visitors of Cape May, Steinberg has taken Cape May Stage to new heights of professional theatre. Our theatre routinely attracts high-profile Broadway and Hollywood artists such as Lynn Cohen, Ben Hammer and Mary Testa, and continues to receive the highest theatrical awards, such as Best Theatre Company in Cape May in 2009.

Click here to read more on the History of Our Building

Click on a date in the time line for more information.



1988-1989 | 1990-1992 | 1993-1994 | 1995-1997
1998-2000 | 2001-2003 | 2004-2005 | 2006-2008

1988 Cape May Stage was founded by Cape May County resident, Michael Laird, a graduate in Theatre Arts from The Richard Stockton College. In the same year, it was incorporated as a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation.

1989 The first official performance was “Sea Marks” directed by John Gulley and starring Tom McCarthy and Jeannie Waters. The show was staged at the Chalfonte Hotel and Cold Spring Village.

1990-1992 Three shows were performed in each of these years with superb critical reviews. Performance venues included the Chalfonte Hotel, Cape May Institute, the Art League and Congress Hall. John Alvarez makes his Cape May Stage debut as Stage Manager. Volunteer “Buddies” group is formed to help at the shows.

1993-1994 Ambitious seven-month season is launched. Among the firsts for Cape May Stage at this time were: Board of Trustees (six members) were installed; Cabaret shows were inaugurated at the Chalfonte; Outreach Programs were launched including workshops, performances and theatre classes at area schools and community college.

1995–1997 Following the use of the city’s Welcome Center at Lafayette and Bank Streets for some shows in 1993/94, Cape May Stage obtained a three-year lease from the city in 1995. Grant funding was awarded from the NJ State Council on the Arts in 1996. During this time two campaigns were initiated: an Annual Giving, and a Capital Campaign for new seating and lights. Canyon Allen joined the staff as Technical Director and Michael Carleton made his first appearance in Cape May directing “The Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged.”

1998-2000 Theatre programming expanded to an eight-month/six shows season which Cape May Stage has retained ever since. Michael Laird expanded programming to include film shorts and Cape May Stage and Film becomes an unofficial new name. In May, 2000 two of the theatre industry's great stars, Estelle Parsons and Robert Prosky, kicked off a spectacular production year for Cape May Stage with their memorable performance of “Love Letters”. The rest of the season didn't disappoint, particularly the staging of “Patsy Cline, A Portrait in Song” written by Laird and Joe Stinson and the highly acclaimed “Art” with Paul Bernardo, Chris Dolman and Mark Rector. Cape May Stage was one of the first regional theatres in the country to produce this popular new drama by Yazmina Reza. Michael is found to have cancer in July 2000.

2001-2003 Cape May Stage loses its beloved founder on January 6, 2001 as the cancer takes his life. The Board of Trustees selects Michael Carleton as its new Artistic Director. The 2001, 2002, & 2003 seasons bring remarkable audience growth as Michael Carleton demonstrates a similar versatility as our founder in his skills with acting, directing, playwriting, play selection etc. The hiring of retired business executive, Joe Pannullo, as our first Managing Director allowed Cape May Stage to focus on marketing, administrative and fiscal procedures, and expansion of Grant funding for the theatre.

2004-2005 Marketing and Development programs, financed by new grant funds, were formalized and implemented. Audience continues to grow as a result, at the pace of 20% plus per year. The season-opening Flying Solo Festival‚ is inaugurated. Board membership reaches the level of eighteen Trustees. The theatre signs a long term lease with the city of Cape May for their production space at the corner of Bank and Lafayette Streets, and undertakes a $1.4 million capital campaign to restore the building and create a Modern theatre during a period of three years.

2006-2008 Cape May Stage soared to great heights in 2006-2008. Most notable was Project Encore - a multi-year restoration and renovation of the Equity theatre's historic home at Bank & Lafayette Streets. In the winter/spring of 2006, the exterior of the old church was fully restored and a new dressing room was added on to the building. In 2007 the box office area and bathrooms were renovated and the outside piazza built. In 2008, the interior of the building was restored, including the installation of comfortable stadium seats on risers. This work was all accomplished due to the generosity of the people of Cape May who donated over $1 million to the capital campaign. Box office records continued to be broken with sold out performances to such notable shows as "The Price" featuring Robert Prosky, "The Big-Bang" and "This Wonderful Life".