American Theater Group Offers Streaming Option for Concert Event: The Bridges Of Madison County

The American Theater Group (ATG), Somerset County’s newest professional theater company, has announced a streaming option for its encore concert performance of The Bridges of Madison County on Saturday, June 26, at 8pm. The concert will feature the entire cast of the popular 2019 ATG production and the full Tony award-winning orchestration played by Broadway musicians.

TICKETS: $12.50, inclusive of all fees
Purchase tickets at  http://atg.booktix.com/   
This is a live stream and will only be available to watch during the actual performance, beginning at 8pm EST.

Based on the popular film and best-selling novel by Robert James Waller, the musical features a lush and varied score and tells the story of a Midwestern farm wife whose life is upended by a brief and passionate affair with a traveling photographer. The music and lyrics are by Jason Robert Brown (The Last Five Years, Parade, 13), with a book by Marsha Norman (‘night, Mother, The Secret Garden). The concert will be directed and choreographed by Merete Muenter, with Caleb Hoyer serving as Music Director and Keith Levenson conducting the orchestra.

The live concert performances will be presented on Friday and Saturday, June 25^th and 26^th at 8pm at the Pleasant Valley Park Amphitheater (3405 Valley Road) in Basking Ridge, NJ. Patrons are asked to bring a chair or blanket to these free outdoor performances. Additional information can be found at:  https://www.americantheatergroup.org/upcoming

American Theater Group (ATG), founded in 2012, produces new and classic works primarily by American playwrights with an emphasis on the development of new works and the rediscovery of undeservedly neglected older ones. The group will soon begin its residence at the Mitchell and Ann Sieminski Theater at the Fellowship Cultural Arts Center in Basking Ridge, NJ.  ATG programming is made possible in part by funds from Investors Bank and the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. More information can be found at www.americantheatergroup.org.

American Theater Group Presents Encore Concert Event: The Bridges Of Madison County

The American Theater Group (ATG), Somerset County’s newest professional theater company, proudly presents a weekend of encore concerts of its critically acclaimed 2019 production of 

The Bridges of Madison County

WHEN: Friday and Saturday, June 25 and 26^th at 8pm
WHERE:  Pleasant Valley Park amphitheater, 3405 Valley Road in Basking Ridge
ADMISSION: free
For more information on the performances, please visit the following website: https://www.americantheatergroup.org/upcoming. 

The outdoor events will feature the entire cast of the original ATG production and the full Tony award-winning orchestration played by Broadway musicians.

Based on the popular film and best-selling novel by Robert James Waller, the musical features a lush and varied score and tells the story of a Midwestern farm wife whose life is upended by a brief and passionate affair with a traveling photographer. The music and lyrics are by Jason Robert Brown (The Last Five Years, Parade, 13), with a book by Marsha Norman (‘night, Mother, The Secret Garden). The cast includes: Jennifer Ellis, Bryant Martin, Jared Bradshaw, Deborah Tranelli, Tait Rupert, Alex Carr, Courtney Martin, Jodie Ann Evans, Andrew Winans, Jackson Mattek and Laura Pierpont. The concert will be directed and choreographed by Merete Muenter, with Brent Sawyer serving as Musical Director and Keith Levenson conducting the orchestra.

“The American Theater Group is thrilled for the opportunity to introduce new audiences to the professional talent involved in this production, which enjoyed standing ovations each night during its original run,” said Jim Vagias, Producing Artistic Director of ATG. “We could think of no better way of introducing ATG to the Basking Ridge community, where we will soon be in residence at the beautiful Mitchell and Ann Sieminski Theater at the Fellowship Cultural Arts Center.” 

Bring a chair or blanket and pack a picnic!

Plenty of free parking available at top of hill; then follow a short marked path to amphitheater.

Handicapped parking available closer to stage.

Broadway Legend Joel Grey Loved ATG's Bridges of Madison County!

