East Lynne Theater Company's 2013 Season Begins in June

The award-winning Equity professional East Lynne Theater Company has exciting shows lined up for its thirty-third season. It includes the usual world premiere ("The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"), a New Jersey premiere ("Lost on the Natchez Trace"), a comedy by a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright ("The Late Christopher Bean"), an American detective joins Holmes in our popular radio-style productions ("Holmes and Carter Mysteries") and our enchanting storytelling holiday show ("Christmas with Harte and O. Henry.") Special events include our standing-room-only Student Workshop Production and A Sunday Film Series that includes incredible silent features with live organ accompaniment. Our performance venue is the historic First Presbyterian Church of Cape May, located at the corner of Decatur and Hughes, between the beach and the Washington Street Mall.

From June 12 to July 20 at 8:30p.m., it's the New Jersey premiere of "Lost on the Natchez Trace." Slave auctioneer Malcolm Jeters is headed home when he falls from his mule during a violent storm. Injured and starving, he yells for help. The only one who appears is a runaway slave. The question in this compelling new play is who will save whom?

Written by Jan Buttram, co-founder and artistic director of Abingdon Theatre Company in NYC, the play was first produced at Abingdon in 2012. After seeing it, ELTC's artistic director, Gayle Stahlhuth, asked Jan if she would like to make further changes to the script, including adding a third person to the cast, and have another theatrical run, directed by Stahlhuth. Buttram jumped at the opportunity.

Tom Byrn, who was in last season's "It Pays to Advertise" and other ELTC productions, is playing the slave trader. New to ELTC, is Leon Morgan, portraying the runaway slave. Recently, he was in "Gym Shorts" at 777 Theatre in NYC. Stephanie Garrett, one of ELTC's popular storytellers for "Tales of the Victorians," who was in ELTC's "Christmas in Black and White," portrays a woman who inhabits the Natchez Trace.

On Tuesday, July 2 at 8:00p.m., it's ELTC's popular admission-free student production, "An Evening of Fables." After nine rehearsals, students ages 10-15 take to the stage in an entertaining event for all ages. Students interested in being part of the workshop, contact ELTC for applications.

Next up is the world premiere, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" from July 24 - Aug. 31 at 8:30p.m. The townsfolk believe that the headless body of a Hessian soldier astride his horse haunts their isolated village. When Ichabod Crane suddenly disappears, is it the fault of the Headless Horseman, or something else? Washington Irving's supernatural story is adapted by James Rana who so vividly created ELTC's last season's "The Poe Mysteries." Also like "Poe," this production, with its cast of six, under the direction of Gayle Stahlhuth, travels up to Ocean Professional Theatre Company in Barnegat, NJ in late October.

In the role of "Ichabod Crane," is Matt Luceno, who was in ELTC's "It Pays to Advertise." Recently he was in "Chemistry of Love" at La Mama in NYC. Cast members who play many roles include ELTC favorites SuzAnne Dawson ("Dulcy"), Thomas Raniszewski ("Berkeley Square"), and John Cameron Weber ("The Butter and Egg Man"). New to ELTC are Elisa Pupko and Colin Ryan. Elisa was recently in "The Crucible" at The Gallery Players in Brooklyn and is a host for About.Com. Colin is the new artistic director of Actors Shakespeare Company on the campus of New Jersey City University in Jersey City.

Then it's the delightful comedy "The Late Christopher Bean," running from Sept. 18 to Oct. 13 at 8:00p.m., a 1932 Broadway sensation by Pulitzer Prize-winner Sidney Howard. After his death, Christopher Bean isheralded as a great artist, and the art world now wants his work. But did a New England family destroy his paintings, misplace them, or hide them?

"It's a play that has remained fresh and funny, proving once again that a strong script is rarely tarnished by time," wrote Ken Jaworowski in his "New York Times" review of The Actors Company Theater's production in 2009.

