REVIEW: SAM SHEPARD’S SEARING FAMILY DRAMA BURNS BRIGHTLY ON STNJ STAGE

By Ruth Ross

In Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy famously wrote, “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way," but the Vronskys’ trials pale in comparison to those faced by the family at the center of Sam Shepard’s searing Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, Buried Child.

Produced for the first time by the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Shepard’s play voyeuristically peers into the drab, derelict Illinois farmhouse inhabited by a dysfunctional family, down on its luck for decades. Over the course of a rainy afternoon and subsequent morning, terrible secrets are explosively revealed, layer by layer, just as corn is husked and carrots are pared onstage. (Left, Anthony Marble and Sherman Howard)

In Buried Child, Shepard addresses the failure of the American Dream, the idea that, with hard work and determination, anyone can succeed in life. And, in the typically Midwestern notion that offspring that the family business (in this case, a farm) should be passed down through the generations. The emptiness of this myth was as true in 1979 when Shepard wrote the play as it was in 2008 when the economy crashed and as it is today, when American farmers are bailed out by the federal government to make up for the hardships imposed on them by retaliatory tariffs. Likewise, the belief in American Morality takes a similar beating, for this family’s secrets involve not only murder and adultery but that most heinous of immoral acts: incest.

Alcoholic, dying patriarch Dodge presides over a farm that hasn’t produced a crop in 35 years, yet he can reel off a long list of his farm equipment with great precision. His nagging wife Halie, a disembodied voice for most of the first act, is having an affair with the minister, Father Dewis. While their two surviving sons, emotionally disturbed Tilden and amputee Bradley, are expected to care for their aging parents, Halie idolizes Ansel, the All-American basketball player/war hero who was killed on his wedding night by his wife’s Catholic relatives. Appearing unexpectedly on the scene is Vincent, Tilden’s son (above right,Anthony Marble and Paul Cooper), whom no one seems to recognize, and his 19-year-old girlfriend Shelly. Their appearance, as agents from the outside world of reality, upends this family’s carefully preserved world and brings it crashing down on their heads.

The cast Director Paul Mullins has assembled is more than up to the task of portraying these distasteful people. Sherman Howard is superb as cantankerous, irritable Dodge; his sotto voce responses to his wife’s nagging are droll yet sad. He manages to make a thoroughly unlikeable character sympathetic, despite the despicable act he’s reputed to have done. As Tilden, Anthony Marble turns in a heartbreaking performance; despite his having little to say, his body English telegraphs the anguished loneliness of his carrying around and concealing a terrible secret. Roger Clark’s Bradley is an obnoxious boor to the max; his frantically scooting around the floor when his artificial leg is taken from him is very satisfying comeuppance for this awful man. And Carol Halstead’s Halie (above, right, with Michael Dale) has to be the most irritating woman every onstage. When she finally appears, her physical attributes are equally as annoying as her voice. Watching her deflate in the penultimate scene, as the secret is revealed, is worth the price of admission. My only quibble is that her final speech—indeed, the last of the play—is delivered too quickly, as though she’s reading a script, and in a sing-song voice. It’s the only false note in the play.

More sympathetic are Paul Cooper as Vincent and Andrea Morales as Shelly (right, with Roger Clark), the two unwitting observers from the outside world who set in motion this debacle. Trying to jog his grandfather’s memory, Cooper’s Vincent earnestly recalls things they did together when he was younger. Yet his glee at the final turn of events makes one wonder whether his initial intentions were really all that innocent—and whether he’s more like his family than he thought. Morales’s Shelly provokes the proceedings; her insistence on finding the truth leads her to ask, “What happened to this farm anyway,” after viewing family photos on the walls of Halie’s room. Morales’ fear of Bradley, not unfounded, is palpable; her eyes dart around the room as he places his hand in her mouth, scaring the audience as to what he might do. As the single character with any sense of decency, she’s the only one who manages to escape. And as Halie’s lover, Father Dewis, Michael Dale is appropriately smarmy and totally out of his element to minister to this strange, tortured family. He represents a total failure of morality and religion.

