“Enchanted April” Delightful at Shakespeare Theatre of NJ

Posted on June 17, 2022 by Karen Nowosad
A scene from Enchanted April, now playing at Shakespeare Theatre of NJ – shown here (l. to r.) Carey Van Driest, Monette Magrath, and Samantha Bruce – Photo by Daniel Radar

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey celebrated a very special season opening on Saturday, June 11 with Matthew Barber’s play Enchanted April. It was the first time in two years they have opened a new season. It is also significant because the Madison based theater group also celebrates their 60th Year Anniversary this season.

Artistic Director Bonnie Monte received a large round of applause and cheers as she opened the evening. She said that mounting this show was the most difficult one she has ever done. However, she added the following in her Director’s Notes in the program: “It’s almost as though the play was waiting to be produced at the exact, perfect moments in time in which it could shine most brilliantly, and have the most profound effect.” Ms. Monte also directs this production which is adapted from the novel by Elizabeth Von Arnim.

The challenges that Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey has overcome the past few years have been enormous. But the results on stage are something every theater lover will be able to embrace and enjoy. Enchanted April is a special gift to theater goers. It has a story that emotionally ties an era of history to our current time. This is done through the superb acting of a well directed cast and a heartwarming tale that unfolds with lots of moments of laughter.

Setting Background

Set in 1922, Enchanted April takes place in England and Italy.

The time of the setting is important because 1922 was several years after the end of World War I. Additionally, there is a tie-in to our current time because like the past few years with CoVid, the Flu Epidemic of 1918 took a toll. There are mentions in the play of men who did not return from the War and how many widows are around. But a child’s death is also mentioned. So the characters represent people who are struggling with both. They are tying to look for new ways to go in their lives and that comes through brilliantly in Enchanted April.

Setting Place: England

Act 1 is set in England where it appears to be raining constantly. Dark colors prevail on the sets as they appear to reflect the feelings of the players. Lotty Wilton needs a break from the continuous rain and more. She has a husband but one who is not very exciting so her life is in need of a boost. Played by Monette Magrath, Lotty is a most spirited woman. Determined to do something about the dreariness in her life, Lotty comes across an advertisement in the newspaper for a rental of a castle in Italy.

Coincidentally, Lotty notices another woman, Rose Arnott, reading the same advertisement. Although the two have seen each other at their Women’s Club, they are not yet friends. Rose’s husband, a writer, goes out often but without Rose. Their marriage has not been a happy one for over four years. Carey Von Driest plays Rose as a woman who has suffered a profound personal loss in her life. It is a very difficult one to overcome. Her struggles feel very real.

When Lotty and Rose decide to take the rental, they want to include two more women to split the expenses. Their two companions are Caroline Bramble and Mrs. Graves. Samantha Bruce plays the beautiful but somewhat secretive Caroline and Elizabeth Shepherd plays the outspoken Mrs. Graves, a widow.

After Lotty and Rose clear their plans as with their somewhat surprised husbands, they are off to Italy for a month of relaxation, good weather, and a new outlook on life.

Setting Place: Italy

The second act begins as the women arrive in Italy at the scenic castle. The grounds hold many beautiful flowers including Wisteria which appears to be a crowd favorite. The plumbing is old containing the makings of a very comical scene later in this act.

Anthony Wilding owns the estate and he stops by to check in on his guests. Aaron McDaniel plays his part graciously as he feels a connection to Rose. After he learns she is not a widow, he changes his scope with fine results.

Anthony is like a son to Costanza who cooks and keeps the place running in his absence. Celeste Ciulla gives a wonderfully humous portrayal of the character who provides many moments of laughter. Lotty invites her husband, Mellersh Wilton, to come for a visit. Greg Jackson comes through with one of the funniest scenes in the show dealing with that aging plumbing mentioned earlier. Anthony Marble plays Frederick Arnott whose character displays one of the most dramatic changes for the better of all.

