All About Eve Festival of the Arts Opens Today in Long Branch

The New Jersey Repertory Company begins its inauguration of their new West End Arts Center today. The celebration includes a week-long presentation of the arts all at their new venue at 132 West End Avenue, Long Branch, New Jersey. The All About Eve Festival of the Arts will feature Theatre Brut with 28 short plays, music, poetry, art and photography.  Here is an overview of the scheduled events.

28 Short plays

Session One – Sunday, October 1 at 2pm:
Blood Sausage by John Biguenet
Breaking in the New Boss by Gino DiIorio
Love is a Train by R.N. Sandberg
The Naming by Constance Marse

Session Two – Sunday, October 1 at 8pm:
Deliver Us by Ian August
Ful Nabit by J. Thalia Cunningham
How My Grandparents Fell in Love by Cary Gitter
This Year’s Model by Donna Hoke

Session Three – Friday, October 6 at 8pm:
After You by Lee Blessing
Australia’s Oldest Woman by Kieran Carroll
Eve in the Hot Seat by Brian Richard Mori
Stepping Into Fire (musical) by Jonathan Brielle and Tom Coash

Session Four – Saturday, October 7 at 2pm:
Her Place in the World by D.W. Gregory
Something About Eve by Lynne Halliday
The Conversation by Wendie Malick
The Outside Edge of a Full Circle by Matthew Harrington

Session Five – Saturday, October 7 at 8pm:
Barroom Sonata by Jack Canfora
(miss) Mary Edwards by Elaine Smith
New York City Girls will Kill You by Graham Techler
Snake Eggs by Lauren Waters

Session Six – Sunday, October 8 at 2pm:
Cubs Win! by Marisa Smith
Eviction by Nancy Cooper Frank
Pittsburgh by Michael Tucker
The Late Shift by Willow Martin

Session Seven – Sunday, October 8 at 8pm:
A Few Good PB&J’s by Jeremy Kehoe
Exhibit A by L.H. Grant
Mountaineer by Ken Weitzman
Performance Review by Nedra Pezold Roberts

Tickets for each session are $50.

Art and Photography

An Art and Photography Reception will be held on Wednesday, October 4, 6pm – 9pm. Artists represented include: Jimmy Leslie, Amy Faris, Mary Phillips, Kate Wilts, Lizzi Shippert, Sven Widen, Janelle Wilson, Mare Akana, Lori Lee Sperling, Suzanne Osterweil Weber, and Nicole Hymowitz.

Photographer Andrea Phox will exhibit her work Shine:100, featuring 100 extraordinary women who have made a difference in Long Branch.

This event is free.

Live Music

A Live Music Night is on Thursday, October 5 at 8pm. Performing for Music Night is Jackson Pines, Homeless Apians, Bone and Marrow,  and Accidental Seabirds.

Tickets to Music Night are $15.

Live Music will also be presented after each Theatre Brut Session. Performers include Bobby Jackson, Bethe Burns & The Legends Trio , Gary Mayer, Matt & Cody, and Jazz Arts.

Poetry

Poetry Night will be Tuesday, October 3 at 7pm.

Poets include: Sharon Baller, David Briggs, Eloise Bruce, Joe Bisicchia, Gregg G. Brown, Warren Cooper, Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta, Emanuel di Pasquale, Juditha Dowd, Frank Finale, Ellen Foos, Lois Marie Harrod, Penny Harter, Flora Higgins, Evelyn Hampton, Lainey Johnson, Victoria Kaloss, Charles H. Johnson, Lois LaPointe Kiely, Lynn Levin, Joanne Leva, Mihaela Moscaliuc, Judy Michaels, Bernadette McBride, Linda Muhlhausen, Susan Martin, Louis Nappen, Sharon Olson, Sue Sherrill, Hillary Ann Smith, Jennifer Stahl, Mathew Spano, Maxine Susman, Bob Rosenbloom, Karen Topham, Frank Valentino, Rosemary Wright, Carol Wich.

Tickets to Poetry Night are $15.

