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Wednesday, March 23, 2016

CAREGIVERS’ STORIES TO TAKE THE STAGE IN UNIQUE THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE

 

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New Jersey Theatre Alliance (“the Alliance”), a consortium of the state’s professional theatres, has partnered with Atlantic Health System, one of the largest health care systems in New Jersey, to present

Healing Voices OnStage: Caregivers Stories

a theatrical production weaving together stories about the experience of being a caregiver. Healing Voices OnStage is part of the Alliance’s Stages Festival, a month-long festival of theatre with dozens of free and low-cost theatre events throughout the state.

WHEN: Thursday, March 31, at 7:00 p.m
WHERE:
Bickford Theatre at the Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Hgts. Rd, in Morristown.
ADMISSION: The event is free and open to the public.
To register, call 1-800-247-9580. For more information, call 973-660-3533, visit www.atlantichealth.org/healingarts, or e-mail healingarts@atlantichealth.org.

“The arts are an essential component to health, healing, and well-being,” said Maria Lupo, manager of the Healing Arts Program at Atlantic Health System. “In caregiving, there are aspects that are both unique to the individual and shared among many. Because it transcends the science of medicine, we felt these perspectives could make a compelling subject for performance art.”

The Alliance identified two theatres, Writers Theatre of New Jersey and Premiere Stages, and worked with Atlantic Health System to collect stories from professional caregivers, as well as from members of the general public who had a personal story to share.

“We are always looking to identify partnerships to help promote the power of theatre,” said John McEwen, Executive Director of the Alliance. “This new initiative with Atlantic Health System enables the Alliance and two of our member theatres to put a spotlight on the caregiver experience. We are delighted to play a role in helping Atlantic Health System advance their Healing Arts Program through theatre. We look forward to hearing the stories at Healing Voices OnStage, which I'm sure will be a night to remember."  

Creative prose, poetry, and theatrical monologues written by 25 caregivers have been interwoven into several 10-minute monologues. The monologues will be read by professional actors.

The Healing Arts Program provides opportunities to experience health and well-being by bringing literary, performing, and visual arts to patients, staff, and communities. As one of the largest health care systems in New Jersey, Atlantic Health System is poised to be a major force in the growing integration of arts and health in New Jersey.

About New Jersey Theatre Alliance
Founded in 1981, New Jersey Theatre Alliance is the first statewide organization for professional, not-for-profit theatre companies in the United States, and is a leader in developing model programs that unite, promote, strengthen, and cultivate professional theatre in New Jersey. The Stages Festival is made possible in part by funding from Bank of America; The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey; the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts; The Smart Family Foundation; The F.M. Kirby Foundation; the George A. Ohl, Jr. Trust Foundation, and New Jersey Council for the Humanities. Additional support for New Jersey Theatre Alliance is provided by individuals, corporations, and foundations, including the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and Prudential Foundation.

About Atlantic Health System
Atlantic Health System, headquartered in Morristown, New Jersey, is one of the largest non-profit health care systems in New Jersey. Its network includes Morristown Medical Center in Morristown, Overlook Medical Center in Summit, Newton Medical Center in Newton, Chilton Medical Center in Pompton Plains, and Goryeb Children’s Hospital in Morristown, as well as Atlantic Rehabilitation and Atlantic Home Care and Hospice. It also includes its subsidiary, Atlantic Ambulance Corporation. Atlantic Health System comprises 1,599 licensed beds, more than 14,000 employees and more than 4,000 physicians, and has a medical school affiliation with the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. It is part of Atlantic Accountable Care Organization, one of the largest ACOs in the nation, and is a member of AllSpire Health Partners.