Art House Productions Announces Cocktails Under The Stars Fundraiser

Join Art House Productions and SILVERMAN for Cocktails Under the Stars, a glamorous midsummer party honoring comedian Chris Gethard (Career Suicide, Class Action Park) with the NJ Performer Award, Maria L. Nieves with the Arts Advocate Award (Hudson County Chamber of Commerce), and the 2020 Art House Staff (Miranda Dahl, Courtney Little, Andrea Mckenna and Alex Tobey) with the Producer Award. With breathtaking, panoramic views of Jersey City's skyline, Cocktails Under the Stars will be held on Thursday, August 5 from 6:00-9:30 pm on the Charles and Co. Rooftop Terrace.

Cocktails Under the Stars will feature cocktails, wine & beer, hors d'oeuvres, a 50/50 raffle, and special performances from the NJCU Junior Board. The event is sponsored by SILVERMAN, Hudson County Chamber of Commerce, Genova Burns, Leemark Electric, The Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders, and PSE&G, with Food and Beverage Sponsorship from Ben & Jerry's, Eema's Cuisine, Ed&Mary's, Sweet Cream Factory, Ketel One Vodka, Corgi Spirits, and New Jersey Beer Co.

Charles and Co. is located at 201 Montgomery Street, Jersey City, NJ, near the Grove Street PATH Station. Charles and Co. is wheelchair accessible, with elevator access up to the rooftop. Per CDC guidelines, masks and social distancing are requested for those who have not been vaccinated. For additional accessibility requests and inquiries, please contact info@arthouseproductions.org.

Tickets are $75 online and $90 at the door. Tickets may be purchased at www.arthouseproductions.org. The Art House staff is working remotely at this time. If you prefer to purchase tickets over the phone, please email info@arthouseproductions.org and we will set up a convenient time to call you for the transaction.

"I am so excited to chair this year's Cocktail Under the Stars fundraiser! We missed you last year and welcome you back with an evening of entertainment, honorees, food, drinks and dance," says Board Member Michelle Lewis-Bellamy. "Art House maintained its level of excellence in the arts throughout the trying times of the pandemic through an exhilarating virtual schedule. If you are just learning about Art House, this event will give you a great overview of what Art House is all about. We look forward to sharing this extraordinary evening with all of you!"

"We're thrilled to welcome Art House patrons back to in-person events with Cocktails Under the Stars, our annual summer fundraiser that skipped a year in 2020. We're honoring the people that helped pull Art House through by making us laugh, producing virtual programs, and advocating for the importance of nonprofits in Hudson County. Art House has a bright future ahead; funds raised from this event will support Art Fair 14C in November and the opening of our new, multi-disciplinary arts space at the end of 2021/early 2022," says Executive Director Meredith Burns.

Chris Gethard is a comedian, actor and author. He's the host of the Beautiful/ Anonymous podcast, which was recently adapted into a 4-part series streaming on Topic, the former host of The Chris Gethard Show, and wrote and starred in the HBO special Career Suicide. He also hosts the podcast New Jersey Is The World, a celebration of his home state. In June 2021, Comedy Dynamics released Chris' new comedy special, Chris Gethard: Half My Life, which is a hybrid tour documentary and stand-up special shot in a variety of DIY spaces and independent venues all over the country in 2019. Chris has been seen on television shows such as Space Force, The Office, Broad City, Parks and Recreation, and Inside Amy Schumer. He's also been seen in films such as The Other Guys, The Heat, Ghostbusters, Anchorman 2, and was one of the stars of Mike Birbiglia's Don't Think Twice. Chris can most recently be seen in the HBO Max documentary Class Action Park. Chris is also the author of the books Weird NY, A Bad Idea I'm About to Do, and Lose Well, and and the founder of Planet Scum, an online comedy venue for the country's best underground comedians.

Maria L. Nieves is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce serving more than 625 members that do business in the 12 municipalities which comprise Hudson County. Prior to joining the Chamber, Ms. Nieves was the Director of Public Affairs for Fidelity Investments in New York and New Jersey. Ms. Nieves began her career as an educator at the Wadleigh Arts Middle School, an alternative, public school located in Harlem in New York City. Ms. Nieves earned her undergraduate degree in history from Columbia College, Columbia University; a master of arts in education from Teachers College, Columbia University; and a master of business administration from New York University's Stern School of Business. She is a 2010 graduate of Lead New Jersey and a 2016 graduate of the Institute for Organization Management, the professional development program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation for non-profit professionals.