The cast is a blend of ELTC favorites and new performers. Actors who've appeared with ELTC before include Ken Glickfeld ("Why Marry?"), Mark Edward Lang ("The Guardsman"), and Maria Silverman ("It Pays to Advertise.") New to ELTC are Jennifer Bissell, recently in "Mame" at Media Theatre in Pennsylvania, Seth James, who performs with the American Globe Theatre in NYC, Francesca Mondelli, who works with WARP Theatre in Seattle, Bradley Mott, a regular performer at Steppenwolf and the Goodman Theatre, and Michelle Tomko who's worked at The Cleveland Playhouse and Actors Theatre of Louisville.

On Nov. 1 and 2 at 8:00p.m., it's "Holmes and Carter Mysteries," ELTC's popular vintage-radio style production, complete with live sound effects and commercials, with two great detectives! "Sherlock Holmes Adventure of the Copper Beeches" about a governess in peril, and "Nick Carter and the Strange Dr. Devolo," in which Manhattan millionaires are missing. While Sherlock Holmes was solving crimes in England, Nick Carter, was busy in Manhattan. Carter first appeared in "The Old Detective's Pupil" published in "The New York Weekly" in 1886 - a year before Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Holmes' first caper, "A Study in Scarlet." Both Holmes and Carter were heroes in popular radio shows.

For the holidays, from Nov. 29 to December 14, with 8:00p.m. and 2:00p.m. curtain times, it's "Christmas with Harte and O. Henry." Based on tales from the Old West written by Bret Harte and O. Henry, they are brought beautifully to life in storytelling fashion by ELTC's artistic director, Gayle Stahlhuth. As in her other holiday shows, she portrays thirty plus characters, quickly moving from one to another with a change in voice and body manner. These unique performances have been noted by patrons and press alike, and have become a holiday tradition for many Cape May visitors and tourists.

Along with the mainstage productions, ELTC is proud to offer its "Sunday Film Series," co-sponsored with The Cape May Film Society. On June 30 at 8:30p.m., to accompany ELTC's mainstage production of "Lost on the Natchez Trace" and commemorate the 150th Anniversary of America's "Emancipation Proclamation," is the 2006 film directed by Michael Apted, "Amazing Grace." It is about William Wilberforce's battle to abolish slavery in England in the late 1700's, with Ioan Gruffudd, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Albert Finney among the cast.

The next two are silent classics with live, original organ music played by Wayne Zimmerman, who has accompanied several silents for ELTC and for many theaters throughout the country. "The Thief of Bagdad" (1924), directed by Raoul Walsh, is on Aug. 4 at 8:30p.m. As the thief, Douglas Fairbanks brings his usual brand of dash and style to the screen, performing his own gymnastic stunts, all to save the princess from the evil prince. The film that began the "haunted house genre," "The Cat and the Canary" (1927), will be shown on Oct. 20 at 8:00p.m. as an early Halloween treat.

This will be the 24th year that ELTC has presented "Tales of the Victorians," where ELTC's actors read classic American stories on porches of B&Bs and in tea rooms, at 4:00p.m. every Thursday, beginning on June 6. In the fall, the day switches to Saturday. Contact ELTC for the different weekly locations.

Performances for the mainstage productions are generally Wednesdays through Saturdays, with a few exceptions: there is no show on July 4, but an added show on Sun. July 7, and no show on Oct. 9, with an added show on Sun. Oct. 13 at 7:30p.m.

Tickets are $30 general admission; $25 senior (age 62 and over); $15 full-time students; and ages 12 and under are free. Season Tickets are only $80 for four shows, and tickets may be used in several ways, including using all at one performance, or seeing four different shows, and must be purchased by July 1.

Partnerships with the following restaurants are excellent for savings: Aleathea's at the Inn of Cape May, 410 Bank Street Restaurant, Frescos: A Seafood Trattoria, and The Washington Inn. Discount tickets are available for those staying at The Henry Sawyer Inn and the Victorian Lace Inn.

For more information and reservations, contact ELTC through www.eastlynnetheater.org, by calling 609-884-5898, or mailing ELTC's office at 121 Fourth Ave., West Cape May, NJ 08204.

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