PORTRAIT OF THE WIDOW KINSKI Will Premiere at Vivid Stage

Vivid Stage, formerly Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre, in residence at Oakes Center at 120 Morris Avenue in Summit, will present the world premiere production of Portrait of the Widow Kinski by Sara Jean Accuardi from September 30 through October 10. All audience members will be asked to show proof of vaccination at the box office.

Portrait of the Widow Kinski has received several readings around the country on its way to this production. In the play, a promising artist falls into obscurity. Decades later, his widow works tirelessly to find an audience for his neglected work. Vera Kinski grapples with their complicated past when she finds the opportunity to finally secure her husband's legacy. Now, her pursuit forces her to take a hard look at the past and what was left behind.

Sara Jean Accuardi, 2021 Oregon Literary Fellowship Recipient, is also the author of full-length plays The Delays, BREAK, The Storyteller, < 3, and Love Scenes. Her writing has been produced and developed around the country, including with Theatre Vertigo, Seven Devils Playwrights Conference, Something Marvelous, Victory Gardens, Portland Center Stage, Chicago Dramatists, The Blank Theatre, and Spooky Action Theater. The Delays received the 2019 Drammy Award for Outstanding Original Script, and The Storyteller won the 2020 International Thomas Wolfe Playwriting Competition. Sara Jean holds an MFA in Writing for the Screen and Stage from Northwestern University, and is a member of the Dramatist Guild and LineStorm Playwrights. Her plays are available on The New Play Exchange.

Directed by Clark Carmichael and assistant directed by Daria M. Sullivan (Montclair), the cast includes Vivid Stage ensemble members Noreen Farley (Clinton), and Jason Szamreta (Rahway), and guests Shabazz Green (Hoboken) and Stephanie Windland (New York).

Vivid Stage will require all visitors to show proof of vaccination and a photo ID for all events, and to mask throughout their time in the facility. Proof of vaccination may include a valid paper vaccination record, a photo of a valid vaccination record, the NJ Docket App, or equivalent app from your state. Visitors who are under 12 years old-and therefore ineligible for vaccination-are exempt from the requirement, but must be accompanied by a vaccinated adult and masked throughout the performance.

Portrait of the Widow Kinski will appear at Vivid Stage at 120 Morris Avenue in Summit from September 30 through October 10. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm. Special dates: Thursday, September 30 is a preview performance; all tickets $25. Sunday, October 3 is Senior Sunday; seniors age 65+ pay $25. Talkbacks follow the October 3 and October 10 matinees.

Tickets range from $25 to $39, with special rates for subscribers and groups. For touchless advance ticket purchases, go to our website. For more information, call 908-514-9654. The theatre at Oakes Center is wheelchair accessible. The parking lot is accessible from Ashwood Avenue, behind the theatre. For information on any of Vivid Stage's programs, please call 908-514-9654, www.vividstage.org.

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