Broadway legend Joel Grey with Bridges of Madison County Director Merete Muenter.   We thought you'd like to know what Broadway legend Joel Grey thought about our 2019 production of The Bridges of Madison County:   “I had seen Bridges of Madison County on Broadway and was enthralled. I was no less impressed with Merete’s production at American Theater Group. It was Broadway-quality, and then some. Go see it! Bring Kleenex.”    Don't miss this opportunity to enjoy free Encore Concert Performances of this lush musical on June 25th and 26th at 8pm at the Pleasant Valley Park Amphitheater in Basking Ridge. Remember to bring a chair or blanket, a picnic basket......and the Kleenex.     LEARN MORE

Reminder: ATG Presents Virtual Play Reading: Sunday, April 18th

RIGHT

By Ben Siegler

Directed by Marshall Jones

WHEN: Sunday, April 18th, at 7pm
WHERE: Zoom
TICKETS: free
JOIN THE READING! 

Don't miss this timely, engaging drama about liberals working at a right-wing news website who struggle to maintain their balance as they cover an apparent terrorist act taking place in their city.

Featuring:

“A Good Farmer” debuts in American Theater Group’s inaugural mainstage production at SOPAC

American Theater Group's A Good Farmer WHEN: WED, JAN 24 - SUN, FEB 4; Wed, Jan 24 and Thursdays Jan 25 & Feb 1 at 7:30PM, Fridays Jan 26, Feb 2 & Sat, Jan 27 at 8PM, Sat Feb 3 at 3PM & 8PM, Sun Jan 28 at 3PM  WHERE: : South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC), 1 SOPAC Way, South Orange TICKETS: $25-$45   To purchase tickets, contact SOPAC at (973) 313-2787 or visit http://www.sopacnow.org/good-farmer      What is the life of an immigrant worth? Are immigrants entitled to the American Dream? Explore these questions and more when you come to see this new play by Sharyn Rothstein.  Ripped from today's headlines, this is the story of a farming community and its struggle with issues of immigration, loyalty, family survival and compassion. Written by Sharyn Rothstein, directed by Kel Haney, featuring Janice Amaya, Todd Lawson, Brenda Withers and Ariel Woodiwiss. Producer Jim Vagias notes “I had no idea when I read this play in October 2016 that it would become even more relevant a year later. Sharyn Rothstein puts a human face to all we are reading about, and she does so in a compelling, compassionate way.” As an additional value to further explore the topics addressed in A Good Farmer, there will be a panel discussion following the SUN, JAN 28, 3PM performance. The Immigrant Experience: Escaping the Shadows, moderated by esteemed immigration attorney Michael Noriega, features leaders on the front lines of this complex situation who experience first-hand the hurdles immigrants face as they engage with the difficulties of modern day America. SOPAC, known for presenting music, comedy, dance and other genres in its intimate theater, is partnering with American Theater Group as its theater company in-residence. A Good Farmer is the first of two full productions this season. It will be followed by Small Town Story, a musical about a small town that is divided by a controversial high school production, presented May 30-June 10, 2018. Sharyn Rothstein is a playwright and television writer, whose plays and musicals have been workshopped and produced around the country, as well as internationally. Her play By The Water was first produced by Manhattan Theater Club and Ars Nova in 2014 and was the recipient of the 2015 American Theater Critic’s Association Francesca Primus Prize for a play by an emerging woman playwright. Her play All The Days was the recipient of the Edgerton Foundation Award and was produced at the McCarter Theater Center in 2016, directed by Emily Mann. In addition to playwriting, Sharyn is a writer for the USA Network drama SUITS.  She holds an MFA in dramatic writing from NYU and a Masters in Public Health from Hunter College, with a concentration in Urban Health. Her unique background helps her to see the humanity in many situations. She says, “I believe that theater does its job best when it’s full of heart and full of complexity and, usually, has a nice helping of funny to go along with it. I’m driven by questions of social responsibility, of what we owe each other, and by strong, dynamic characters that don’t take easy “no’s”.” Director Kel Haney will lead a cast that includes Janice Amaya, Todd Lawson, Brenda Withers and Ariel Woodiwiss. Ms. Haney’s credits include several regional theatres in the New York area and beyond including Atlantic Theater Company, Cherry Lane, Keen Company, Labyrinth, The Lark, Ma-Yi, Naked Angels, New Dramatists and New Georges. In addition to her work with American Theater Group directing the hugely successful The Way We Get By by acclaimed playwright Neil LaBute, New Jersey audiences may remember her productions of Deborah Brevoort’s My Lord What a Night and James Christy’s At Liberty Hall at Premiere Stages.