The set on which Buried Child unfolds is depressing. Michael Schweikardt’s set features hideous, stained floral wallpaper and a ratty sofa that mirror the drabness of the family’s life. Erik T. Lawson’s sound design includes driving rain and premonitory thunder; he has also composed original music played during the two intermissions. Tony Galaska’s atmospheric lighting reinforces the darkness at the heart of the family. And Andrea Hood’s costumes suit the characters; Shelly’s red top is the only bright color in a cheerless palette.

The myths of American Dream and American Morality are tales we tell ourselves to feel better, even as the world is coming down around us. Just reading the paper reveals the hollowness of both: Despite holding two or more jobs, many people cannot climb out of poverty, and college-educated young people move home because they cannot support themselves. Politicians professing Family Values found in compromising situations have been outed. That Dodge’s farm has produced nothing for decades is reflective of his inability to deal with a grave moral dilemma. Only when the terrible secret is on the verge of being revealed does corn grow, followed by a huge crop of vegetables that suddenly appears at the end of the play. With Dodge, Tilden and Bradley out of the way, a new generation, Vincent, can make its way in the world.

About playwrighting, Sam Shepard wrote that “[b]eginnings are definitely the most exciting, middles are perplexing and endings are a disaster …. The most authentic endings are the ones which are already revolving towards another beginning. That’s genius.” It is true for this play.

So just who is the Buried Child? Well, I’ll leave that to you to discover. Just know that there’s more than one—and not all are in the grave.

Buried Child will be performed through October 7 at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre on the campus of Drew University, 36 Madison Avenue, Madison. For tickets and performance information, call the box office at 973.408.5600 or visit www.ShakespeareNJ.org online.

Photo credit: Jerry Dalia.

PASSAGE THEATRE TO CO-PRODUCE “SALT PEPPER KETCHUP” WITH PHILADELPHIA’S INTERACT THEATRE

SALT PEPPER KETCHUP

WHEN: Thursday through Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 3pm during the first weekend, and Friday at 7:30pm, Saturday at 3pm and 7:30pm, and Sunday at 3pm during the second and third weekends.
WHERE: Mill Hill Playhouse, 205 E. Front Street, at the corner of Montgomery Street in Trenton, NJ. On-street parking will be available.
TICKETS: $20 - $33 ($38 Saturday night). Student, group and senior discounts available.
Salt Pepper Ketchup contains mature language.
To purchase tickets call (609) 392-0766, or visit www.passagetheatre.org

Passage Theatre Company, Trenton’s Barrymore Award-winning professional theatre company, will open the first run of its world premiere co-production of Salt Pepper Ketchup this fall. Written by Josh Wilder and directed by Jerrell L. Henderson, who helmed Passage’s smash hit Caged last season, this production is co-produced with Philadelphia’s InterAct Theatre Company, and will move to InterAct following its run at Passage.

A layer of bulletproof glass won’t protect Superstar Chinese Take-Out from the gentrification consuming South Philly’s Point Breeze neighborhood. When a trendy food co-op opens nearby, the Wus and their customers initially see it as a hipster annoyance, but as tensions mount they begin to recognize the intrusion as an act of war. Tinged with genuine humor and pathos, Wilder’s play examines the very human consequences of neighborhood redevelopment — who benefits and who gets chewed up and spit out?

Both Passage and InterAct are excited to work together to produce a story that speaks to both cities. Wilder is a Philadelphia playwright, and the cast reflects the local flavor; half are from the Philadelphia area, while the other half hail from New York. The cast includes Jay Battle, Richard Bradford, Mark Christie, Kendra Holloway, Fenton Li, Justin Pietropaolo, Chuja Seo, and Miriam White. Keeping the cast as close to home as possible was a deliberate effort on the part of both theatre companies, as the themes of gentrification and revitalization echo strongly in both Trenton and Philadelphia.

