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Tuesday, September 30, 2014

AN EVENING OF POETRY & SONG IN NEWARK THIS SATURDAY NIGHT

Poetry and Song: An Evening with Poet Yusef Komunyakaa and the Tomás Doncker Band

WHEN: October 4, 4:00 to 5:30 PM
WHERE:
Bethany Baptist Church, West Market Street, Newark, New Jersey

Pulitzer-Prize winning poet Yusef Komunyakaa and composer/musician/singer Tomás Doncker perform selections from their collaborations, including co-authored original songs and poems accompanied by music from the albums The Mercy Suite and Big Apple Blues.

Mr. Komunyakaa will also read selections from his award-winning work. The performance will be followed by a talk-back with the audience. Komunyakaa and Doncker will return to Newark for the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival (October 23-36) proud sponsors of this collaboration with Bethany Baptist Church.

Come for Poetry and Song at 4:00 and stay for Jazz Vespers at 6:00, featuring Sharp Radway.

About the Artists

Yusef Komunyakaa received wide recognition with the 1984 publication of his first collection, Copacetic, followed by I Apologize for the Eyes in My Head (1986), winner of the San Francisco Poetry Center Award; and Dien Cai Dau (1988), which won The Dark Room Poetry Prize and is considered among the best writing on the war in Vietnam. Since then, he has published several books of poems, including The Chameleon Couch (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011); Warhorses (2008); Pleasure Dome: New & Collected Poems, 1975-1999 (2001); Thieves of Paradise (1998), which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award; Neon Vernacular: New & Selected Poems 1977-1989 (1994), for which he received the Pulitzer Prize and the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. Komunyakaa’s many honors include the 2011 Wallace Stevens Award, the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, the William Faulkner Prize, and fellowships from the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, the Louisiana Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Bluesman, No-Wave/Funk Pioneer, creator of Global Soul, in-demand producer and Founder of True Groove Records, Tomás Doncker has been living for the music and  playing his heart out for over four decades, working with people as diverse as Madonna, Sean Lennon, James Chance, Bootsy Collins, Bonnie Raitt, Ivan Neville, Bill Laswell, Bobby Caldwell, Sadao Watanabe, Meshell Ndegeocello, Prince Charles Alexander, Yoko Ono, The Itals, Adam Rudolph, Steel Pulse, Marla Mase, Mahmoud Ahmed, legendary theatre director Alfred Preisser and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Yusef Komunyakaa to name a few. An international touring and recording artist, he has performed extensively in Europe, in China at the Shanghai Folk Festival and was invited to perform eleven shows at New York City’s 2013 Summerstage concert series.

NUTTY BY NATURE TO PERFORM “AUTUMN NUTS” IN BLOOFIELD THIS SATURDAY

get-attachment-1AUTUMN NUTS
An Evening of Improv Comedy by Nutty by Nature Improv Troupe

WHEN: SATURDAY, OCT. 4th, at 8:00 PM
WHERE: NJ School of Dramatic Arts Theater, 593 Bloomfield Ave, Bloomfield
TICKETS: $10.00.
Tickets may be reserved by calling 973.566.9700, Ext 4.

Nutty By Nature, now in its 18th year as New Jersey's premier improv comedy troupe, announced their new improv comedy show, Autumn Nuts.

Nutty By Nature has been making audiences laugh throughout the metropolitan NY/NJ area for the past 18 years. In addition to having performed at The NJ Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), The South Street Seaport,12 Miles West, Theater Under the Stars,The Black River Playhouse, Luna Stage, Barnes & Noble and Borders bookstores; they were featured on the E! Television/Style Network's reality TV series, Try My Life. The Herald News called them "Bawdy, brilliant and proof that ingenuity can strike at a moments notice."

Members of the troupe include Troupe Director Paul Acocella of Oldwick, Elaine Brodie of Caldwell, Jody Eiden of Wyckoff, Laura Hartin of Montclair, Matt Hopkins of Elmwood Park, Robin Lewis of Livingston, Rich McDonald of West Orange, Brendan Maly of Butler, Shelly Miller of Mount Olive, Wendy Tiburcio of Montclair, Jackie Valeo of Saddle Brook and Ted Wrigley of Bloomfield.

The show is based entirely on audience suggestions! "After all," says executive director Bob Sapoff, "the only thing better than having a great idea is watching it come to life right before your eyes!" In addition to providing the material for the show, audience members are encouraged to bring their own crazy "props" that the actors will use during the show!

Photo by Mich Gyure

Saturday, September 27, 2014

UCPAC’S ANNIVERSARY GALA UNMASKS PHANTOMS!

THREE WEEKS FROM TONIGHT!

UCPAC'S 86TH ANNIVERSARY GALA
starring Broadway greats Richard Todd Adams, Gary Mauer, Ted Keegan, Peter Candela, Musical Director (Disney's The Lion King)

Enter into a shadowy realm of mystery and intrigue as three of the world's greatest Phantoms share untold stories of their experiences behind the mask and face their darkest fears--while performing classics of passion and seduction from such hits as Man of La Mancha, Sweeney Todd, Les Miserables, Jekyll & Hyde, Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Addams Family and many more!

WHERE: UCPAC, 1601 Irving Street, Rahway
TICKETS: $45 / $55 / $65 Performance Only Tickets;  $100 Performance, Meet-the-Phantoms Reception & Playbill Listing

Call 732.499.8226 or visit WWW.UCPAC.ORG to support one of NJ's cultural arts treasures debuting its 1st World Premiere!