AMERICAN THEATER GROUP BRINGS TOPICAL NEW PLAY TO SOPAC LOFT IN STAGED READING

A Good Farmer
by Sharyn Rothstein
directed by Kel Haney

WHEN: SUN, APR 2, at 7 p.m.
WHERE: South Orange Performing Arts Center LOFT, One SOPAC Way, South Orange (behind the train station)
TICKETS: $20 and can be purchased at http://www.sopacnow.org/american-theater-group-a-good-farmer/ or by calling (973) 313-2787.

American Theater Group, the South Orange Performing Arts Center’s  new theatre company in-residence, presents a staged reading of A Good Farmer by Sharyn Rothstein.  The powerful story, set in upstate New York, tells a compelling tale of one family’s struggle to maintain their farm through adversity. The wheels of crisis are set into motion when they hire a Mexican immigrant to help them. The topical play highlights the humanity of those whose only crime was to come to American and make a better life for their families, and the bonds we all share as immigrants seeking the American dream.

Says Producing Artistic Director James Vagias, “When we first chose the script back in October we did so because we loved the story and the characters, but felt it might not be all that relevant by the time we presented it in April. Little did we know that it speaks to the very issues we now face as a country.”

Director Kel Haney will lead a cast that includes Ariel Woodiwiss, Daniela Malave, Tommy Schriber and Sevrin Ann Mason.

Ms. Haney’s credits include several regional theatres in the New York area and beyond including Atlantic Theater Company, Cherry Lane, Keen Company, Labyrinth, The Lark, Ma-Yi, Naked Angels, New Dramatists and New Georges. In addition to her work with American Theater Group directing the hugely successful The Way We Get By by acclaimed playwright Neil LaBute, New Jersey audiences may remember her productions of Deborah Brevoort’s My Lord What a Night and James Christy’s At Liberty Hall at Premiere Stages.   

Sharyn Rothstein is a playwright and television writer, whose plays and musicals have been workshopped and produced around the country, as well as internationally. Her play By The Water was first produced by Manhattan Theater Club and Ars Nova in 2014 and was the recipient of the 2015 American Theater Critic’s Association Francesca Primus Prize for a play by an emerging woman playwright. Her play All The Days was the recipient of the Edgerton Foundation Award and was produced at the McCarter Theater Center in 2016, directed by Emily Mann. In addition to playwriting, Ms. Rothstein is a writer for the USA Network drama SUITS. She holds an MFA in dramatic writing from NYU and a Masters degree in Public Health from Hunter College, with a concentration in Urban Health.

This play will resonate with anyone who desires to view the humanity behind today’s headlines. Ms. Rothstein’s play is funny, compassionate and utterly human.

About American Theater Group
American Theater Group, a professional member of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, is SOPAC’s theatre company in-residence. Headed by Producing Artistic Director James Vagias, the theatre company presents staged readings of new work in the SOPAC Loft and will produce fully-staged productions on the SOPAC mainstage beginning next season.  

American Theater Group is an ambitious new performing arts company launched in 2012 with co-founders Joe Mancuso, Rick Sordelet and then-Mayor of Rahway Jim Kennedy that offers musicals and plays, a new musical reading series and arts-in education programming. Its focus is on producing new and classical works, primarily by American playwrights, with an emphasis on the development of new works and the rediscovery of undeservedly neglected older ones. American Theater Group’s Board of Trustees chairperson is South Orange resident and Tony Award-winning actress Michelle Pawk.

SOPAC programs are made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.  The South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) is a 501(c)(3)charitable organization.SOPAC received funding through a grant from the New Jersey. Department of State, Division of Travel and Tourism, visitnj.org.

