HUMANITY
Illuminating and elevating human experiences through courageous and imaginative theatrical stortytelling
Dear Friends and Patrons,
We are saddened to share this update with you. On April 24, 2026, we attended a public work session of the Bordentown City Board of Commissioners (and others) during which our proposal to lease the abandoned Municipal Complex Gymnasium, upgrade it to code at our expense, and to continue providing quality professional theatre in Bordentown was discussed.
Despite past representations and assurances, the information disclosed at that meeting renders the Gym unusable by anyone. Because of all the support you’ve shown us over the years, we think it’s important to share the reasons the mayor and Board of Commissioners articulated to us.
First, the commissioners stated that no member of the public is allowed on the property after dusk because of a lack of lighting on the property, and even acknowledged this limitation was a reason the monthly City Commission meetings are not held at City Hall. Obviously, if the Gym cannot be accessed after dark, there is absolutely no way a theatre can operate there.
Second, the commissioners vaguely explained they must renegotiate some sort of agreement with the State of New Jersey regarding the use of the entire property. Third, there seemed to be confusion among City officials about whether the City or the State has jurisdiction in that space if there is a safety incident. Fourth, one City official stated that the Gym may contain asbestos—something that wasn’t uncovered when our architect inspected the building. Fifth, the commissioners raised the need to conduct cultural historical asset mapping. Sixth, one member of the Board kept stating that they had to be fiscally responsible with taxpayer dollars. While we agree with that, it makes little sense because our proposal to renovate the building did not require one dollar of taxpayer revenue and instead would have generated significant additional income for the City.
All of these are issues that should have been long-known to everyone at City Hall, and yet none of them were ever raised or disclosed during our extensive discussions with the City since October 2025. Certain members on the Board of Commissioners even campaigned on the promise to bring Pegasus to the City. And even more astounding, despite the existence of these issues, the City solicited responses to an RFI for the Gym, our response to which we made public, laying out our vision for theatre in Bordentown City. When we asked the Board why these issues were never brought up, we were told that because the City attorney was not present, they did not want to say anything that could result in liability to the City.
We lost another space, expended significant time and resources (both our own and that of vendors and service providers), and missed out on several grants because we were excited to return to the community we’ve grown to love. We were eager to share theatre and performance with all of you while also helping to drive commerce and economic growth in the City. But because City officials either didn’t know about, or refused to disclose, the issues described above, we have no choice but to find another town to call our home.
Pictured (L-R): Peter Bisgiaer, Deputy Mayor Jennifer Sciortino, and Jennifer Nasta Zefutie. Photo taken December 30, 2025 in preparation to announce our lease of the building.
Although we are disappointed, we are not deterred. We remain confident we will find a home in the very near future, and we will continue to offer theatre in any space we can secure in the coming months and years.
Again, thank you for your support. We appreciate each and every one of you.
Best,
Jennifer Nasta Zefutie, Managing Artistic Director
Peter Bisgaier, Producing Artistic Director