BRING YOUR GROUP AND SAVE!
Groups of 10 or more may be entitled to a discounted ticket price. 

Limited discounted tickets are available. 

Call the Box Office today to make your reservations.

ACCESSIBILITY  

Patrons needing assistance should contact UCPAC at least
three weeks prior to the performance for which you have tickets. 
Please call the Box Office for details.

PARKING & DIRECTIONS

Parking is available to our guests at Rahway's multi-level parking deck,
located on the corner of Main Street and Lewis Street.
A free shuttle is often available to and from the theatre.  

Click here for directions to the Union County PAC

Click here to view UCPAC's entire Calendar of Events.

SUMMIT PLAYHOUSE SCHEDULES CHALLENGING 96TH SEASON OF PLAYS!

Suumit-Polayhouse-symbolAll performances take place at
Summit Playhouse, 10 New England Ave., Summit

The Playhouse is located just off of Springfield Avenue and just a few blocks west of the downtown district.

Mark your calendars now for great theater!

 

 

Good PeopleGOOD PEOPLE
Written by: David Lindsay-Abaire
Director: Frank Licato

WHEN: November 7, 8, 14, 15, 16† and 21, 22, 23†

In South Boston, this month’s paycheck covers last month’s bills, bingo is a night on the town, and sharp-tongued single-mom Margie Walsh has just been let go from yet another job.  Scrambling to make ends meet, she looks up an old flame, hoping he’ll help her make a fresh start in this humor-filled drama from Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire about how twists of fate determine our path.

From up hereFROM UP HERE
An Alliance Repertory Theatre Company Collaboration
Written by: Liz Flahive
Director: Mike Driscoll

WHEN: February 27, 28; March 1†, 6, 7 and 12, 13, 14, 2015 

Kenny Barrett did something that has everyone worried. He wishes he could just make it through the rest of his senior year unnoticed, but that's going to be hard since he has to publicly apologize to his entire school. While at home, his mother is struggling with a rocky start to her second marriage and a surprise visit from her estranged sister. FROM UP HERE is about a family limping out the door in the morning and coming home no matter what. The show was nominated for the 2008 Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards.

5 womenFIVE WOMEN WEARING THE SAME DRESS
Written by: Alan Ball
Director: Jim Peskin

WHEN: May 1, 2, 3†, 8, 9 and 15, 16, 17†

This comedy is set at the Knoxville, Tennessee home of the bride, Tracy Marlowe-McClurethe, during her overdone wedding reception. The five bridesmaids have found refuge in the room of Meredith, the sister of the bride. The women come to realize, among other things, that they, despite their differences, have more in common with each other than any of them do with the bride.

† indicates 2pm matinee start time

About The Summit Playhouse
Founded in 1918, our playhouse is NJ’s oldest continuously running community theatre devoted to all the traditions of a top notch community theatre. Annually, the organization produces three main stage plays, several youth productions, theatrical workshops and community collaborations. Each production benefits a local outreach and each year, a theater arts award is presented to graduating high school seniors. We are at 10 New England Avenue in Summit, NJ. Our home is listed on the National Registry of Historic Buildings. The old stone building was built in 1891 and was Summit’s first library building.

Friday, September 26, 2014

SONGS BY JIMMY VAN HEUSEN IN CABARET @ DREW UNIVERSITY

CABARET: Swinging on a Star
Songs of Jimmy Van Heusen

WHEN: Monday, October 6, 7:30 PM
WHERE: Drew University 36 Madison Ave., Madison
TICKETS: $50 General Admission; $40 Group rate (10 or more); $15 with current educational ID (in person only)FOR RESERVED TICKETS CALL 973-408-3917, visit the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey box office, or click this link

 

 

This program of great music celebrates the songs of one of the most prolific, but least known composers of Oscar-winning hits, sung by two of Broadway’s top stars, Sierra Boggess and Norm Lewis (Phantom of the Opera; Little Mermaid)

 

Jimmy Van Heusen penned many award-winning songs (and Sinatra favorites) including 

  • Come Fly With Me 
  • Swinging on a Star (Oscar)
  • Call Me Irresponsible (Oscar)
  • High Hopes  (Oscar)
  • All the Way (Oscar)
  • Love and Marriage (Emmy)
  • My Kind of Town
  • Love is the Tender Trap

Hofmeister, Tara (piano)Hosted by Rob Fisher (Encores!, Lincoln Center Songbook) at the piano. 

Supported by the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation

RECORDING ARTIST SLOAN WAINWRIGHT TO APPEAR @ THE MINSTREL IN MORRISTOWN OCTOBER 3

The Folk Project presents

Sloan Wainwright

WHEN:  Friday, October 3, at 8:00 PM
WHERE:
Morristown Unitarian Fellowship, 21 Normandy Heights Rd, Morristown.
TICKETS: $9.00 per person at the door.
For further information, call 973.335.9489, or visit www.folkproject.org.

Opening for Sloan will be The Wag, a three piece pop-rock band from Middletown, New Jersey. The performance is part of The Minstrel Acoustic Concert Series, sponsored by The Folk Project each Friday evening at The Fellowship.

Sloan WainwrightSing Out Magazine called Sloan Wainwright " … one of those singers whose performance is a force of nature.” Her easy command of a variety of American musical styles—pop, folk, jazz and blues—held together by the melodious tone of her rich contralto, results in a unique and soulful hybrid. Her family tree (brother and folk-music luminary Loudon Wainwright, nephew Rufus Wainwright, nieces Martha Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche) reads like a Who's Who of contemporary folk music. Sloan's gift is not only her unique songwriting ability, but also her dramatically voiced rendition original songs. “She's folk influenced, but the real star here is her voice. Warm and smoky and smooth, it makes her ominous lyrics seem all the more intense.”

