Princeton Summer Theater was founded in 1968 by a group of Princeton University undergraduates under the name 'Summer Intime' as a high grade summer stock theater company.
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".
The current 2017 season is the 48th season of Princeton Summer Theater in its current form. This year's season consists of:
The season will also include a production of a new children's play, Amelia Earhart Forever by Annika Bennett.
1928
1929
1930
1931
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
1949
In 1951 and 1952, no productions were staged due to the Korean War.
1953
1954
1956
1957
1958
In 1981 the theater was dark.
In 1982 and 1983 the summer company was known as Newstage at Intime
In 1986, a company from outside PST occupied The Hamilton Murray Theater.
The theater was dark in 1988 and 1989.
During 1999 and 2000 extensive renovations carried out to the theater leaving it "dark".