NEW JERSEY THEATRE ALLIANCE OFFERS A FALL LINE-UP OF VIRTUAL THEATRE APPRECIATION OFFERINGS
New Jersey Theatre Alliance (“the Alliance”) is proud
to announce a series of upcoming events showcasing the diversity and excellence
of New Jersey’s professional theatre community. All events will be
ASL-interpreted and open-captioned.
“We are thrilled
to partner with such innovative organizations as the John F. Kennedy Center for
the Performing Arts, The New Jersey Historical Commission, Newark Arts, and New
Jersey Performing Arts Center to bring this series of events to the public,” said
John McEwen, Executive Director of New Jersey Theatre Alliance. “Although we
are eager to once again gather in person at our theatres, the online
format of these events will offer the public an intimate, candid, and
informative experience with some of New Jersey’s most well-respected artists
and professionals.”
On October 6 at 4pm, The Alliance will partner with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for the live-streamed video series, Arts Across America. Four New Jersey artists connected with theatres from the membership of New Jersey Theatre Alliance will be featured. Suzzanne Douglas (left), an actor and singer representing Crossroads Theatre Company in New Brunswick, will perform music and spoken word poetry accompanied by a live bass player.
Lewis Merkin, composer and performer, will collaborate with a young artist to share a duet from A Thousand Faces, a song between a deaf father and his hearing son, written for a deaf performer. The development and production of A Thousand Faces at Skyline Theatre Company in Fair Lawn was awarded a 2019 Innovator Award from the Cultural Access Network Project, a partnership between New Jersey Theatre Alliance and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. This showcase of exciting new work by some of New Jersey’s finest artists may be viewed for free as a live stream or an archived video on the John F. Kennedy Center’s Facebook page.
On October 8
at 7pm, in
partnership with the New Jersey Historical Commission, New Jersey Theatre
Alliance will present Women in New Jersey Theatre: Theatre and Civic
Engagement. This third annual panel discussion featuring high-profile women in
New Jersey Theatre will feature professionals who use their art to engage
communities and promote social and civic change. The panel will include Dr.
Paula Alekson,
of McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, Ryanne Domingues of Passage Theatre Company in Trenton, Amanda
Espinoza of
Two River Theater Company in Red Bank, and Dr.
Jessica Brater of Montclair State University. It will be moderated by the
Alliance’s Deputy Director, Erica Nagel. This event is free and
open to the public but does require registration. Registration
is available here.
On November 16
at 7pm, New
Jersey Theatre Alliance takes its annual Curtain Call celebration virtual! A
highly-anticipated fall gathering for theatre artists, administrators,
supporters, and the general public, Curtain Call is a yearly celebration of the
people who make a big impact on theatre in the Garden State. This year's Star
Award will be presented to Mills
+ Schnoering Architects, in honor of their outstanding commitment to universal design and
access. Awards of Excellence will be given to Stage Managers of member
theatres, offering a well-deserved moment in the spotlight to these essential
artistic collaborators who so often stay behind the scenes. This event is open
to the public but requires registration. You may register to attend on the New
Jersey Theatre Alliance website, www.njtheatrealliance.org,
beginning Wednesday, September 30.
Closing out the
calendar year, on December 19 at 3pm, New Jersey Theatre Alliance
partners with Newark Arts and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center to present Producing
Black Theatre, a panel featuring Black theatre artists and administrators
discussing their work and the intersection of theatre and social justice. Confirmed
panelists include Aaron
L. McKinney
from Hi-Arts NYC, Andrew Binger of Yendor Theatre Company, and Damion Parran of Passage Theatre Company. It will be moderated by Marshall Jones, III of Rutgers University-New
Brunswick and trustee of the Alliance. Additional panelists will be confirmed
as the date approaches. The event will be part of NJPAC’s day-long Kwaanza
celebration and registration will be available at www.NJPAC.org
later this fall.
For further
information about these events, digital events of member theatres, and other
programs and services of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, please visit www.njtheatrealliance.org.
Founded in
1981, New Jersey Theatre Alliance was the first statewide service 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. Funding for the New Jersey
Theatre Alliance, a not-for-profit organization, is provided in part by the New
Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment
for the Arts, New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism, and contributions from
individuals, corporations, and foundations including the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation,
The Grunin Foundation, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, Bank of America,
The Shubert Foundation, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, Investors
Bank, The Hyde and Watson Foundation, Kessler Foundation, The F.M. Kirby
Foundation, E.J. Grassmann Trust, and The Union Foundation.