THE RECEPTIONIST Begins Rehearsals This Week at Centenary Stage Company

Centenary Stage Company is begning rehearsals for their first professional theatre series production of 2025 this week, as the cast meets for The Receptionist by Adam Bock. The cast consists of veterans of the CSC stage and new talent. The production will run from February 21st - March 9th in the Sitnik Theatre. Tickets range from $25.00 - $30.00 for adults depending on the performance, with discounts available for students, Seniors (65+), and Children (12 and under) on select performances. Thursday evening performances will feature BOGO tickets at the box office window beginning at 5:00 PM on the day of that performance. The special preview performance at 2:00 PM on Friday, February 21, will also feature special tickets for Hackettstown Residents available for $10 at the door.

The Receptionist by Adam Bock, focuses on a seemingly ordinary office. Beverly, the cheerful and efficient receptionist, keeps things running smoothly-answering phones, gossiping, and managing daily tasks. But as the day unfolds, subtle cracks appear in the routine, hinting at something far more sinister lurking beneath the surface. A darkly comedic thriller, The Receptionist shifts from lighthearted office banter to unsettling suspense, exploring themes of power, complicity, and the unseen forces that shape our lives. 

The small cast features: Mary McLain as Beverly Wilkins, Gemma Berg as Lorraine Taylor, Eli Ganias as Edward Raymond, and Christopher J. Young as Martin Dart. Mary McLain was last seen on the CSC stage in Killing Sister George, A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur, and House of Blue Leaves, and she also served as the Artistic Director for the New Rude Mechanicals, in Highland Park, NJ. Eli Ganias appeared in CSC's productions of Light Up The Sky by Moss Hart and The Poetry Of Pizza by Deborah Brevoort. He also recently appeared in the NJ Rep premier production of The Other American by DW Gregory and has been seen on stage at other NJ theaters including Vivid Stage, Playwrights Theater of NJ, and the Bickford. Christopher J. Young also serves as Centenary Stage Company's General Manager and has been seen onstage and directing many CSC productions. Most recently he was seen performing in Meteor Shower (spring 2022) and Dracula (Fall 2018) on the Sitnik stage but has directed several NEXTstage Repertory productions in the last few years including The Lightning Thief, Six Rounds of Vengeance, Soul Samurai, and Alice in Slasherland. Gemma Berg is a newcomer to the CSC stage, but has recently been seen on stage in Urinetown (The Secret Theatre), The Last Yiddish Speaker (Theatre Lab FAU), and in Film & TV such as Boardwalk Empire, The whole World at My Feet, A Home for Christmas, and Women Under the Influence.

Directing the production is Centenary Stage Company's own Artistic Director, Carl Wallnau. Wallnau has directed and starred in countless productions regionally and at Centenary Stage, most recently seen on stage as the titular character in Tartuffe, and before that directing and appearing in The Ladykillers. He has worked at numerous regional theatres including Paper Mill Playhouse, Second Stage in NYC, York Theatre in NYC, People's Light, The Lark Theatre, The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Hartford Stage, Forum Theatre, Bristol Riverside Premiere Stages, Orlando Shakespeare Company, Theatre 1812, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, Foothills Playhouse and 14 months on the road with the First National Tour of TITANIC. He has directed over sixty productions including The English Bride, which had its NY premiere at 59e59 and the world premieres of Poetry of Pizza, Inventing Montana and The Tillie Project and New Jersey premieres of Below the Belt, Square One and Marvin's Room. He has been cited for outstanding direction in productions of Springtime for Henry, Engaged, The Ladies Man, Deathtrap and Pygmalion and has directed in numerous regional theatres including Hartford Theatre Works and Musical Theatre Works. He received his MFA from Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Arts and is married to his favorite actress Colleen Smith Wallnau for who he wrote the play MARY TODD A WOMAN APART that had a successful off Broadway run in 2004.

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