The first time I read the script, I immediately knew that this show had to be seen by the people of Trenton,” says Passage’s Artistic Director, Ryanne Domingues.

“Over the past year, I have watched the people in this community work very hard to come together and revitalize this city. As we continue to develop opportunities here, it will be incredibly important to maintain the characteristics that make Trenton so unique. The balance between gentrification and revitalization is challenging, but this show opens up the discussion in a funny, heart-warming and poignant way. I can’t wait for the conversations it inspires!”

InterAct’s Artistic Director, Seth Rozin, also says, ―We are incredibly pleased to finally be co-producing with Passage Theatre, with which we share a lot of values and a similar aesthetic. It’s great to be launching this partnership with the kind of gritty and provocative world premiere that has defined both our companies. And I am particularly excited to welcome two native Philadelphians – playwright Josh Wilder and director Jerrell Henderson – back home on such a timely and important play about gentrification in the neighborhood where they grew up.

FILM CRITIC TO SPEAK ABOUT “HITCHCOCK’S VILLAINS” IN SOUTH ORANGE

Hitchcock’s Villains

WHEN: October 2 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
WHERE: Columbia High School Black Box Theatre, 17 Parker Ave.
Maplewood + Google Map
TICKETS: $20
schoolinfo@somadultschool.org
somadultschool.org

The Master of Suspense was known for his lovely blonde heroines, but his films’ real thrills were provided by his surprising villains — amusing, elegantly dressed gentleman who could charm you to death. Literally. Sometimes it seemed the director even preferred him to his heroes — a favoritism which fueled some of his darkest themes. We’ll explore those, and some of Hitch’s best bad guys, including Joseph Cotten in Shadow of a Doubt, Robert Walker in Strangers on a Train and, the ultimate mama’s boy, Anthony Perkins in Psycho.

STEPHEN WHITTY is a writer and critic for the Star-Ledger, the New York Daily News, nj.com and Fortune.com, as well as a college lecturer, film festival host, interviewer and juror.

“BURIED CHILD” NOW ONSTAGE @ SHAKESPEARE THEATRE OF NJ

Buy your tickets now!

WHERE: F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Ave., Madison (on the campus of Drew University) ShakespeareNJ.org | 973-408-5600

This Pulitzer Prize-winning drama marks the first time that we will present a play by Sam Shepard, who sadly passed away last year. A stunning allegory about America, Buried Child is a darkly funny and disturbing depiction of the American dream gone wrong. In homage to this groundbreaking playwright, we are thrilled to bring this modern American classic to life.

Don't miss our Captioned performance on Sunday, September 23, at 7:30 p.m. and our Audio Described performance on Sunday, September 30, at 7:30 p.m. with a Sensory Seminar beginning an hour prior.

Click here for more information.

Click here for directions to the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre and for information about FREE parking.

Pictured: Andrea Morales* as Shelly, Sherman Howard* as Dodge, Paul Cooper* as Vince, and Roger Clark* as Bradley. Photo credit: Jerry Dalia, 2018.

*Member of Actors Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers

FUNdraiser Fiesta! LINE DANCING Saturday night!

What has ten toes, two heels, and all the right moves?

! ! YOU DO ! !

Come out this Saturday night to kick up your heels to an eclectic mix of musical styles and two-steppin' tempos! 

It's LINE DANCING with THE STROLLERS!

Professional instructor leads the way!

No partner necessary—hurray!

“The Revisionist” @NJ Rep One Night Only

The Revisionist

WHEN: Saturday, Sept 22 at 8pm. 
WHERE: West End Arts Center, 132 West End Avenue, Long Branch. Free on-site parking and entrance off of Sairs Avenue.
For tickets call 732-229-3166 or BUY TICKETS.

Written and directed by NJ Rep's Artistic Director, SuzAnne Barabas, The Revisionist is a cautionary tale about a charismatic young man with a pleasant demeanor who manages to coil himself around your heartstrings and then tear them out. Monsters don't look like monsters.