Miranda Dahl, Art House's Theater Manager, graduated in May 2018 from the Pratt Institute with a BFA in printmaking, and a minor in cultural studies. In 2017, she participated in an exchange program in London where she attended Central Saint Martins to study performance design. Dahl trained intensely in contemporary, jazz, ballet, and hip hop dance at Dancefx, a not-for-profit studio in Athens, GA, where she also choreographed for Dancefx Concert Dance Company, the FX Performance companies, and Xtensity. During the summer of 2009, she studied at the American Dance Festival School in Durham, North Carolina, training with choreographers from companies such as Shen Wei Dance Arts and The Forsythe Company.

Courtney Little, Art House's Producing Director, is a producer, casting director, and theatre practitioner based in New Jersey. Before joining Art House in 2019, she worked for Premiere Stages, where she developed and produced new plays, managed education programs, and coordinated professional training opportunities for students. Previously, she worked for Richards/Climan, Inc. and Olympus Theatricals, where she assisted on Broadway productions including Fiddler on the Roof, China Doll, Dames at Sea, and Love Letters. Her freelance producing credits include the virtual Jersey City Art & Studio Tour and Off-Broadway production of Dean Poynor's Together We Are Making A Poem In Honor Of Life. Courtney has worked for New York Stage & Film, McCarter Theatre Center, Barrington Stage Company, and Mousetrap Theatre Projects in London. In 2018, she was honored by the New Jersey Theatre Alliance for excellence in arts education. In 2020, she served on the Jersey City Arts Fund Committee, helping to pass a municipal referendum establishing a local tax to support the arts. She holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Clark University in Worcester, MA.

Andrea McKenna, Art House's Gallery Director, is a visual artist and curator. She graduated from the School of Visual Arts and has been exhibiting work around New York and New Jersey for the last 25 years. A native of Fort Lee, Andrea moved to Jersey City in 1999, bringing her own brand of art and style, and created the bi-annual pop-up boutique event "Once Upon a Market". From March 2014 to September 2017, she co-founded and curated "The Raven Gallery and Boutique" located on Newark Avenue in downtown Jersey City. In 2019, Andrea appeared on the TV Show "Flea Market Flip" and was the winner of that episode's challenge. Andrea owns Videre Decorative Arts, a business specializing in painted finishes for walls, ceilings, and furniture. www.anderamckenna.com

Alex Tobey, Art House's INKubator Director, is a Brooklyn-based stage director obsessed with music, magic, and mystery. He has directed or developed plays at The Tank, The Brick, The Exponential Festival, HERE, Fourth Street Theatre, The Wild Project, JACK, The Drama League, Access Theater, and NYSAF / Powerhouse Theater. Alex is the Resident Director of INKubator at Art House Productions and Line Producer for the Leah Ryan's Fund for Emerging Women Writers. He was raised in North Carolina, loves Krispy Kreme doughnuts and Bojangles cajun filet biscuits, and holds a BFA in Directing from Carnegie Mellon University.

The Art House Board of Trustees includes Joseph Bonifaz, Jeanne Brasile, Brad Fay, Michael Griffiths, Cynthia A. Hadjiyannis, Rachel Handler, Robinson Holloway, Annie Kessler, Michelle Lewis-Bellamy, Kristin Mountford, Sophie Penkrat, Erin Leigh Pierson, Shriti Rath, Mary Snyder, and Alysis Vasquez. The Art House Access Committee includes Krystle Allen, Millie Gonzalez, Rachel Handler, Stephanie Lubalin, John McGinty, and Colleen Roche. The Art House/NJCU Junior Board includes Tammy Brobeck, Tyvera Bryant, Alexis M. Castaneda, Zhnai Davis, Nicholas Geosits, Danette E. Sheppard-Vaughn, and Nelson Solis.

Art House Productions is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to the development and presentation of the performing and visual arts in Jersey City, NJ. Art House Productions presents theater, performing and visual arts festivals, art exhibitions, and provides adult and youth art classes.

Art House Productions is generously supported by The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, SILVERMAN, The Princeton Foundation, The New Jersey Theatre Alliance, The Hudson County Office of Cultural Affairs, and the Alliance of Resident Theatres / New York.

Art House Productions is committed to accessibility and inclusivity in all public programming. Art House Productions produces work with a shrewd sense of social responsibility. For more information about Art House Productions, please visit our website at www.arthouseproductions.org. Follow us on social media @arthouseproductions @arthouseprods. To sign up for Art House's mailing list, please click here: http://eepurl.com/hd1FCj.

To post a comment, you must register and login.