Since 2006, SOPAC has been serving as a premier performing arts center in the region. SOPAC offers innovative artistic and cultural experiences for diverse audiences in an intimate, inviting environment. The premier arts center hosts a variety of live performances, community events and education programs for all ages.  To further expand its offerings, SOPAC has a partnership with the Juilliard School of Music to present Juilliard @ SOPAC—a series featuring upcoming musicians from the acclaimed conservatory.  SOPAC is home for Seton Hall University Arts Council’s performances, including Classical Concert Series, Jazz ‘N the Hall performances and Seton Hall University Theatre productions.  SOPAC also presents performances by its theater company in-residence, American Theater Group. For more information, visit SOPACnow.org

AMERICAN THEATER GROUP ANNOUNCES 2016 SEASON FEATURING TWO EXCITING NEW JERSEY PREMIERES

Now in its fourth season, American Theater Group, a professional Equity theater in residence at Union County Performing Arts Center's intimate 199-seat Hamilton Stage, is pleased to announce its 2016 season.

The Way We Get By

The off-Broadway hit of last season, Neil La Bute's The Way We Get By, will open the season.

WHEN: previews beginning on Wednesday, February 3, 2016. The play will open on Saturday, February 6 and runs through Sunday, February 14.
WHERE: Hamilton Stage, 360 Hamilton St., Rahway
TICKETS: Tickets are $38 each. Student and senior discounts available. For tickets, call (732) 499-8226; visit online www.americantheatergroup.org; or in person at the Union County Performing Arts Center Box Office at 1601 Irving Street, Rahway, NJ.

In the aftermath of a one night stand, a couple is forced to deal with uncomfortable truths.  The NY Times calls this play by award-winning playwright, screenwriter and director “…sexy, starry, and dangerously irresistible.”

Crossing Swords

The season will continue with a brand-new musical, Crossing Swords, music, lyrics and book by Joe Slabe and directed by Igor Goldin.

WHEN: previews start Wednesday, April 20, with opening night Saturday, April 23, and runs through May 1
WHERE: Hamilton Stage, 360 Hamilton St., Rahway
TICKETS: Tickets are $38 each. Student and senior discounts available. For tickets, call (732) 499-8226; visit online www.americantheatergroup.org; or in person at the Union County Performing Arts Center Box Office at 1601 Irving Street, Rahway, NJ.

“Crossing Swords will appeal to anyone who ever experienced the yearnings of young love,” said Producing Artistic Director Jim Vagias. “And The Way We Get By will be a new kind of offering for our audiences: much more adult themes and far sexier than anything we’ve done before. We are incredibly excited to be producing these two important new works.”

In The Way We Get By, a young couple wake up after a one night stand and is forced to deal with uncomfortable truths. The New York Times calls this play by the award-winning playwright and screenwriter, "Sexy and dangerously irresistible." with

Winner of five 2013 New York Musical Theater Festival Awards, Crossing Swords revolves around a high school production of Cyrano de Bergerac. When the students begin to rehearse, jealousies arise, tempers fly and passions ignite as life begins to imitate art in this funny and poignant coming-of-age story.

Hamilton Stage has ample parking and is just a five minute walk from New Jersey Transit’s Rahway station serving Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast lines — a quick 30-minute ride from New York City’s Penn Station and the heart of Manhattan.

American Theatre Group, under the leadership of producing Artistic Director/Co-Founder James Vagias, along with Co-Founders/Artistic Advisors Rick Sordelet and Joseph Mancuso, makes it home in the intimate 199-seat state-of-the-arts Hamilton Stage governed and operated by the Union County Performing Arts Center.

