HAPPINESS
WHEN: September 4th to October 14th
WHERE: JCTC’s Merseles Studios, 339 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ
Everyone wants happiness, but few people think they actually have it or know how to get it. The pursuit of happiness was as important as life and liberty in the Declaration of Independence, yet the 2015 U.N. World Happiness Report ranks the U.S. as only the 15th happiest nation. Why is happiness so important yet for many, so hard to achieve?
Jersey City Theater Center (JCTC) is not promising to make audiences happy, but through Happiness—a new series of art, theater, film and community dialogue—the role happiness plays in our lives and its impact on society might be better understood.
“Happiness matters to everybody,” said Olga Levina, Artistic Director. “What makes you happy may not be the same thing that makes me happy, but we both share a need for happiness. JCTC is using a range of different art forms that question what happiness means to the individual and to society.”
Featuring about a dozen ticketed & free events, including a full-scale theater production, new play reading, the launch of JCTC Films and an art exhibition international in scope, Happiness is the most ambitious project to date for Jersey City’s fastest growing arts organization. Several evenings include Talk-Back, a moderated discussion and Q&A between audience, actors and artists.
“Part of JCTC’s mission is to integrate different artistic disciplines and to unify our community,” said Levina. “Happiness will not only be looked at through theater, film and visual arts, but with our Talk-Back we will also enable perspectives from the community. We want to create a dialogue about one of the most crucial aspects of life, Happiness.”
Happiness Art Show
Happiness Art Show: an exhibit of more than a dozen works, including painting, sculpture and mixed-media, curated by Jersey City-based artist Gabriel Pacheco, will be featured in the art gallery at Merseles Studios. The artists, most of whom have shown in galleries around the world, submitted work responding to the theme of Happiness. The gallery show is free, open to the public and available for viewing throughout the entire Happiness series. In addition to 9/4 opening & reception, the Happiness Art Show will be open to the public during 9/11 JC Fridays (5:30-7:30pm) and the Jersey Art & Studio Tour 10/3-10/4.
Happiness Factors
This lecture & workshop by Leah Guy, a Holistic Lifestyle Expert, explores a range of techniques, from prayer and meditation to natural healing tools, used by people across the globe to achieve or improve their inner happiness. Guy, a noted speaker on holistic and wellness topics, is the owner of Modern Sage, a Wellness & Healing Center & Boutique (351 2nd St, Jersey City) and A Girl Named Guy Productions. Happiness Factors, on September 4th, follows the Happiness Art Show opening and is free and open to the public, no reservations required.
American Dreamers
A JCTC Production, the world premiere of American Dreamers runs for seven shows at the newly upgraded Black Box Theater at Merseles Studios.
Lia Romeo’s American Dreamers is a dark comedy about how we navigate through a 21st century world that values power, wealth, sex, and fame far more than genuine happiness.
Becca Barrington had big dreams when she graduated college. Now underemployed and saddled with enormous student loan debts, she decides to become an escort. When her first client turns out to be her former high school teacher, the consequences disrupt her life and those of her friends.
In addition to having her plays produced or developed at Project Y Theatre Company, Unicorn Theatre, 59E59, the Lark Theatre, and elsewhere, the Hoboken-based Romeo is also the author of a novel, Dating the Devil and a humor book, 11,002 Things to Be Miserable About.
American Dreamers is directed by Levina, a theater professional with 25+ years of experience.
WHEN: September 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 24, 26, performances 7:30-9:30pm. September 17 (Thursday) & September 24 (Friday) include Talk-Back promptly at 9:30.
TICKETS: $24 online (visit: www.jctenter.org), $28 day of show.
Happy (The Movie)
Happy, a 2011 feature documentary film directed, written, and co-produced by Academy Award nominated film-maker Roko Belic, explores happiness by looking at the latest research from experts in positive psychology and through interviews with people from different countries and all walks of life.
“Happy is a wonderful film,” said Levina. “Psychologists have been researching and treating depression for more than a century, but researching happiness is a surprisingly new field of study. I’m proud to begin JCTC Films with such an important documentary. We’ve always planned for film to be part of JCTC programming and I’m glad this season we are able to finally start showing movies at Merseles Studios.”
WHEN: Film & Talk-Back: October 10, 7:30-9:30pm.
TICKETS: $10 (available online and at door).
The End of the Road
Robert Kerr's The End of the Road looks at how absurdity and horror coexist in contemporary American life.
Judy and Peter’s young son is terminally ill. To counter the direness of their situation, they decide to take a family car trip to Florida in search of a transcendental “magical moment” the family can share. Encountering crazy gas station attendants, disgruntled amusement park employees and hazardous petting zoos, the journey becomes a darkly comic road trip. As the family accepts the truth of their son’s situation, they discover the magical inner happiness they’re seeking in an unexpected way.
A Minnesota transplant, Kerr has been a playwriting fellow at Juilliard, a Jerome Fellow at the Playwrights' Center, and founding member of Bedlam Theatre. His plays have been produced in both Minneapolis and New York.
The End of the Road: A JCTC New Play Reading, followed by Talk-Back, is free of charge ($5.00 suggested donation is requested). Seating is limited, so reservations are recommended. To make a reservation, please visit www.jctcenter.org.
Jersey City Theater Center, Merseles Studios, 339 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07302
(201) 795-5386
For more information or to purchase tickets visit: www.jctcenter.org
Happiness is made possible through the generosity of Ben LoPiccolo Development Group, JCTC’s Board of Directors, private donors and local Jersey City businesses.