The time this group spends in Italy results in many personal situations being resolved and reset for a new phase of life. The ability to refocus one’s life is something that can occur and this play gives rise to that notion.

Is it enchantment that guides these changes like the title implies? Who knows? But one thing is for sure: you are guaranteed to have a most enjoyable experience seeing this play.

Tickets for Enchanted April

The Theatre offers various cost-saving opportunities, including $15 student rush tickets, which are available 30 minutes prior to each performance, with a valid student ID, and a limited number of Pay What You Can tickets for every performance on a first-come, first-serve basis.

STNJ also has a $30 Under 30 ticket option, which 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 Thirteen, and AAA members. For tickets, patrons can call the Box Office at 973-408-5600 or visit ShakespeareNJ.org.

Special Performances for Enchanted April

The Symposium Series performances offer a post-show discussion with the cast and artistic staff. For Enchanted April, Symposium performances will be on Tuesday, June 14 at 7:30 PM, Saturday, June 18 at 2:00 PM, and Saturday, June 25 at 2:00 PM. This series is a part of the regular ticket price. 

The Know-the-Show pre-show talks are offered free of cost with the purchase of a performance ticket. Prior to the Thursday, June 16th performance, at 7:00 PM, an STNJ artist will conduct a pre-show talk and Q&A for interested patrons. The performance that night follows at 8:00 PM.

Closed-Caption performance for Enchanted April will be on Thursday, June 16th at 8:00 PM. The Audio-Described performance will be on Thursday, June 23 at 8:00 PM. For more information, please contact the Box Office.

Posted in New Jersey Theater, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

‘A Walk on the Moon’ in the Summer of 1969

Posted on May 13, 2022 by Karen Nowosad
Assembled by K. Nowosad

There continues to be new joys each week as live theater comes back. Such is the situation at New Brunswick’s George Street Playhouse where a wonderful new show is now playing through May 21, 2022. A Walk on the Moon is a musical based on the 1999 movie of the same name. The story takes you back to the summer of 1969 when two significant events occurred as America’s involvement in the Vietnam War was still taking place.

One of the events was the first moon landing. The second was the Woodstock music festival. Could things ever be the same after these events took place? That’s what the delightful story of A Walk on the Moon asks. This musical has acting from a first rate cast, unique and interesting staging, and some very fine music to help tell the story.

A Summer Tradition for the Kantrowitz Family

Written by Pamela Gray, who also wrote the book for the movie as well as some additional lyrics for this show, A Walk on the Moon tells the story of Pearl and Marty Kantrowitz and their family. Sheryl Kaller provides outstanding direction as the story of Jewish families who come up every year to a bungalow resort unfolds.

(L to R) Dan Rosales; Stephanie Lynne Mason; David R. Gordon; Blair Goldberg; Jill Abramovitz; Cody Braverman; Jonah Platt; Jackie Burns; Megan Kane; & Jonathon Timpanelli in A Walk on the Moon.
Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

Most years, everything is the same as usual. But this year, there is anticipation in the air as everyone is eagerly waiting for the Moon Walk to take place. There is a sense that it will change everything. And in some ways, it does.

Routines are pretty well set in stone for these vacationers. The women and children stay up at their camp for the entire week to enjoy summer in the mountains The husbands leave on Sunday night to go back to their jobs. On Friday night, they drive up to rejoin the family for the weekend. In the meantime, the women take care of their children and enjoy each others’ company particularly engaging in Mah-Jong games.

(L to R) Stephanie Lynne Mason; Blair Goldberg; Megan Kane; & Jackie Burns in A Walk on the Moon. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

It seems like a pretty well established life and everyone seems pretty content except for Pearl. She is restless as she tries to resolve the feelings she has about marrying so young and having her first child at 17.

Although she loves her children – Alison, played by Carley Gendell, and Danny, played by Cody Braverman, – she feels she could have done more with her life.