With a solid discography of seven original CD releases to her credit, Sloan continues to write, sing and perform live. In addition, Sloan has written numerous compositions for theater and dance and teaches at many of the best-known master songwriter series and workshops. Sloan's open spirit and first-hand experience is welcome – year after year – in the musical classrooms of such prestigious song camps as Richard Thompson's Frets and Refrains, The Swannanoa Gathering, Summersongs, Wintersongs, WUMB Radio's Summer Acoustic Music Week, and Cape Cod Songwriters Retreat.

The Wag, an upbeat three piece band based in Middletown, New Jersey, will be the opening act.

Featuring Brian Ostering on bass, Alicia Van Sant on keyboards and Don Lee on guitar, they have a unique style varying from blues to pop to rock. With alternating lead singers, there is a different feel to every song.

The Folk Project is a non-profit 501(c)(3) Corporation whose mission is to present high caliber folk music performances and instructional workshops for the public and members; to encourage development of musicianship and performance skills in the northern New Jersey area; and to provide interesting social and learning activities relating to traditional and participatory folk music and dance.

Funding has been made possible in part by funds from Morris Arts through the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.

REMEMBER THE WIZARD THOMAS EDISON IN OCTOBER

How to Preserve Your Personal Digital Collections: Jerry Fabris, Museum Curator

WHEN: Thursday, October 2, at 7:00 PM
WHERE:
West Orange Public Library, 46 Mt. Pleasant Ave, West Orange
ADMISSION: Free

Have you ever lost a large group of your own digital photos, or other important digital files?  Most people today need to save digital information—photographs, audio, video, email, documents. Yet, preserving digital files can be problematic, especially on a household budget.  Drawing from guidelines developed by the National Digital Information Infrastructure & Preservation Program, this free one-hour presentation will provide basic tips to help make your personal digital collections last long-term, into the future. 

As a Museum Curator at Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Jerry Fabris preserves the park’s extensive audio collections and serves on National Park Service’s Digital Information Services Council.  He has a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science from Rutgers University. 

The Year of Innovation looks at Thomas Edison’s final days, his role as a cultural icon and the preservation of the Edison legacy.  Explore these ideas, attend a program, and see a special exhibit of original artifacts, documents and historic photos during the month of October at Thomas Edison National Historical Park (NHP). 


Leaving a Legacy

WHEN: 2nd Saturday – October 11th at 10:00 AM (especially for children)
WHERE:
Edison Laboratory Complex at 211 Main Street, West Orange
TICKETS: Free with Museum admission fee

Thomas Edison is best known for the phonograph, light bulb and motion pictures, but his legacy is much more.  Join a ranger to explore the laboratory complex and discover the many things that make up Edison’s legacy. As part of the program you will make a hand print to leave behind as part of your legacy, just as Edison did.   

Last Moments

WHEN: 3rd Thursday – October 16th at 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM
WHERE:
Edison Laboratory Complex at 211 Main Street, West Orange
TICKETS: Free with Museum admission fee

Thomas Alva Edison died in October 1931 at his Glenmont Estate. He was 84 years old. To commemorate the anniversary of his death, we will offer evening tours of his home in Llewellyn Park.  During the Last Moments tours visitors will hear about his final hours and the impact that his passing had on the world.  Listen to passages from his last will and testament and view condolence telegrams from around the world. Edison’s death mask and a cast of his right hand will be on exhibit.

Tour tickets are limited and reservations are required. Reservations can be made by calling 973.736.0550, ext.89.

Special programs in October:

The Friends of Thomas Edison NHP present the First Annual Muckers’ “Ball”

WHEN: Saturday October 25, 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM
WHERE: Edison Laboratory Complex at 211 Main Street, West Orange
TICKETS: Free with Museum admission fee

Enjoy local food and drink with vintage music under a tent at the Edison laboratory complex. The event will offer casual fun and camaraderie at the very place Edison and his muckers worked…and ate!  The main laboratory building will be open for special evening tours from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

For more information and to order tickets visit www.foedison.org or call 973.736.2916 by October 17th.

The-Demolition-String-Duo---Boo-Reiners-and-Elena-SkyeDemolition String Duo to Record on Wax Cylinder

WHEN: Thursday October 30th at 7:00 PM
WHERE:
Edison Laboratory Complex at 211 Main Street, West Orange
TICKETS: Free with Museum admission fee

The Demolition String Duo featuring Elena Skye and Boo Reiners will record onto wax cylinders in the same way it was done in Edison's time over a century ago. The method of capturing sound is non-electric.  Like the artists who recorded for Edison during the 1890s, the Demolition String Duo will play in front of a large horn that will serve as their microphone.

With a shared passion for country, rock ‘n roll, bluegrass and mountain music, Elena Skye and Boo Reiners lead New York City’s “Demolition String Band”. They are currently celebrating the release of their recording of the Woody Guthrie song “Go Coney Island, Roll on the Sand” on the audio book “My Name is New York, Ramblin’ Around Woody Guthrie’s Town”.  This new audio book is a collection of Guthrie’s New York City-inspired stories and music, produced and narrated by daughter Nora Guthrie. The Demolition String Duo can be contacted via email at elenaskye11@gmail.com.  Their website address is www.demolitionstringband.com.