Starring Christopher Daftsios (right) and Michael Irvin Pollard (below, left), with original music by Merek Royce Press.

Also included in your ticket price are three additional short plays: Clown Alley by Gino DiIorio, All We Want by James McLindon, and Sad Clown and the Circus de Italo by Adriana Palangio.

The 4 plays are followed by a reception with complimentary refreshments, wine and live music. You can also visit the art gallery and photography exhibit.

The West End Festival of the Arts is a fundraiser for New Jersey Repertory Company. We hope you can join us for this special event.

PierFest: Eclectic Music Series to heat things up in Jersey City

PierFest: Eclectic Music Series WHEN: Friday nights: September 21 through October 12, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. WHERE: J. Owen Grundy Pier, Jersey City (In case of rain, the event will take place at the Harborside Atrium (210 Hudson St.) courtesy of Mack-Cali. Public transportation is available via the PATH, Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, NY Waterway ferries, and NJ Transit bus.) ADMISSION: free For more information go to www.RiverviewJazz.Org and www.ExchangePlaceAlliance.com Kick off your fall weekends on the Jersey City waterfront with some fiery Latin music! Riverview Jazz and Exchange Place Alliance have partnered to bring this exciting free series to the J. Owen Grundy Pier at Exchange Place. The four-part Friday evening series will feature world-class music, food trucks, and cold beer provided by Lutze Biergarten. Each PierFest event begins at 6pm and will present two bands. “PierFest is an opportunity to feature some really incredible music that will get people up and dancing,” says Riverview Jazz Executive Director Bryan Beninghove. “We have an unparalleled skyline view, great partners, and an eclectic mix of legendary bands and fantastic local artists. It’s family friendly and I really can’t think of a better way to spend your Friday night.” PierFest begins Friday September 21 with the legendary Tito Puente sideman John “Dandy” Rodriguez’s Dream Team and the dynamic flautist Andrea Brachfeld/Bill O’Connell Latin Jazz Project. September 28 hosts Grammy-nominee Doug Beavers Art of the Arrangement and Cuban drumming titan Enildo Rasua “The Third Hand”. In a special Jersey City Artist Studio Tour edition, October 5 will feature Cuban vocalist Chino Pons and Jersey City native Alex Tea with his Brazilian and reggae-inspired band. The final concert October 12 stars two Brooklyn-based horn heavy ensembles, Balkan brass band Slavic Soul Party and the African-influenced Molly Tigre.  (For list, see below). PierFest is sponsored by Exchange Place Alliance, a not-for-profit Special Improvement District. PierFest is also made possible in part by Mayor Steven M. Fulop, the Jersey City Municipal Council, and the Office of Cultural Affairs. RiverviewJazz.Org is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. September 21: John “Dandy” Rodriguez Dream Team 7:30 p.m. Andrea Brachfeld/Bill O’Connell Latin Jazz Project 6 p.m. September 28: Doug Beavers Art of the Arrangement 7:30 p.m. Enildo Rasua “The Third Hand” 6 p.m. October 5: Chino Pons 7:30 p.m. Alex Tea  6 p.m. October 12: Slavic Soul Party 7:30 p.m. Molly Tigre 6 p.m.

3 “SPELLING BEE” DISCOUNTS @ THE THEATER PROJECT

If you can read this, thank a teacher for getting you a discount!

Three SPELLING BEE discounts:

$5 off any regular ticket for anybody when you purchase by Oct 1. Discounts cannot be combined. For TEACHERs only: Free and $2 Tix for Teachers / School Staff w/ID, OPENING NIGHT OCT 12 ONLY! Order online with $2 service charge, or take your chances at the door and pay nothing—either way, present ID at box office before the show. NJEA Members with ID: $7.50 off full-price tix for any performance, purchase at any time. Present ID at box office before the show. TICKETS: TheTheaterProject.org THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE Book by Rachel Sheinkin Music by William Finn Directed by Greg Scalera This production is made possible by two companies pooling resources: Bullet Theatre Collaborative and The Theater Project. Adult actors play an eclectic group of mid-pubescents vying for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the tweens—and some volunteers from the audience—spell their way through a series of (possibly made-up) words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing "ding" of the bell signaling a mistake.

