THOU SHALT NOT Comes to Assembly Hall at St.John's

In 1922, near the banks of the Raritan River, a small city priest and a choir singer were slaughtered in the most infamous unsolved double homicide of the 20th century. Incompetent cops, political operatives, and the poorest and most powerful families in New Jersey were all swallowed in the circus that followed. Thinkery & Verse, working with the Church of Saint John the Evangelist, now presents THOU SHALT NOT, a nightmare narrative seen through the perspective Charlotte Mills, a young woman desperate to find her mother's murderer.

THOU SHALT NOT is a theatrical exploration of real events. As a guest of the Church of Saint John the Evangelist, the audience will meet Reverend Edward Hall, Mrs. Frances Hall, Eleanor Mills, and all the main players of New Brunswick in 1922. The audience will be guided through a dark and surreal journey of the events leading to and following the vicious murders of "the minister and the choir singer," and the "circus" that surrounded it. THOU SHALT NOT is a re-assessment of history, the complicity of a community, and the sharp exploration of the female voices long since hushed. The staging of this play will be site-specific, peripatetic, and immersive.

For years, the male-dominated vestry did not allow the Church of Saint John the Evangelist to discuss the murders. Now the vestry is mostly women, and so they do not just talk about it, they sponsored this play--Women do not cover up violence against women. Martha Godfrey, who is a member of the vestry at Saint John's reflects on the tragedy, "The Hall-Mills case is something that we've had hanging over our heads for a long time. It used to be, people would get mad at you for talking about it. I think, as a congregation, we need to get out in front of it. The play is a way of doing that." The organist, Dr. Susan Huslage agrees, adding, "Why wouldn't we be allowed to talk about it? It's how the community views us, though it was a long time ago-certainly before any of us were around. But growing up here, we knew the people involved. It's not a good thing to have in your past."

To complete this ambitious project, Thinkery & Verse collaborated with the following artists:

Cast: Karen Alvarado*, Andrew Bainbridge, Erin Bogert, Celine Dikes, Frank Dolce*, Gio Gunaill, Johnny Kavanagh, John M. Meyer, Kaitlin Ormerod, Rebecca Servon, Lazarus Simmons, Ania Upstill.

*Appearing with the permission of Actors' Equity Association

Creative Team: John M. Meyer (Co-Director), Karen Alvarado (Co-Director), Jackie Mercer (Production Manager), Sarah Woods (Lighting Designer), Ariana Papin (Costume Designer), Sean Ullmer (Music Director), Henry Strehlo (Director of Photography), Erin Bogert (Director of Development), Ashley Basile (Set and Prop Design), Ryan Murphy (Marketing Advisor).

Performances run September 16 - October 8th.

Cost: $45

Tickets: thinkeryandverse.org and on Eventbrite

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