‘Twelfth Night’ Shines Brightly at Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey

Posted on December 11, 2022 by Karen Nowosad
Patrick Toon, Cedric Lamar, and Jeffrey Bender in a scene from Twelfth Night at Shakespeare Theatre of NJ Photo by Sarah Haley

You can always count on The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey to deliver an exceptional production for the December Holiday Season. This year is no exception as they present one of Shakespeare’s comedies, Twelfth Night. The play provides a delightful visit to the theater as a strong acting ensemble provides many funny scenes, some touching moments, and original music using Shakespeare’s own words.

The show has several themes, but the ones that stand out are about family. The Director of the production, Jason King Jones, puts it well in his Notes:

One of the many themes at play in Twelfth Night is family: the family we hold dear, the family we have lost, the family we are sometimes embarrassed to have, and the family we have yet to create. . . . Family makes us do strange things.

Jason King Jones

Stories Told in the Twelfth Night

The main action centers around the love Duke Orsino (Jon Barker) has for Countess Olivia (Billie Wyatt). However, she is not in a good frame of mind due to her brother’s death. More aspects of the story occur when a shipwreck and a noblewoman, Viola (Eliana Rowe) washes ashore. She believes her twin brother, Sebastian, (Jeffrey Marc Alkins) was drown in the shipwreck. Having no one to protect her, and no money to use, Viola disguises herself as a man. She eventually agrees to work for the Duke and becomes his person who speaks to Olivia in an attempt to woo her for the Duke.

In good Shakespearean fashion, Viola’s hidden identity is never noticed and Olivia begins to feel an attraction for the Viola – not as a woman, but as a man. This new love interest throws Olivia’s household into a tailspin. Enter Malvolio (Robert Cuccioli), a strait laced, strict man who tries to find out what is going on. He comes upon Olivia’s fun loving uncle, Sir Toby Belch (Jeffrey M. Bender), and Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Patrick Toon) who live it up all the time. These characters bring in many moments of laughter in the show and they stir up mischief that leads to other things coming out.

Toby and Andrew and other members of the household put together a made up story in a letter and leave it so that Malvolio finds it. Upon reading it, he thinks Olivia has fallen in love with him. In a very humorous scene, he acts upon the recommendations in the letter and dresses in yellow cross-gartered stockings and smiles continuously at Olivia.

Robert Cuccioli in Twelfth Night – Photo by Sarah Haley

The Pieces Come Together

There are more things that happen with the love interests and with the comic portions. However, one of the most interesting scenes occurs when Sebastian enters and
everyone is amazed to see the twins side-by-side at last. Dressed in identical clothing, the production showcases this revelation very well. In fact, from an audience view, it does indeed look like the two actors could be brother and sister. Most of the players end up happy in the end and in keeping with the spirit of the play, all is well that ends well.

However, the success of this show is due to the excellent acting that all the players turn in. From the comedy portions, to the more sensitive family issues, each actor plays a role that is important to the best telling of the tale and to the enjoyment audience members will have.

Music

Adding to the festive feel of the season is the inclusion of contemporary tunes. Shakespeare’s words are used as the lyrics but the music is composed by Cedric Lamar. Mr. Lamar plays a role in the show along with playing the songs and singing the lyrics. This is a nice way to bring the feel of a holiday play into the action of the play and yet stay true to the script written by Shakespeare himself.

Tickets for Twelfth Night

For more information or to purchase tickets, patrons can call the Box Office at 973-408-5600 or visit ShakespeareNJ.org .

The Theatre offers various cost-saving opportunities:

  • $15 student rush tickets, which are available 30 minutes prior to each performance, with a valid student ID.
  • A limited number of Pay What You Can tickets for every performance on a first-come, first-serve basis.
  • $30 Under 30 ticket option, which offers $30 tickets for patrons age 30 and under, with valid ID.
  • Other discounts are available including a 10% discount for Bank of America customers and employees, members of television’s THIRTEEN, AAA members, and others. 

Special Performances

For the same price as a regular ticket, the Symposium Series performances offer a post-show discussion with the cast and artistic staff. For Twelfth Night, Symposium performances will be held on Tuesday, December 13 at 7:30 PM and Saturday, December 17at 2:00 PM.

The Know-the-Show pre-show talks are offered free of cost with the purchase of a performance ticket. Prior to the Thursday, December 15th performance, at 7:00 PM, there will be a pre-show discussion for interested patrons. The performance that night follows at 8:00 PM.

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‘Florence and Mojo’ Two One-Act Plays

Posted on October 30, 2022 by Karen Nowosad
Photos from Florence (above) and Mojo (lower) – credit – S. Haley

One-act plays use unique formats to tell the story in a more condensed manner than the usual multi-act play does. On stage now through November 13 at Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is Florence and Mojo. Each name represents a one-act play written by American playwright Alice Childress.

Alice Childress is recognized as the only 20th century African-American woman to have written, produced, and published plays for four decades. She was at the height of her writing career in the 1950s and 60s when Civil Rights were becoming more of a focus. She earned a Pulitzer Prize nomination for her novel, A Short Walk. Florence and Mojo both look at life through the lens of African American characters. There are difficult moments to comprehend but Childress is known for the optimism she has for her characters. Her writing brings out an intensity with a balance looking towards the future.

Although each play stands on its own, there are significant elements that they have in common: The both have well developed story lines. The staging and sets enhance those stories. Creatives for these plays include Set Designer Harlan D. Penn, Lighting Designer Brian Sidney Bembridge, and Sound Designer Steven Beckel. Patrice N. Trower is Costume Designer and the Stage Manager is Jackie Mariani.

Each play has strong characters. With direction from Lindsay Smiling, the stories that unfold focus on the importance that each character brings to their role in the show. In the Director’s Notes, Smiling writes, “Childress’ characters are rich, complex, passionate humans in situations that test their identities.” Here is a brief look at how that unfolds.

The First Play of the Production is Florence

The production opens in a train station waiting room in 1949 in a small town in the south. Here, the set is vital because evidence of segregation laws is very much seen as the signs designate one side for Whites Only and the other for Colored. Mama (April Armstrong) and her daughter Marge (Billie Wyatt) enter and sit on the Colored side. Mama is taking the train to see Florence who does not live in the south in order to help her out. We learn that Florence is down on her luck but still wants a career in the arts. Lack of jobs appears to be a problem.

Marge appears hesitant to leave her mother but eventually does. A porter (Eric Steven Mills) comes in and as he mops the floors he and Mama speak. The divide between the two parts of the room is very much in evidence in conversation. The reality of what it brings really comes out when Mrs. Carter, a white woman enters on the White Only side. She and Mama have conversation across the divide as Mrs. Carter relates that she has only been in town two days and she’s bored. But as they exchange information, she suddenly says she knows someone who can help Florence find work. Unfortunately, it is not work in the arts. It is doing cleaning.

The result of what is said influences Mama’s travel plans as the play moves towards its conclusion.

This one act play allows viewers to go back in time and listen to a conversation where supposedly a well meaning white person makes futile attempts at what they think will help a black person. The after effects of the conversation are quietly but importantly portrayed through the very fine acting of both the women but most especially Mama. We never meet Florence in the play and one is left to wonder what happened to her.

The Second Play of the Production is Mojo

A brightly colored set takes center stage for the play which goes on after Intermission. It is the fall of 1969 in Teddy’s apartment. One can assume he is a rather “hip” gentleman who enjoys life. His opening phone call is to his white girlfriend who he playfully calls his “sweet vanilla ice cream cone.” Teddy (Chris White) obviously enjoys being a good looking man which we watch as he admires himself in a mirror. His plans to meet up with Bernice, the vanilla ice cream cone, are interrupted when Irene (Darlene Hope) uses her key to come in.

Their conversation begins in a light hearted manner. He refers to her as his buddy girl and he her buddy boy. We learn later that they are divorced but still a part of each other’s lives. When they met years before, she was a rest room attendant who had to listen to others talk about the race problems happening at the time. We learn how she moved on to better things. But she needs him right now as she is ill and getting ready to check into the hospital. There are several things that are disclosed in their conversation that had been hidden. The revelation of feelings brings something new to them. One cannot help but feel that there will be more they will share in the future.

Mojo brings out strong characters with the fine acting by Ms. Hope and Mr. White. The underlying affects of racism are subtly disclosed through their exchanges. Their lives have not been conventional. However, the basic human need for a connection is very evident.

Tickets – Florence and Mojo

The Theatre offers a range of prices for tickets including various cost-saving opportunities:

  • $15 student rush tickets available 30 minutes prior to each performance with a valid student ID
  • A limited number of Pay What You Can tickets for every performance on a first-come, first-serve basis.
  • $30 Under 30 ticket option offers $30 tickets for patrons aged 30 and under, with valid ID.
  • Other discounts are available including a 10% discount for Bank of America customers and employees, members of television’s THIRTEEN, AAA members, and others.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call the Box Office at 973-408-5600 or visit ShakespeareNJ.org.

Special Performances for Florence and Mojo

  • The Symposium Series performances offer a post-show discussion with the cast and artistic staff. This is available for the same price as a regular ticket. For Florence and Mojo, these performances will be held on Saturday, November 5 at 2:00 PM, and Saturday, November 12 at 2:00 PM.
  • Know-the-Show pre-show talks are offered free of cost with the purchase of a performance ticket. Prior to the Thursday, November 3rd performance, at 7:00 PM, there will be a pre-show discussion. The performance that night follows at 8:00 PM.
  • Closed-Caption performances andAudio-Described performances. The captioned performance will be on Thursday, November 3rd at 8:00 PM. The Audio-Described performance will be on Thursday, November 10th at 8:00 PM. For more information, please contact the Box Office.
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‘Certain Aspects of Conflict in the Negro Family’ Focuses on NJ History of 1967

Posted on October 20, 2022 by Karen Nowosad
Premiere Stages presents this new play at Liberty Hall Museum

Certain Aspects of Conflict in the Negro Family Premieres

Premiere Stages at Kean University presents a new play, Certain Aspects of Conflict in the Negro Family, by TyLie Shider. Mr. Shider is the recipient of the 2021/22 Liberty Live Commission. The Commission is awarded biennially, in partnership with Kean University’s Liberty Hall. It seeks to develop and produce new plays that celebrate New Jersey’s rich and diverse history. 