Seating is limited and reservations are required. Reservations can be made by calling 973.736.0550, ext. 89.

PLAY ABOUT ZORA NEALE HURSTON @ CROSSROADS THEATRE NEXT WEEKEND!

CLICK HERE FOR A PREVIEW OF "LETTERS FROM ZORA"

WHEN: October 2-26
WHERE:
Crossroads Theatre, 7 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick
For information, performance times and tickets, go to www.crossroadstheatrecompany.org
732.545.8100

TIME TRAVEL TO THE 18TH CENTURY NEXT WEEKEND IN BASKING RIDGE

Thanks to Carol Levin of the Bridgewater Public Library blog for this info!

COME OUT TO ARTOBER FEST THIS SATURDAY IN JERSEY CITY

WHEN: September 27th, 2014 - 2:30 PM - 7:30 PM
WHERE: Merseles Studios, 339 Newark Ave., Jersey City

Jersey City Theater Center (JCTC) presents a fundraiser festival to support theater and the arts. There will be a great lineup of local and regional bands as well as dance performances and a touch of theater. From 3-6, Jersey City Brew Club, hosts its 4th annual Homebrew Competition with the People’s Choice competition and Beer tastings.

CHARMING DRAMEDY TO OPEN IN PARSIPPANY THIS WEEKEND

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www.womenstheater.org or 973.316.3033

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

WORLD PREMIERE OF SCOTT JOHNSON’S “MIND OUT OF MATTER” PERFORMED BY ALARM WILL SOUND AT PEAK PERFORMANCES

SCOTT JOHNSON’S MIND OUT OF MATTER
PERFORMED BY ALARM WILL SOUND
Alan Pierson conducts
The work is a Peak Performances commission.

WHEN: October 4 at 8:00 PM and October 5 at 3:00 PM
WHERE:
PEAK PERFORMANCES,  Alexander Kasser Theater, 1 Normal Avenue, Montclair, NJ
TICKETS: $20, and are available at the box office, www.peakperfs.org, or by calling 973.655.5112
Charter bus service is provided from New York City’s Port Authority Bus Terminal–arcade on 41st Street between 8th and 9th Avenues–to the Alexander Kasser Theater ($10 per person, round trip) for all Saturday and Sunday performances. Bus reservations may be made by calling 973.655.5112 or by visiting www.peakperfs.org. For train service, available only on weekdays, go online to www.njtransit.com or call 973.275.5555.
For restaurants close to the Alexander Kasser Theater, visit www.destinationmontclair.com

The much-anticipated world premiere of Scott Johnson’s “Mind Out of Matter”--the composer’s largest work to-date--will be performed by Alarm Will Sound.

In Mind Out of Matter, Johnson, the first composer to create music from the rhythm and pitch of spoken words, samples the controversial writings of philosopher Daniel Dennett. Working like a tone poem with every syllable of every word in the piece written with its pitch and rhythmic potential, Mind Out of Matter shares its sensibility with Dennett, a dedicated Darwinist, who insists that a sense of wonder at the universe is revealed through scientific knowledge, not religion. Since Johnson is a man of ideas as well as music, the audience’s understanding the words is critical to the piece.

What follows is a description by Johnson of how he has arrived at his unique point of view about music. He begins with a question: “Why can’t there be contemporary classical music that sounds like the time and place I live in?

“I’ve devoted most of my efforts to creating a hybrid music, in which the complexity of the classical tradition opens a welcoming door to musical details and emotional associations from popular musics –- not because some imagined audience might enjoy them, but because I enjoy them. A little background will explain how and why this is personally and artistically important to me.

“Many civilians out there are puzzled because most of the ‘classical’ composers they’ve heard of seem to be dead, and some are curious about what contemporary classical music might be like. That’s where I started also, when as a kid playing guitar in rock bands, I heard the Rite of Spring for the first time. By the time I got to college, I was studying music theory during the week, and playing in bars on the weekends. But this cultural moment, in the early 1970’s, was the high water mark of High Modernist compositional styles, and I had simply never heard written music built from the familiar instruments and gestures of my own culture. To do so was, quite simply, to violate a taboo, and any offender would be duly excluded from the company of the ‘serious’ composers of the Western tradition. This isolationist attitude, as we can see now, would itself have offended most of those composers, who tended to regularly mount raids on their own folk musics.

“So I gave up. At 22 I moved to New York City, determined to abandon music and be a visual artist, and landed in Soho and the East Village, which were then the artist neighborhoods of lower Manhattan. Being downtown in 1975 was like being in Montparnasse in the 1920’s—within a year or two I’d met many of the best painters, sculptors, musicians, and choreographers of the time, and this open-ended atmosphere convinced me that I might able to come up with some serious music that included my bar-band chops. Sound crept back into my still-immature visual work, and within a few years only music was left.”

Scott Johnson has played a pioneering role in the new relationship being forged between the classical tradition and the popular culture that surrounds it. Since the early 1980’s, he has been influential in the trend towards incorporating rock-derived instrumentation into traditionally scored compositions, and the use of taped, sampled and MIDI-controlled electronic elements within instrumental ensembles. His music has been heard in performances by the Kronos Quartet, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Bang On A Can All-Stars, and his own ensembles; in dance works performed by the Boston Ballet, the London Contemporary Dance Theater, the Ballets de Monte Carlo; and in Paul Schrader’s film Patty Hearst. His music recorded on the Nonesuch, CRI, Point, and Tzadik labels.