Summer Might Be Over, But WPU Is Just Getting Started

James D'Amico Productions presents

CSNsongs
Celebrating the Music of Crosby Stills Nash and Young

WHEN: SEPTEMBER 22, 8:00PM
WHERE: Shea Center for Performing Arts, William Paterson University, 300 Pompton Road, Wayne
ADMISSION: $40 Orchestra; $35 Loge
973-720-2371 | wp-presents.org

The only show of its kind—CSNsongs plays all of your favorites: Teach Your Children; Suite: Judy Blue Eyes; Our House; Love the One You're With; and the list goes on. Audiences are amazed by CSNsong's live reproductions of Crosby Stills Nash & Young's music and delighted to sing along to their favorite songs. If you love the music of Crosby Stills Nash & young, this show is for you.

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James D'Amico Productions presents

Let's Hang On!
America's #1 Tribute to Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons

WHEN: October 13, 8:00PM
WHERE: Shea Center for Performing Arts, William Paterson University, 300 Pompton Road, Wayne
ADMISSION: $40 Orchestra; $35 Loge
973-720-2371 | wp-presents.org

This full-blown stage production pays respect to the Broadway show, The Jersey Boys, and includes all the great Four Seasons' mega hits. Take a trip down memory lane with the best 60s music.

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Ensemble Español
World-Renowned Spanish Dance Theater

WHEN: October 26, 8:00PM
WHERE: Shea Center for Performing Arts, William Paterson University, 300 Pompton Road, Wayne
ADMISSION: $19 Orchestra; $12 Loge WP employees, students, and alumni are admitted free with ID.
973-720-2371 | wp-presents.org

With undeniable sensuality and passion, world class Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater presents the music, songs, and dances of Spain in a variety of innovative ballets, traditional folkloric suites, and fiery Flamenco dramas from medieval times in Iberia to twenty-first century Spain. 

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James D'Amico Productions presents

Golden Oldies Spectacular

featuring The Brooklyn Bridge, The Duprees, and Charlie Thomas's Drifters Plus special guests Uncle Floyd and The Bucket List

WHEN: November 3, 8:00PM
WHERE: Shea Center for Performing Arts, William Paterson University, 300 Pompton Road, Wayne
TICKETS: $59 Orchestra; $49 Loge
973-720-2371 | wp-presents.org

RVCC Planetarium Sets Led Zeppelin Laser Concert, Children’s Programs, Star Shows in September

The Raritan Valley Community College Planetarium in Branchburg is offering shows for all interests in September, including a Led Zeppelin laser concert, a star show based on the Magic Tree House book series, a laser concert for children, and a show that explains the mysteries of space.

WHERE: RVCC Planetarium, 118 Lamington Rd., Branchburg
TICKETS: $10 for one show, $16 for two shows on the same day.
For reservations and information, call 908-231-8805.
For additional information, visit www.raritanval.edu/planetarium.

The following programs will be offered:

Astronaut
WHEN: Saturdays, September 22 & 29, 7 p.m.
The exploration of space is the greatest endeavor that humankind has ever undertaken. But what does it take to become an astronaut? Experience a rocket launch from inside the body of “Chad,” a test astronaut. Then explore the amazing worlds of inner and outer space, from floating around the International Space Station to maneuvering through microscopic regions of the human body. The presentation is made possible with a grant from FirstEnergy Foundation. (Recommended for ages 10 and older)

Led Zeppelin laser concert
WHEN: Saturdays, September 22 & 29, 8 p.m.
Audience members are treated to some of Led Zeppelin’s hits, including “Battle of Evermore,” “Kashmir,” and of course “Stairway to Heaven,” while lasers “dance” across the dome overhead.