Additional Information

Refreshments will be available on site.

In addition to individual tickets as shown above, there is an All-Inclusive Festival Pass for all 7 sessions of Theatre Brut, Music Night, Poetry Night, Art and Photography for $300.

All these events will take place at West End Arts Center, 132 West End Avenue, Long Branch, NJ

For tickets and/or further information call 732-229-3166 or visit the website: njrep@njrep.org

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‘What the Butler Saw’ is a Farce that Rocks the Stage

‘What the Butler Saw’ by Joe Orton. The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey 2017. Directed by Paul Mullins. Pictured (left to right): Peter Simon Hilton as Dr. Prentice, Allison Layman as Geraldine Barclay and John Hutton as Dr. Rance. Photo credit: Jerry Dalia.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey continues its current season with the play What the Butler Saw by Joe Orton. This work was first performed in 1969 but this production marks the first time an Orton play is presented on the Madison Main Stage. What the Butler Saw is an uproarious farce. It shocked audiences when it was first produced. Reactions to the play might differ today.

If you look at synonyms for the word farce, one that pops up immediately is circus. In many ways, that is what takes place onstage but in a funny way. The laughs come quickly and often. But beware, because underneath that humor was an anger from the playwright waiting to be told. Directed by Paul Mullins, What the Butler Saw takes place in a mental hospital somewhere in Great Britain. The setting provides ample room for the play to demonstrate how insane aspects of life can be. If one looks at this play from a symbolic viewpoint, reasons for supposed insanity have sound basis. Or they are not insane at all!

The basic storyline revolves around Doctor Prentice who is hiring a new secretary. He interviews Geraldine Barclay in a most unconventional manner instructing her to remove her clothing and lie down on a stretcher for examination. She is reluctant at first, but eventually goes along with it. However, several points of interference occur including the entrance of Dr. Prentice’s wife and a government inspector named Doctor Rance. Rather than facing either of their criticisms for his unconventional interviewing technique, Dr. Prentice begins an elaborate series of actions designed to hide the naked woman.

Playing in the background are several subplots. One involves Mrs. Prentice and a young man she has bedded down with.  Also, Dr. Rance is trying to get a book published and he keeps seeing aspects of all that goes on as materials he can use. The correlation between Dr. Rance and thoughts about the role of government in England at the time the play was written can be seen. Is there a connection to today? That is determined by each audience member.

The comedic timing and the delivery of the lines by the actors is absolutely superb. Their ability to create and participate in the outrageous behavior taking place on stage makes this show hilarious.  The actions are a bit far fetched at times but they work because of the smooth coordination of the actors. The cast includes Peter Simon Hilton as Doctor Prentice, Allison Layman plays Geraldine Barclay, Vanessa Morosco as Mrs. Prentice, Robbie Simpson plays Nicholas Beckett. Also cast are John Hutton as Doctor Rance and Jeffrey M. Bender plays Sergeant Match.

A word of caution: The show contains some nudity. It also indulges in sensitive topics such as rape and incest.

About the Show

What the Butler Saw plays through October 1, 2017.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is at The F. M Kirby Theatre on the campus of Drew University, 36 Madison Avenue at Lancaster Road, Madison New Jersey.

Information and sales of tickets are available either at the Box Office or through The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey’s website.

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Cast of ‘Come From Away’ Honors with a Day of Service

Photo by KM Nowosad of Let’s Go to the Theater

The Broadway show Come from Away made a tremendous impact on me when I saw it back in March. The show is about the way the people who were on planes that day were rerouted to Newfoundland. Once there, they were cared for by the residents of Gander. It is a loving portrayal of how people care for each other during difficult times.

Today, on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the cast will join others in a Day of Service. They will perform a song from the show, “Prayer,” on the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum.  Then they will work with others to assemble 500,000 meals to be distributed to individuals in need in the NYC area as well as provide supplies to those affected by Hurricane Harvey in the Houston and surrounding areas.

Thank you to the cast of Come from Away for your service.

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