LUNA STAGE OPENS SEASON WITH NEW PLAY ABOUT SEGREGATION IN NJ PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Lines In The Dust by Nikkole SalterLINES IN THE DUST
The world premiere of a newly commissioned play by Obie Award-winning writer Nikkole Salter
Directed by Reginald L. Douglas

WHEN: previews on Thursday, October 9, and runs Thursdays through Sundays through November 9th. Opening night is Friday, October 17. Select performances are followed by Talkbacks with the Creative Team and special guests from the worlds of Education and Politics.
WHERE:
Luna Stage, 555 Valley Road, West Orange
TICKETS: $25-$35.
Group sales and student matinees are available.
$10 Student Rush tickets are available one half-hour before curtain. Individual tickets and Luna Stage 2014-2015 Season Passes can be purchased at www.lunastage.org, by calling 973.395.5551 or in person Tues.-Fri. 10 AM-3 PM.
The theatre is handicapped accessible and offers assistive listening devices.

When Denitra loses the charter school lottery for her daughter, she must find another way to escape from their underperforming neighborhood school. The answer seems like a risk well worth taking but may end up requiring a bigger sacrifice than she ever could have imagined. It's been exactly 60 years since Brown Versus The Board of Education. Lines In The Dust questions how far we've come and more importantly, where we go from here.

The title refers to the famous quote about segregation by 1960s Alabama Governor George Wallace. The play focuses on residential districting in NJ public schools and examines how this controversial and emotional issue has affected the dream promised through the landmark ruling of Brown v. Board of Education 60 years ago.

Luna Stage commissioned Ms. Salter to write a play inspired by the life and work of Justice Robert L. Carter, who spent his youth in East Orange and Newark and was one of the architects of the NAACP's legal strategy behind Brown v. Board of Education. This is the second play Luna Stage has commissioned that centers around history or issues specific to New Jersey.

Nikkole SalterMs. Salter chose to look specifically at residential districting in Essex County because "We, as a nation, are losing out." says Ms. Salter. "Collectively, we continue to demonstrate that we believe in our hearts that some people are better than others; some people are inherently more capable than others; some people, based on where they live, are more valuable and more worthy of our investment than others. Nowhere does this make itself more apparent than in our system of public education."

Erin CherryErin Cherry, a graduate of Rutgers University's Mason Gross School of the Arts, was last seen as Taylor in the Majestic's Theatre production of Stick Fly and recently understudied When We Were Young and Unafraid at Manhattan Theatre Club. She is the founder of With A Cherry on Top Productions.

 

 

Rick DelaneyRick Delaney, Maplewood, NJ resident, has spent the past 20 years performing in the NY/NJ area. He has played memorable roles in many of NJ's professional theaters, including WhatExit?, The Theater Project, Dreamcatcher Rep, 12 Miles West and the Bickford.

 

 

Dorcas SowunmiDorcas Sowunmi, a native Texan, was most recently seen as Lady Capulet in The Classical Theatre of Harlem's production of Romeo and Juliet. Other credits include role in: Mary Stuart & Measure for Measure (The Stratford Shakespeare Festival) Miracle Worker (Indiana Repertory Theater), and Trust (Lookingglass Theatre).

 

Reginald L. DouglasDirector Reginald L. Douglas returns to Luna after directing last season's critically acclaimed revival of Master Harold... and the Boys. Douglas' awards and fellowships include the 2013-2014 2050 Directing Fellowship at New York Theater Workshop and the inaugural Van Lier Directing Fellowship at the Lark Play Development Center.

 

For over two decades, Luna Stage has produced thought-provoking theatre that gives voice to emerging American playwrights and re-examines contemporary and classic plays that speak to our times. As producer, educator and innovator, Luna Stage is committed to collaborating with artists of multiple disciplines and community partners to illuminate the diverse perspectives of society.

Luna Stage, a proud member of Valley Arts, is located at 555 Valley Road, West Orange, NJ 07052.

KEAN HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTE TO PRESENT SCREENING OF “THE GOOD LIE” STARRING REESE WITHERSPOON

John-PrendergastTHE GOOD LIE

WHEN: Wednesday, October 8, at 7:15 PM
WHERE: in the state-of-the-art STEM Auditorium, located in Kean’s STEM Building, Morris Avenue, Union
ADMISSION: General admission is $12.00, and doors open at 6:30 PM
VIP tickets, which include premier seating and a cocktail reception with John Prendergast (pictured above) at Ursino Restaurant in the STEM Building scheduled for 5:30 PM, are $50.00.
80% of every dollar collected will go to the Enough Project’s work for peace in Sudan and South Sudan, with the remaining 20% going back to the Human Rights Institute. 
Tickets may be purchased in person at the Kean Stage box office, located in Kean’s Wilkins Theatre, by phone at 908.737.SHOW (7469), or online at www.kean.edu/TheGoodLie. No children under 13 will be admitted.

The premiere will be attended by Mr. Prendergast, an internationally acclaimed human rights activist, who appears in the film and has a longstanding relationship with the University. Mr. Prendergast will participate in a brief Q & A session immediately following the screening.

The Good Lie is an extraordinary film that brings the incredible saga of the ‘Lost Boys’ to the screen in a way that entertains as well as inspires,” said Mr. Prendergast.  “In my work in Africa during the last thirty years, I came across many of the ‘Lost Boys’ inside Sudan, in Ethiopia, and in Kenya during their incredible journeys to safety.” 