Magic Tree House: Space Mission
WHEN: Saturday, September 29, 3 p.m.
Young star gazers join Magic Tree House characters Jack and Annie as they discover the secrets of the Sun, Moon, planets, space travel and more. Who can help them answer the questions posted by the mysterious “M”? The show is based on the same-titled, best-selling series of novels. (Recommended for ages 5 and older)

Laser Kids 2018
WHEN: Saturday, September 29, 4 p.m.
The show features an updated list of songs that entertains kids and kids at heart while lasers dance on the dome overhead. Songs include “Try Everything,” from the movie Zootopia, “YMCA” by the Village People, and “Everything is Awesome” from the Lego Movie. (Recommended for ages 6-12)

Hunterdon Art Museum Exhibition Explores Contemporary Lace

This photograph shows one of the many shadows thrown by Lieve Jerger's Carriage of Lost Love, from our Lace not Lace exhibition. Images simply don't capture this exquisite piece that's 40-plus years in the making—you must see this work of art to truly appreciate it!

• Lace not Lace: Contemporary Fiber Art from Lacemaking Techniques
• Walter Chandoha: A Lifetime of Photography
• 2018 Members Exhibition

WHEN: Sunday, Sept. 23, for Lace not Lace at 3 p.m., and includes gallery talks by Exhibition Curator Devon Thein at 4 p.m. and artists Jin Choi and Thomas Shine, at 5 p.m. Festivities will follow with live music and a food truck, and a special first lighting of the Urchins, one of the exhibition's main attractions, at dusk. The special limited engagement for Jin Choi + Thomas Shine’s the Urchins ends Oct. 7.
WHERE: Hunterdon Art Museum, 7 Lower Center Street, Clinton

Jin Choi + Thomas Shine, the Urchins

Lace, not Lace: Contemporary Fiber Art from Lacemaking Techniques, reveals how lace makers are expanding the traditional boundaries of their art form to create exciting work that investigates contemporary themes, materials and forms.

“This is the first show in the United States to focus on contemporary art made in bobbin and needle lace techniques,” said Devon Thein, an internationally known lace expert who is curating the exhibition.

This special Hunterdon Art Museum exhibition features 41 works of lace art by 28 artists from around the world. Thein said she sought to create a show that demonstrated the versatility of bobbin and needle lace techniques.

“I wanted to include artists who had been major figures in the lace revival of the 1970s, as well as younger artists who had benefited from their innovations and discoveries,” Thein added.

The exhibition features a special two-week engagement of the Urchins, two lace orbs, each 15 feet in diameter, that will hang above the Museum’s Toshiko Takaezu Terrace. This exhibition marks the first United States appearance of the Urchins.

Created by Jin Choi + Thomas Shine, Architects, the Urchins will be suspended from thin, almost invisible cables spanning trusses that are 20 feet high. More than 50 people dedicated three months to meticulously hand craft the lace shells that are held in tension over an aluminum frame.

Gently guided by the wind and the touch of the visitors, the Urchins interact with natural light to create ephemeral shadows during the day and glow when illuminated at night.

Another showstopper is Lieve Jerger’s Carriage of Lost Love, which the artist has spent more than four decades creating. The work is a life-size carriage made of copper wire using bobbin lace technique. The Carriage of Lost Love began with just one panel, the Traveler window. But that sparked Jerger’s imagination and compelled her to build a ceremonial carriage that has been a labor of love for many years.

“I never thought of giving up, not even when wires kept breaking when I pulled them too tight,” Jerger noted. “I have used clear-coated American Standard wire gauges, as heavy as gauge 10 and as fine as 38. Even heavy gauge copper wire must be handled gently and kinks are unforgiving, but the strength and brilliance of copper wire is what seduced me.”

Artist Pierre Fouché works in a self-designed methodology combining bobbin lace with another historical lace technique macramé. In his triptych called Judgment of Paris after Wtewael, Fouché took web-based news images of male protestors, some from the Occupy Movement, selected for their classical poses.