Jackie Burns plays Pearl and she does a superb job with the role. She sings several solo songs so beautifully that these songs are absolute show stoppers. Jonah Platt plays her husband, Marty, with a sensitivity needed to make the character believable especially at the end. Like Pearl, he gave up his dreams of going to college when she became pregnant with Alison. His life as a television repair man is not what he dreamed of but he is not discontent like Pearl. His love for Pearl shines though.

The New Blouse Man Enters the Campgrounds

At various times, vendors arrive at the campgrounds. Announcements over the loud speaker like “the Knish man is now here” alert everyone to their arrivals. One of the vendors over the years was a “Blouse Man.” He was an older gentleman who brings tops, sunglasses, and little pieces of jewelry for sale. However, when the mobile store arrives in the summer of 1969, a much younger, good looking, long haired man now owns it.

The Blouse Man, whose real name is Walker Jerome, has a nice way with the ladies. They are impressed. He takes a fancy to Pearl and as shown in the photo below, he encourages her to take a tie dyed shirt. He gifts it to her but she doesn’t feel it is her style. She does take it and eventually wears it and that starts a special relationship between the two.

John Arthur Green plays the Blouse Man and he is great fit for the part. He gives a good portrayal of a hippy but he is also a man who knows how to work a business and is working to move out to the West Coast. His character brings Pearl out of her shell and start to experience life.

. (L to R) John Arthur Greene and Jackie Burns in A WALK ON THE MOON. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

As Pearl is starting to enjoy a new man in her life, her daughter Alison meets Ross Epstein, played by Wesley Zurich, who plays the guitar. The two enjoy spending time together and Pearl cautions her to be careful but also realizes she is growing up. Their scenes together are filled with energy and enthusiasm for the life coming their way.

The Evening of the Moon Walk

There is great excitement the evening of the scheduled Moon Walk. Families come together in a large room with a television set to view the event. Unfortunately, Marty’s work as a television repair man has hit a fevered pitch so he is unable to come up to join in the fun. With Marty not there, Pearl meets up with the Blouse Man, Walker. The scene for this event is beautifully done with projected visuals of the video seen by the world on the upper part of the stage. But the setting also produces a romantic feeling as other projections allow the audience to get a sense and feel of the romance blossoming between Pearl and Walker.

6. (L to R) John Arthur Greene & Jackie Burns in A Walk on the Moon. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

Eventually, Pearl’s mother-in-law, Lillian, played by the marvelous Jill Abromovitz, confronts her as she realizes what is going on. It is not enough to stop Pearl’s romance. So when Walker suggests going to the Woodstock festival, Pearl goes along. The Woodstock scene is also very impressively presented. However, a warning for anyone who has problems with strobe lights as they are present in this scene. There is also a slight bit of nudity as Pearly revels in her new found freedom. Unbeknownst to her, Alison and Ross are also at the Festival and Alison is horrified when she sees what her mother is doing.

Woodstock Marks the Turning Point

A Walk on the Moon requires its characters to make decisions about where to head in their lives. All of that starts to unfold after the visit to Woodstock. It is a challenging time filled with possibilities which for some were not there before. Each person makes a decision and you will need to see for yourself how it all ends up.

The show’s choreography comes from Josh Prince. Music and lyrics are by Paul Scott Goodman and AnnMarie Mizlazzo and musical supervision is by Andy Einhorn.

A Walk on the Moon is a Good Show to See

This is a fun show to see. For those who were around in 1969, you will have a chance to reflect back on that crazy summer from long ago. All of the production aims to do that for you. And if you were not alive yet, you have a chance to see what at least one part of the world was doing then.

For more information about the show especially about buying tickets, go to the George Street Playhouse website especially on this page. Good chance this show will transfer over to Broadway at some point so see it now!