Directed by Othell J. Miller, Certain Aspects of Conflict in the Negro Family focuses on a family living in Plainfield, New Jersey. They are long time residents who moved to Plainfield in search of a better life than they were living in the south. In some ways, their dreams were realized but in other ways, they have not been met. Their conflicts rise to the surface during the “Long Hot Summer of 1967” when riots broke out in neighboring Newark and eventually to Plainfield.

The play skillfully examines the days before the violence breaks out and as it begins. We never see any of rioting or burning. Instead, the set which is the back porch of the family home, remains on stage during the entire show. However, we feel the tension through the dialog and reactions of this family who proudly own their home in Plainfield.

Background

In a recent interview with BroadwayWorld.com, playwright TyLie Shider discusses his background. This background is reflected in different formats in the play.

Mr. Shider was born and raised in Plainfield and is part of a family with a long history in the city. His maternal grandparents migrated there in the 60s and his paternal grandparents have roots there as far back as the early 20th century. His parents met and grew up together because their fathers sang together in a gospel band.

The interview discloses an important aspect of this play: Mr. Shider says, “there was very little coverage of what happened in Plainfield, because the focus was on Newark, because it’s the larger city.” After the riots ravaged Newark, there was concern for Plainfield because of its close physical proximity. There are mentions of this concern throughout the play which adds to the tension level.

Generational Differences and Family Matters

Four characters make up the cast for Certain Conflicts in the Negro Family. Clif (Eddie Blackman Gouveia) and Peach (Diane L. Parker) were previously married and but now are living in separate homes. They are parents to Junior (Kena Anae) who lives in the house with his mother. Ruth (Nicole Prothro) is a close friend of the family. Her father is a clergyman and she is involved in a relationship with Junior.

The play opens with Peach sitting inside the house at the window to the back porch. This is her spot for most of the play until the last scene. Early dialog gives potential indications of memory loss but that does not hold up at the end of the play either. Clif stops by frequently to look in on her. They appear to have a civil relationship despite the fact that Clif had another wife and son which is a source of discontent for Junior. Junior has a music studio in the house and he hopes to produce music that will sell well.

Kena Anae as Junior and Eddie Gouveia Blackman as Clif in Premiere Stages’ Certain Aspects of Conflict in the Negro Family. Photo by Mike Peters.

The Clif/Junior relationship is one of the earliest signs of generational conflict. Father continually criticizes Junior and his music. The fact that Junior quit a job at a record store because they would not put his record on their shelves is a major source of conflict between the two and a major issue for Clif.

Discussions about what happened in Newark bring different arguments out. Clif says nothing is accomplished by burning down stating “We have to live here.” However, when he goes to town to get coffee and a breakfast sandwich, he is met head on with the reality facing Plainfield when he gets frisked by the police.

Another generational difference is seen when Peach and Rose discuss the Afro hairdo that Rose wears. Peach says she doesn’t think she would ever wear one. But watch to see what happens in the play to that declaration. Rose writes a song and Junior does the music for it. He thinks they have a hit. Rose is as dedicated to her dream as Junior is.

A Turning Point

As we learn that downtown is on fire, Junior sees the need to put that fire into a record. But it is too much for Clif as decides to leave Plainfield and return to Stateboro. He wants Peach to come with him. After all that went on between them, she decides “It’s too late.”

At this point, the play moves to its conclusion. There are some surprises and signs of hope as well. Watch to see the strength that has come to Peach and see how Rose sets out on an amazing life path.

Final Thoughts

Congratulations to TyLie Shider for providing a play which gives us a look at a piece of history that has not had much attention. I grew up several towns away from Plainfield and it was one of the go to places for my family. We never really understood all that happened there. But this play gives some good insight into some of the factors at work.

A visit to the theater can create a memorable moment. These memorable moments can be ones that provide insight and learning especially when it comes to historic events. Certain Conflicts in the Negro Family is one of those memorable moments. It is well worth seeing.

The play is presented in the Tent on the grounds of the Liberty Hall Museum. It is well designed and the seating is comfortable. The outstanding Premiere Stages group has worked out heating arrangements so you should be comfortable as well.

Go and learn more about the rich history of New Jersey by seeing this play.

To Attend Certain Conflicts in the Negro Family

Certain Aspects of Conflict in the Negro Family runs October 13-October 23 under the Tent at Kean University’s Liberty Hall Museum. Performances take place Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 pm, Saturdays at 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm, and Sundays at 3:00 pm. 

To obtain tickets, visit Premiere Stages website, https://premierestagesatkean.com.

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