The exhibition also includes four pieces by Milča Eremiášová, a legend in the world of Czech modern lace. The pieces in the show were selected by Dagmar Beckel-Machyckova, a student of Eremiášová. Beckel-Machyckova now lives in the United States where she is pursuing her own career as a lace artist, and has a piece in the show.

Other artists in the show are: Manca Ahlin, Jane Atkinson, Daniela Banatova, J Carpenter, Laura Friesel, Alex Goldberg, Maggie Hensel-Brown, Ágnes Herczeg, Ros Hills, Veronika Irvine, Nava Lubelski, Dorie Millerson, Penny Nickels, Jill Nordsfor Clark, Wako Ono, E.J.Parkes, Lenka Suchanek, Lauran Sundin, Olivia Valentine, Nicole Valsesia-Lair, Denise Watts, Louise West, and Ashley Williams.
The exhibition runs until Jan. 6, 2019.

The exhibition Lace, not Lace: Contemporary Fiber Art from Lacemaking Techniques is generously supported by The Coby Foundation, Ltd. Support also provided by The International Organization of Lace, Inc., the Provident Bank Foundation and Holiday Inn Clinton-Bridgewater.

Lace Show Prompts Special Classes and Events
We have several Lace not Lace exhibition-related programs that you won't want to miss!

Beginner Bobbin Lace Workshop with Elena Kanagy-Loux (Sunday, Nov. 4 at 11 a.m.): Try your hand at the traditional art of bobbin lacemaking in this beginner workshop taught by Elena Kanagy-Loux of Brooklyn Lace Guild! Students will learn how to wind bobbins, create a pricking, set up a pillow, and combine the foundational stitches of bobbin lace into a pattern. All materials provided. Register today!

Guided Tour of Lace, not Lace: Contemporary Fiber Art from Lacemaking Techniques with Curator Devon Thein (Saturday, Nov. 3 and Sunday, Nov. 11 at 11 a.m.): Come join us for a curator-led tour of Lace, not Lace: Contemporary Fiber Art from Lacemaking Techniques! Curator Devon Thein will walk participants through this astounding show. Register today!

Lace Artist-in-Residence (Sunday, Nov. 11 and Sunday, Dec. 9 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.): Drop into the Hunterdon Art Museum and get some valuable help with your lace art from Pat Morris (Nov. 11) and Laura Friesel (Dec.9). Free with your HAM admission.

Image  Top: Choi + Shine Architects, the  Urchins, 2017, Crochet  resembling reticella,  2.7 meters tall  and 5  meters  in. diameter. Courtesy of the artists.

Radar Schwartz to lead jam session at NJ Jazz Society September social

Radam Schwartz Trio: Old-Fashioned Jam  Session

WHEN: Sunday, September 23. Doors open at 3 p.m., and the music is performed from 3:30-5:30 p.m., with one short intermission.
WHERE: Shanghai Jazz, 24 Main St., Madison
TICKETS: free for New Jersey Jazz Society members and $10 for non-members. There is also a $10 food/beverage minimum.
For more information, email music@njjs.org, or call 973 372-5409.

Keyboardist Radam Schwartz, who has played with jazz legends such as tenor saxophonists Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis and David “Fathead” Newman, also helps groom future jazz artists by teaching at Rutgers-Newark and Jazz House Kids in Montclair.

Schwartz will lead a trio hosting an old-fashion jam session and open mic at the New Jersey Jazz Society’s Jazz Social held at Shanghai Jazz in Madison. The other members in the trio are bassist Takashi Otsuka and drummer Joe Brown, Jr.

All musicians are welcome to bring their instruments and play, and vocalists are invited to come and sing.

Since space is limited, potential participants are advised to register in advance by contacting Carrie Jackson, NJJS vice president, music programs at music@njjs.org.

Funding for the New Jersey Jazz Society socials has been made possible in part by Morris Arts through the N.J. State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.