Honoring Jim Barry- A Theater IconAugust 21, 2024Jim Barry, theater icon and Staten Island resident, who was the Head Usher at the St. James for 23 years passed away on August 18, 2024 at the age of 69. Born in Brooklyn, Jim was a lifelong fan of theater.
Review: DISASTER! THE MUSICAL at West Hudson Arts & Theatre CompanyMay 1, 2024Disaster! puts a comedic spin on the beloved classic disaster movie genre, infused with the funky beats of disco! As the curtains rise on the grand opening of New York City's latest sensation, the floating casino known as the Barracuda, an impending earthquake threatens to turn the night upside down.
Interview: Bill Purdy of THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE at Chatham PlayhouseMarch 8, 2024Chatham Playhouse presents The Chatham Community Players will present “The Beauty Queen of Leenane” by Martin McDonagh from March 1 – 16, 2024 at The Chatham Playhouse 23 North Passaic Ave. Chatham. Bill Purdy of Riverdale is making his Chatham Playhouse Main Stage directorial debut.
Interview: Rachel Rubin Ladutke of A CHRISTMAS CAROL at Nutley Little TheatreDecember 4, 2023Nutley Little Theatre presents A Christmas Carol by Michael Paller and directed by Rachel Rubin Ladutke. In Michael Paller's unique adaptation of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, renowned author Charles Dickens is visited by the spirit of himself as a young boy. When The Child demands a story, Dickens is struck with inspiration. He summons his family and friends, who have gathered for Christmas Eve dinner, up to his attic studio and enlists their help in performing the tale that is weaving his way through his brain. And so the story unfolds, with the cast of nine playing more than 40 roles.
Interview: Sharon Garry of GRAND HORIZONS at Chatham PlayhouseNovember 3, 2023Chatham Playhouse presents Grand Horizons by Bess Wohl. Fifty years into their marriage, Bill and Nancy want a divorce. While they seem unfazed by the decision, their two adult sons are shaken to the core, forced to reexamine everything they thought they knew about their parents’ outwardly happy lives. As the family grapples with their new reality, each must reckon with their own imperfect past and how their collective love for each other might express itself in new and unlikely forms.
Interview: L.A. Mars of TICK, TICK... BOOM! at Nutley Little TheatreSeptember 13, 2023“Tick, Tick… BOOM!,” is the musical that paved the way for Rent. The show tells the story of an aspiring composer named Jon, who lives in New York City in 1990. In the moments before his 30th birthday, Jon worries that he has taken the wrong path in life.
Interview: Jessica Phelan of JERSEY VOICES at Chatham PlayhouseJuly 28, 2023The Chatham Community Players (CCP) will host its 29th annual Jersey Voices One-Act Festival with five performances between July 28th and August 6th. This year's production will include seven original short plays written by New Jersey playwrights. I had the Pleasure of interviewing Producer Jessica Phelan.
Interview: Chris Hietikko of HAND TO GOD at Nutley Little TheatreJune 16, 2023Hand to God by Robert Askins is an insane twisted comedy about a foul mouthed possibly demonic sock puppet who upends a family, the idea of “right and wrong”, and a Christian ministry - all while proving just how funny flowing blood can be. This is NOT a children’s puppet show!
Interview: Doug McLaughlin of THE LIFESPAN OF A FACT at Chatham PlayhouseApril 25, 2023Chatham Playhouse presents The Lifespan of a Fact by Jeremy Kareken & David Murrell and Gordon Farrell. The Lifespan of a Fact tells the story of a young and enthusiastic intern at an acclaimed literary magazine who is assigned to fact-check a high profile essay by a celebrated author. Complications ensue as the two battle over 'facts' and 'truth,' and the importance of both. The play is based in part on the book of the same name by Jim Fingal and John D'Agata.
Interview: Sarah Gorden of TIN CAT SHOES at Nutley Little TheatreApril 24, 2023Nutley Little Theatre presents Tin Cat Shoes, written by Trish Harnetiaux and directed by Sarah Gorden. I had the pleasure of interview Sarah. Tin Cat Shoes is a madcap odyssey through a wilderness of corporate bureaucracy and crippling human dependencies. Blessed with the can-do American spirit, a troop of dedicated shoe store employees embark on a journey of personal expansion. But when 'work is your life' and systems breakdown, all that remains is you, a casino, and the truth.