The Good Lie, opening in limited release on October 3 and distributed domestically by Warner Brothers Pictures, tells the story of the so-called “Lost Boys.” Orphaned by the brutal civil war in Sudan, which began in 1983, these young victims traveled as many as a thousand miles on foot in search of safety. Fifteen years later, a humanitarian effort would bring 3,600 lost boys, as well as girls, to America.

“We created the Human Rights Institute at Kean to give our students, our faculty and the communities we serve an opportunity to be part of the global effort to identify solutions to human rights violations,” stated Dr. Dawood Farahi, President of Kean University. “Our relationship with John Prendergast, and his willingness to be an integral part of Kean’s efforts, brings us another step forward in this mission.”

Mr. Prendergast, named Kean University’s Anne Evans Estabrook Human Rights Senior Fellow in 2013, will be on campus working with students and faculty throughout the week. In March 2014 while in residence, Prendergast met with student leaders and the Kean Human Rights Conference committee, hosted various talks regarding global and local human rights issues, and attended an event in support of Unlikely Brothers, a dual memoir co-authored with his first little brother in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.

“The stories verged on the unbelievable,” said Mr. Prendergast of the “Lost Boys” he has met through his work, “and I wondered how anyone could ever understand what they had gone through with such perseverance and dignity.  And now their stories are being told in the form of this very unique movie.  The African cast is amazing in their portrayal of the pain and hope that the ‘Lost Boys’ experienced.  Their stories will be hard to forget.”

A tireless advocate for peace in Africa, Mr. Prendergast is the Founding Director of the Enough Project, an initiative to end genocide and crimes against humanity affiliated with the Center for American Progress. He is the author or co-author of ten books, including Not On Our Watch with Don Cheadle, a New York Times bestseller and NAACP non-fiction book of the year, and The Enough Moment: Fighting to End Africa’s Worst Human Rights Crimes. He previously served as Kean’s keynote speaker for #ENOUGH! – Affecting Change from the Frontlines to Your Newsfeed, the University’s sixth annual Human Rights Conference in 2013.

In The Good Lie, Philippe Falardeau (writer and director of the Oscar®-nominated Foreign-Language film Monsieur Lazhar) brings the story of the survival and triumph of the “Lost Boys” to life. Academy Award® winner Reese Witherspoon (Walk the Line) stars alongside Sudanese actors Arnold Oceng, Ger Duany, Emmanuel Jal, and newcomer Kuoth Wiel, some of whom were also children of war.

The HRI and University at large have addressed the ongoing conflict in Sudan through a variety of mediums over the years, namely Darfur: The First Genocide of the 21st Century, the topic of its inaugural Human Rights Conference in 2008.

FREE THEATER SPARKS BIG IDEAS @ NJPAC: TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW

NJPAC Stage Exchange, a partnership with Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey and Yendor Productions, is where cutting-edge new play development meets insightful community dialogue. Featuring prestigious playwrights from New Jersey and plays developed in the Garden State—and panels of artists, scholars, community leaders and newsmaker—each evening will use a work-in-progress to spur discussion on important issues in the state and nation, leading the way to deeper understandings of concerns we all face.
Admission is free,
but reservations are a must


IronboundIronbound
by Martyna Majok

WHEN: Friday, October 10 at 7 PM
WHERE:
The Academy of Elizabethtown, 66 Caldwell Place, Elizabeth, NJ
MORE INFO

An examination of the lives and personal choices immigrants make to participate in the American Dream. Ironbound was commissioned for the Smith Prize, which honors a play that deals with relevant political issues.
Reserve your free tickets

Price_is_RightLittle Rock
by Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj

WHEN: Saturday, January 17 at 7 PM
WHERE: The Chase Room at NJPAC
MORE INFO

The true story of the Little Rock Nine—the first African Americans to volunteer to integrate Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas in 1957.
Presented in association with Rebel Theatrical Management and Passage Theatre
Reserve your free tickets

 

Talented TenThe Talented Tenth
by Richard Wesley

WHEN: Friday, February 27 at 7 PM
WHERE: The Chase Room at NJPAC
MORE INFO

When it premiered in New York in 1991, The Talented Tenth was a departure for Newark-born Richard Wesley. His previous plays depicted the street life of poor residents of Newark, while The Talented Tenth is about a band of "buppie" Howard University graduates dwelling in New Jersey's upper middle class.
Reserve your free tickets

 

Generation TGeneration T
by Pia Wilson

WHEN: Friday, March 27 at 7 PM
WHERE: Venue to be announced
MORE INFO

Two Marines return from Afganistan in a battle for their lives. In a world where post-traumatic stress disorder, house parties and drug deals are part of daily life, patriotism and indifference interwine and true humanity is revealed.
Presented in association with Combat Paper New Jersey, a program of the Printmaking Center of New Jersey
Reserve your free tickets

 

HoodwinkedHoodwinked
by Emily Mann

WHEN: Friday, May 22 at 7 PM
WHERE: The Chase Room at NJPAC MORE INFO

This documentary play, created by McCarter Theatre Center Artistic Director Emily Mann, explores radical Islamism and the dangers that ideology can pose not only to Western nations, but also to moderate traditional Muslims around the world.
Reserve your free tickets

Single-performance tickets are available online at njpac.org, via phone at 1-888-GO-NJPAC (1-888-466-5722) or at the NJPAC Box Office, One Center St., Newark. For groups of 10 or more, call NJPAC at 1-888-MY-NJPAC (1-888-696-5722). All tickets purchased online and via phone are subject to a per-ticket handling charge.

