Cent. Stage Co. Launches Season with DRACULA

Centenary Stage Company launches the 2018-19 professional theatre season October 12- October 28 in the Lackland Performing Arts Center with Charles Morey's potent and theatrical adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic horror novel, Dracula. Before Twilight and True Blood, only one vampire commanded "the children of the night." In this blood-thirsty tale of unholy terror, Count Dracula slips into Victorian London with a cargo of his native Transylvanian soil - so he can rest between victims. The city seems helpless against his frightful power, and only one man, Dr. Van Helsing, can stop the carnage. But to do this, he must uncover the vampire's lair and pierce his heart with a wooden stake.

Featuring a cast of professional actors from across the tri-state area, Dracula will be directed by Charles Morey. Morey is a director, playwright and former artistic director with more than forty-five years' experience in the professional theatre and extensive credits from coast to coast.

As artistic director from 1984 to 2012 he led the Pioneer Theatre Company in conceptualizing and implementing a new mission that fully professionalized the theatre. He refocused the mission on the classics, the great plays of the contemporary theatre and produced fourteen world premieres. During his tenure as Artistic Director of the Pioneer Theatre Company he directed more than ninety productions including world premieres of Find and Sign by Wendy MacLeod, Bess Wohl's Touch(ed) and In as well as first regional theatre productions of Les Miserablés, The Producers, and The Vertical Hour. While serving as Artistic Director of the Peterborough Players from 1977 to 1988, he more than tripled the size of the Equity Company and production staff, increased the budget five-fold and more than doubled seasonal attendance. He inaugurated a highly successful New Plays Program which ultimately sent one play to Broadway and five to Off-Broadway production.

During this time, he also directed some thirty-five productions including significant world premieres by Percy Granger (Eminent Domain and Unheard Songs) and Poet Laureate of the United States Donald Hall's Ragged Mountain Elegies. Regionally he has directed for the Contemporary American Theatre Festival (the world premiere of Bess Wohl's Barcelona), Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Geva Theatre Center, Asolo Theatre Company, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, MeadowBrook Theatre, the American Stage Festival, PCPA Theatrefest, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Florida Repertory Theatre and the Hilberry Rep. As a playwright, Morey has written over 20 plays, 11 of which were produced, including Bram Stokers Dracula.

Performances for Dracula run October 12- October 28. Specific performance dates are Fridays Oct. 12, 19, and 26 at 8PM; Saturdays Oct. 13, 20, and 27 at 8PM; Sundays Oct. 14, 21, and 28 at 2PM; Wednesdays Oct. 17 and 24 at 2PM and Thursdays Oct. 18 and 25 at 7:30PM. All performances will be held in the Sitnik Theatre of the Lackland Performing Arts Center. Centenary Stage Company's production of Dracula is sponsored by season sponsor Heath Village and series sponsor The House of the Good Shepherd.

Adult ticket prices for Dracula are $25.00 matinee performances, $27.50 Friday evening performances, and $29.50 Saturday evening performances. Tickets for children under 12 are $17.50 matinee and Friday evening performances and $20.00 Saturday evening. Thursday evening performances are $27.50 for all seats with a Buy One/Get One rush ticket special. BOGO ticket special is only valid in person at the Centenary Stage Company box office beginning at 5:30PM. BOGO is not valid for advance ticket sales and may not be combined with any other offer or discount. Centenary Stage Company also offers special Buffet Matinees on Wednesday afternoon performances for groups of 25 or more. Enjoy lunch/brunch in one of our private dining rooms and receive discounted tickets to the performance. To reserve a buffet matinee or to inquire about additional group sales contact the Centenary Stage Company box office directly.

For more information or to purchase tickets visit centenarystageco.org or call the Centenary Stage Company box office at (908) 979-0900. The box office is located in the Lackland Performing Arts Center at 715 Grand Ave. Hackettstown, NJ. The box office is open Monday through Friday from 1-5pm and two hours prior to each performance. Centenary Stage Company can also be found across social media platforms; Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Like and follow to receive the latest in CSC news and special offers.

The 2018-2019 season of performing arts events at the Centenary Stage Company is made possible through the generous support of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the NJ State Council on the Arts, the Shubert Foundation, the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, the Sandra Kupperman Foundation, and CSC corporate sponsors, including Premier Season Sponsor Heath Village Retirement Community, The House of the Good Shepherd, Silver Sponsors Hackettstown Medical Center Atlantic Health, Home Instead Senior Care (Washington), Fulton Bank of New Jersey, and Centenary Stage Company members and supporters.

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