George Street Playhouse to Participate in Healing Voices: Caregiving Stories

George Street Playhouse announced today it will once again participate in "Healing Voices: Caregiver Stories" a program of the New Jersey Theater Alliance.

New Jersey professional and family caregivers, as well as patients receiving care, were asked to submit creative prose, poetry and theatrical pieces that reflect the theme of caregiving or the personal healing experience. The selected Playwrights then attended workshops to further develop the pieces. George Street Playhouse conducted two virtual writing workshops in May to support the writers' development of their work.

"This is the fifth year of the Healing Voices project, and we are delighted to have George Street Playhouse, McCarter Theatre Center, Premiere Stages, and Two River Theater participating," said John McEwen, Executive Director of the Alliance. "Although we were not able to gather in-person last spring to witness these performances of writing by caregivers, we are thrilled that our theatres have found innovative ways to share their stories. The pandemic has once again revealed how essential caregiving and caring for one another is to the fabric of our society. Whether someone is a professional health-care worker, a caregiver for a spouse or relative with a disability, or a parent caring for a child, these stories show the incredible compassion and strength of people who care for others. The New Jersey Theatre Alliance is privileged to be able to support our member theatres in lifting up these important voices through this program."

"Participating in Healing Voices has been like therapy for me," said Sophia Lucia Parola. Until now, I had never written or really delved into my experience as a caretaker besides venting in my journal. So to join with others who can relate in some capacity, in a creative format, to express and share our stories has been extremely healing and inspiring.

The 2020 Healing Voices project is a partnership between New Jersey Theatre Alliance, George Street Playhouse, McCarter Theatre Center, Premiere Stages, and Two River Theater Company. This performance, as well as Healing Voices projects at McCarter Theatre, Premiere Stages, and Two River Theatre, were originally scheduled as part of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance's Stages Festival last Spring. When the pandemic shut down all live performances, the theatres re-scheduled their events to this year. Two River Theatre will offer a virtual reading later this winter, and McCarter and Premiere Stages will share their readings this Spring.

"George Street Playhouse is grateful to participate in Healing Voices and share the bold, moving work of sixteen writers who provide unique insights into the caregiving experience," said Jim Jack, George Street Playhouse's Director of Education and Community Artistic Programming and co-director of Healing Voices. "Poetry, narrative prose and short plays are woven together to illuminate how families give and receive care. At a time when we all feel so separated from those we love, Healing Voices connect us to those that matter most in our lives. Myself, and co-director Dustin Ballard, are so proud to be a part of this important initiative by the New Jersey Theatre Alliance and our fellow participating theatres partners."

A virtual reading of the writers' work by professional actors will take place via a Zoom webinar on Thursday, December 3, 2020 at 7PM. The event is free to the public, however registration is required.

To register in advance for Healing Voices: Caregiver Stories please use the following Zoom Webinar registration link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_POaMucKZSyKFtxMCkyqCag

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Funding for Healing Voices: Caregivers Stories on Stage was provided by New Jersey Theatre Alliance as part of their Stages Festival, a state-wide celebration of theatre made possible by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts; Bank of America; The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey; OceanFirst Bank; New Jersey Historical Commission; George A. Ohl, Jr. Trust; and Fund for the New Jersey Blind.

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