Posted in New Jersey Theater | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘Colorblind’ Examines Racial Perception vs. Reality

Posted on May 9, 2022 by Karen Nowosad
Dana Harris and Wallace Demarria in ‘Colorblind’ now playing at the Actors Temple Theater Photo Credit: Kamal X

In a perfect world. the color of a person’s skin would not matter. All people despite race, creed, or religion should have equal rights and equal access to opportunities. That’s the law. But what about a person’s individual perceptions about color? The play Colorblind addresses this very issue. Playing Off-Broadway at the Actor’s Temple Theater, Colorblind uses a well developed story to address the issue of perception as it delves into a study of long-standing racial inequality in America. A strong cast turns in very fine performances as the story unfolds making this a show to be seen. There are questions that get answered but others that arise from what occurs in the play.

Colorblind comes from the New York based theater company Outside Studios. The show had a world premiere at The Meta Theater in Los Angeles in 2013. The four-week engagement extended to eight weeks due to the run’s sold-out performances. The successful run at The Meta Theater was followed by another successful eight-week run at the Santa Monica Playhouse  Currently, performances are in New York City at the Actors Temple Theater.

Strong Characters are Featured in the Story

Colorblind was written by NAACP Award-Winning Playwright Wallace Demarria who also plays the lead role and co-directs with Amanda Niqole. Demarria spent three and half years developing and writing the script. According to notes in the program handout, “He felt it was imperative to give each and every character a voice without demoralizing or victimizing anyone.” This comes through very well as the story unfolds because strong characters drive the story. The development of each of them is presented in a manner that moves at a quick pace thus enabling more understanding of what is at stake.

The story told in Colorblind centers on the concepts of a group named in the show as the Minority Empowerment Movement (MEM) and its very charismatic but controversial spiritual leader Clinton Muhammad. Wallace Demarria plays the outspoken advocate against “the oppression and discrimination” of minorities. He has his devoted followers who deem him a source of power for all. Mr. Demarria gives an outstanding performance throughout the entire play. His ability to shift from a source of strength to a man who shows internal fears is a tribute to the range of versatility he displays.

A staff member, Janet Smith, works in the MEM offices. Smith, who is played by Dana Harris, takes care of public relations issues as well as keeping the office running smoothly and calming Clinton at times. Because of all she does, Clinton says, “Black women are the closest thing to God we have on this planet.” Although he admires Janet, he is not able to return the affection that she has for him and this is disappointing to her. Ms. Harris’ performance is crucial to the play and she delivers a very memorable performance. In fact, one of the scenes towards the end of the show where she tearfully tells Clinton that she “cannot be #2” is one of the most moving scenes in the show.

Wallace Demarria and Dana Harris in ‘Colorblind’ Photo Credit: Kamal X

Violence Rears its Ugly Head

Appearances on television, at rallies, and press releases all keep Clinton teaching love of self. When asked if he loves America, he replies that he does love it so he doesn’t turn his head away from issues that indicate cries for help.

This notoriety brings a high price. There is discontent brewing with some of the MEM members. A plot hatches to remove Clinton which is done with an explosion to a car and his injuries are severe. He is transported to a facility but the location and name of the place is kept hidden from everyone. His followers continue to question why, especially Janet Smith who holds out hope for months that he is still alive.

At the health care facility, Clinton receives treatment from Dr. Yolanda Evans who is white. Jessica Catalano plays Dr. Evans who shows a very humanistic side of a physician as she allows herself to really get to know her patient. Clinton does not realize she is white because his sight was damaged in the explosion. As they get to know each other, his perception is that she is black because of the neighborhood where she grew up. But he eventually learns the reality.

Jessica Catalano and Wallace Demarria in “Colorblind” – Photo Credit: Kamal X

The two fall in love which leads to the major questions of this show: Can someone who holds such strong beliefs about his own race ever truly love and plan a life with someone who is a different race? How acceptable is the situation to people who are looking on?

The rest of this fine cast includes Joseph Salvatore Knipper, Greg Warren, Hank Dennis, Valence Thomas, and Jeremy Rosenblum. 

What are the Answers to These Questions?

Are there answers to these questions in this show? You need to see Colorblind and decide for yourself.

The play runs approximately 2 hours with one 15 minute intermission.

Learn more about the show and how to get tickets at the Actors Temple Theater website.

Posted in Off-Broadway, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment