FINAL PERFORMANCES THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY   Meet playwright/screenwriter/novelist Bill Mesce, Jr. at the Friday night talkback     New Jersey native Bill Mesce's first novel, The Advocate, was a winner in the America’s Best competition, and was followed by two equally acclaimed sequels, Officer of the Court and The Defender, as well as several non-fiction works including The Wild Bunch: The American Classic that Changed Westerns Forever and A Screenwriter’s Notebook:  Reflections, Analyses, and Chalk Talks on the Craft and Business of Writing for the Movies.  His most recent novel is the police drama Median Gray.  His screenwriting credits include Road Ends, starring Dennis Hopper and Mariel Hemingway, and uncredited work on Brian DePalma’s political thriller Blow Out.  A Jersey Cantata was named one of the best new NJ plays when it originally premiered.   Burgdorff Center 10 Durand Rd, Maplewood, NJ   Thursday - Saturday at 8pm Sunday at 2pm TIX: $25/$20/$15 BUY TIX   Overheard at Italian Weddings, Wakes, and Funerals: Big Sal from the deli, Francis the local funeral director, go-go bar owner Caruso and IQ-challenged Albie, friends since childhood. They are all singing the same tune, no matter how offkey: A JERSEY CANTATA         Our return to in-person theater:   THREE PLAYS IN THREE MONTHS     Voices of eldercare: FINISHING IT OFF! by Mary Jane Walsh July 7-17 ​Overheard at Italian weddings and funerals: A JERSEY CANTATA by Bill Mesce, Jr. August 18-28   ​Cold War in the best of taste: 5 LESBIANS EATING A QUICHE by Evan Linder and Andrew Hobgood September 8-18