The NJPAC Box Office is open Tuesday-Saturday from noon to 6pm, Sunday from noon-5pm when performances are scheduled, and closed on Monday. Phone calls to 1-888-GO-NJPAC (466-5722) for single-performance ticket orders are answered seven days a week, from 9 AM to 9 PM.

Phone calls to 1-888-MY-NJPAC (696-5722) for groups of 10 or more are answered Monday-Friday from 9 AM-5 PM. Artists, dates, times, venues, programs and prices are subject to change.

Questions or comments? Please e-mail ticketservices@njpac.org.
© 2014 NJPAC - Administrative Offices: 973.642.8989
Box Office (Toll Free): 1-888.466.5722

TICKETS NOW ON SALE FOR “NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD LIVE” IN SOUTH ORANGE

interACT Theatre Productions proudly presents

A fun and hilarious, yes HILARIOUS, re-imagining of
George A. Romero's legendary classic.

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD LIVE
Written by CHRISTOPHER BOND, DALE BOYER and TREVOR MARTIN
Created by CHRISTOPHER HARRISON and PHIL PATTISON
Directed by Nicholas J. Clarey
Music Direction by Holland Jancaitis

STARRING

  • Ann Alfano
  • Levil Shawn DaCosta
  • Christopher Clark
  • Erik Gaden
  • Noelle Herivaux
  • Christopher Rios
  • Sophia Herivaux
  • Simone Hilliard
  • Tom Hilliard
  • Meara Jones
  • Jessica Kaiser
  • Devon Moyd
  • Emeka Nwafor
  • Mark J. Parker
  • Sabrina Santoro
  • Jacob Stafford
  • Kayla Stewart 
  • David Wren-Hardin

WHEN: OCTOBER 10-12, 17-19, 24-26; 7:30 PM Fri-Sat, 4:00 PM Sun
WHERE:
The Baird Theatre, 3rd Floor, 5 Mead Street, South Orange
TICKETS: ONLINE - $16 -Adults / $13 Students (w/ID)& Seniors (60 +); BOX OFFICE - $20 - Adult /$16 Students (w/ID)& Seniors (60 +)

CLICK  HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Night of the Living Dead Live is a fun and hilarious, yes hilarious, re-imagining of George A. Romero's legendary classic. The play lovingly examines the movie itself, the period in which it was made, and the film's undying influence on the horror genre. Night Of The Living Dead Live is a theatrical tribute to all of the elements that make this cinematic masterpiece so endearing. More than just a recreation of the story, the play celebrates the history and influence of the movie. Contrasting personalities and agendas always seem to affect the group from working together which leaves us all wondering could anyone survive a Night of the Living Dead?

Night of the Living Dead was produced at a time of incredible social and political upheaval. The Vietnam war; the civil rights movement; the collapse of the patriarchal, nuclear family; and growing mistrust of the government and media are just some of the themes that influenced both the filmmakers and their audience. The film itself was met with controversy for featuring an African American protagonist and realistic horror images; both ground breaking attributes for the time period. Even though it featured images of racial violence, cannibalism, and social anarchy, it was the grim, unhappy ending that stuck with people. It is a hallmark that has carried through the genre until today. No guaranteed survivors! 

 

interACT Theatre Productions
info@interactproductions.org
http://www.interactproductions.org

Copyright © 2013. All Rights Reserved.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

“SIX DANCE LESSONS IN SIX WEEKS” OPENS AT WTC THIS WEEKEND

www.WomensTheater.org for tickets

ONLY 8 MORE CHANCES TO SEE “WITTENBERG” @ STNJ IN MADISON

Eight performances left!

Eight performances left!

973.408.5600 or www.ShakespeareNJ.org for tickets

ROCK ‘N’ ROLL IN THE SOMERSET HILLS THIS OCTOBER 3!

A hit parade...Leiber and Stoller are the Rodgers and Hammerstein of rock 'n' roll!  —THE NEW YORK TIMES

Smokey Joe's Café
Featuring The Coasters

WHEN: Friday, Oct. 3, at 8 PM
WHERE:
The Theatre at RVCC, 118 Lamington Road, Branchburg
TICKETS: $25 & $35 Reserved

Welcome to the hottest joint in town! The Coasters are headlining and it's always a party at SMOKEY JOE'S CAFÉ! This Tony Award®-nominated and Grammy Award®-winning salute to legendary songwriters Leiber and Stoller is a raise the roof, song-and dance celebration of some of rock 'n' roll's greatest hits!

Get ready for songs like Hound Dog, Stand by Me, Yakety Yak, Jailhouse Rock, Spanish Harlem, On Broadway, Kansas City, Love Potion #9, Fools Fall in Love and many more. The New York Daily News calls SMOKEY JOE'S CAFÉ "wildly infectious" and Time Magazine says, "it sails and soars!"

DREAMCATCHER & PLAYWRIGHTS THEATRE COLLABORATE ON “100 YEARS”

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Juliana lectures (800x733)100 YEARS
By Richard Dresser
Directed by Laura Ekstrand

WHEN: October 2 through 19, with talkbacks following the October 5 and 12 matinees; Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00 PM, and Sundays at 2:00 PM
WHERE:
The Oakes Center, located at 120 Morris Avenue in Summit. 
TICKETS: $20-$35, with special rates for subscribers and groups. 
Purchase tickets online at www.dreamcatcherrep.org or by calling Brown Paper Tickets at 1.800.838.3006. 
All tickets are $20 at the Thursday, October 2 preview performance, and seniors pay only $20 on advance purchases only on Senior Sunday, the October 5 matinee(Pictured: Harriett Trangucci)

Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre, professional Theatre in Residence at the Oakes Center in Summit, and Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey of Madison are co-producing the premiere production of Richard Dresser’s 100 Years. This dark comedy set sometime in the not-too-distant future has been developed on stages across the country before coming to New Jersey.