AMERICAN THEATER GROUP TO OPEN NEW SEASON WITH EAST COAST PREMIERE OF ONE-MAN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL PLAY

SIZE MATTERS

WHEN: NOVEMBER 12 THROUGH NOVEMBER 23; Thursday – Saturday, 8 PM; Sunday, 3 & 7 PM
WHERE: Union County Performing Arts Center, 360 Hamilton Street, Rahway
TICKETS: $35; Student/Seniors/Military Personnel tickets: $20 with valid ID at the box office.  Groups of 10 or more receive 10% off. 
Tickets  can be purchased online at www.americantheatergroup.org, by calling 732.499.8226, or at the Union County Performing Arts Center box office located at 1601 Irving Street. The theater has ample well-lit parking and is a five minute walk from New Jersey Transit's Rahway station.

American Theatre Group, New Jersey’s newest professional theater company in residence at Hamilton Stage, will open its 2014-2015 season with the East Coast premiere of Raymond McAnally’s one-man show, Size Matters.

In this East Coast premiere, heavy-set everyman, Raymond McAnally, weaves a comedic tale of his current life as a plus-sized actor, new husband, and uncle to an admiring overweight ten year old nephew, Morgan. Seeing a chance to save Morgan, as well as himself, Raymond searches his life for just how much, or how little size matters. Size Matters is a heartfelt and eye-opening comedy that will resonate for anyone – male or female—who’s every wrestled with body issues.

“Size Matters is not a dieting play, a self help play, a do it yourself play, or any work that guides you on your way to slimness,” says Ed Stern, who directed the world premiere at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati . “Size Matters is about the relationship of husband to wife and uncle to nephew. It is filled with humanity and humor. And, fortunately, for all of us every moment is filled with the uniqueness and wonderfulness that is Raymond McAnally.”

As an actor, Raymond McAnally’s recent credits include One Man, Two Guvnors at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, and the world premiere of Size Matters at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati.  Other credits include Defending the Caveman (Broadway National Tour), and off-Broadway in the original cast of God’s Ear, plus productions at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Long Wharf, Theaterworks Hartford, Two River Theater, to name a few. On television, he appeared on Law & Order: SVU, 30 Rock, Nurse Jackie, Royal Pains and Boardwalk Empire, among others. His film credits include Compliance, Ghost Town and I Don’t Know How She Does It. Raymond is a writer and actor for the online original comedy group Daily Fiber Films and is a faculty member at the Mason Gross School of the Arts Online Department at Rutgers University.  Mr. McAnally holds an MFA in Acting from Mason Gross School of the Arts and a BA from Sewanee.

American Theatre Group, under the leadership of producing artistic director/co-founder James Vagias, along with co-founders/artistic advisors Rick Sordelet and Joseph Mancuso, makes it home in the new intimate 199-seat state-of-the-arts Hamilton Stage in Rahway, governed and operated by the Union County Performing Arts Center.

BIG DOINGS @ UCPAC & HAMILTON STAGE

~ Click Here for Full Calendar of Events at  UCPAC Mainstage, Loft & Hamilton Stage ~ WHERE: UCPAC, 1601 Irving Av., Rahway; Hamilton Stage, Hamilton Stage - 360 Hamilton St., Rahway BOX OFFICE INFORMATION Purchase tickets online at www.ucpac.org ... or call (732) 499-8226  ... or stop in to the Box Office at 1601 Irving Street in the heart of Rahway Arts District. BOX OFFICE HOURS Tuesday - 11am until 5pm Wednesday - 11am until 5pm Thursday - 11am until 8pm Friday - 11am until 5pm The Union County PAC Box Office is also open 2 hour prior to any ticketed event and will remain open through intermission. 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 3 weeks prior to the performance for which you have tickets.  Please call the Box Office for details. PARKING & DIRECTIONS Parking is available to our patrons at Rahway's public multi-level parking deck, located on the corner of Main Street and Lewis Street (across from Rahway Train Station and behind Skyview Apartments).  A free shuttle is often available to and from the theatre.    Click here for directions to the Union County PAC. ... or Call the box office for more information. WANT TO KNOW MORE? For an up-to-date listing of UCPAC events visit the Calendar of Events page of our website at www.ucpac.org. * Programs, artists, dates, times and prices are subject to change without notice.   ~ Please contact the Box Office for further details (732) 499-8226 ~