In the play, Joan and Stevie prepare for what has been promised will be a transformative experience. But what will this mean for life as they know it? And what’s the deal with the strange couple next door? From the playwright of such funny and topical plays as Rounding Third, Gun-Shy and The Pursuit of Happiness, 100 Years confronts today’s most dire global crises with incisive humor and sly wisdom.

The comedy will feature Eli Ganias (New York), Julian Gordon (Summit), Stacie Lents (Hoboken), John Pietrowski (Long Valley), and Harriett Trangucci (Summit), who is a member of Dreamcatcher’s professional Resident Acting Company.

Parking is available in the lot behind the theatre on Ashwood Avenue and at the Summit Recreation Center on Morris Avenue. 

The facility is wheelchair accessible. Assistive Listening devices for the hearing impaired and advance large print scripts are available by prior arrangement. 

To purchase tickets or for information on any of Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre's programs, please visit www.dreamcatcherrep.org or contact Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre at The Oakes Center, 120 Morris Avenue, Summit, NJ 07901, 908.514.9654. For information on any of Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey programs, please visit www.ptnj.org, or contact Playwrights Theatre of NJ, P.O. Box 1295, Madison, NJ, 07940, 973.514.1787 x20.

HOT CHILI & COOL BREW @ NEWARK MUSEUM: TICKETS ON SALE NOW

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“SOPHIE TUCKER: LAST OF THE RED HOT MAMAS” OPENS @ THE BICKFORD THEATRE OCTOBER 2

Bickford Theatre at the Morris Museum Presents

Gwendolyn JonesSophie Tucker: Last of the Red Hot Mamas
Written by Richard Hopkins, Jack Fournier and Kathy Halenda
Performed by Gwendolyn F. Jones
Director: Eric Hafen
Music Director: Nick DeGregorio

WHEN: October 2 – October 19, Thursdays 7:30 PM; Fridays & Saturdays 8 PM; Saturday, October 11, 2 PM; Thursday, October 16, 2 PM; Sundays 2 PM
WHERE:
Bickford Theatre, Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Hgts. Rd., Morristown
TICKETS: Reserved seats are $45 for the General Public, $40 for Senior Citizens and Members of the Morris Museum/Theatre Guild, $33 for Groups (10 or more), and $20 for Students (18 or under or with valid college ID).
Tickets may be purchased by phone at (973) 971-3706, or in person at the Bickford Theatre Box Office.
The Bickford Theatre is an integral part of the Morris Museum, located at 6 Normandy Heights Road in Morristown, NJ, and offers free parking and full accessibility. Box Office hours for phone sales are Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Walk-up hours are Tuesday through Friday, 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Gwendolyn F. Jones (Mother Superior, Nunsense) will return to the Morris Museum to portray Sophie Tucker, one of the best-known American stars of the first half of the twentieth century. Renowned for her bawdy sense of humor, Tucker influenced generations of comedians and singers including Ethel Merman, Joan Rivers, and Bette Midler. Over the course of her career, which spanned seven decades, the entertainer found popularity with hits such as Real Women Have Curves, Living Alone and I Like It, After You’ve Gone, Fifty Million Frenchmen Can’t Be Wrong, My Yiddishe Momme, Life Begins at 40, and her uplifting signature song, Some of These Days.

About Gwendolyn F. Jones
Credits:  Bickford Theatre:  Nunsense and Nunsense 2; National and International tours: Hair, 42nd Street, and Annie. Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Regional: Chicago, Dear World (Barrymore Nominee), Full Monty, Sophie, Totie & Belle, Hello, Dolly!, Jekyll & Hyde, 42nd Street, Once Upon A Mattress, Mame, and Thoroughly Modern Millie. She has played the Papermill Playhouse, North Shore Music Theatre, The Benedum Center in Pittsburgh, and Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia. For several seasons, Gwendolyn Jones played Mrs. Claus with the Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular. She also performs as a Guest Artist with an extensive list of Symphony Orchestras. In her spare time, she can be found raising llama and sheep.  Education: Shenandoah College and Conservatory of Music, American Musical and Dramatic Academy, NYC.

Creative Team

  • Director:  Eric Hafen, Artistic Director, Bickford Theatre
  • Music Director:  Nick DeGregorio of Livingston, NJ
  • Production Stage Manager:  Yumi Matsuura of Morristown, NJ
  • Costume Designer:  Mark Happel of Chester, NJ
  • Scenic Designer:  Ric McAllister of Union City, NJ
  • Lighting Designer:  Roman Klima of Holmdel, NJ

About The Bickford Theatre
The Bickford Theatre is a professional theater that produces and presents year-round entertainment, including a Main Stage Series, two Children’s Theatre series, a Jazz Showcase, and Blues at the Bickford. The theatre is a Senior Member of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, a not-for-profit organization of 30 professional theaters throughout the state, and works in conjunction with Actors' Equity Association (AEA) and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC). From its beginnings in 1994 to the present, tens of thousands of theater-goers from across the tri-state area have enjoyed the Bickford Theatre’s many entertaining and diversified offerings in theatre, music and dance.