It's not too late...Youth Troupe Deadline Extended to December 13

Back by popular demand, Playwrights Theatre's Youth Troupe will return to our class offerings this year!

Youth Troupe (for students in grades 6-8) is a long-term production and performance project for students with a strong interest in creating theatre.

During Troupe sessions, students will work collaboratively, under the direction of Jim DeVivo, Playwrights Theatre's Director of Education, to conceive, write and present an original performance piece based on a predetermined theme. Youth Troupe is in part a training program, as students will build skills that prepare them for continued involvement in theatre. It is also a unique forum for exploring thoughts and opinions, and expressing them creatively through a structured art form.

Above all, the process is fun, rewarding, and requires a great deal of dedication, discipline, and energy. The ideal Troupe candidate is a young person who is enthusiastic about theatre, interested in growing as an artist, eager to learn, has a cooperative spirit, and believes that he/she has something valuable to contribute to the company.

Applications are available online via our account with the website SurveyMonkey - http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=3W3d_2bXvW6CzTHlIuQRcsdA_3d_3d

Applications must be received by December 13, 2009. After that time, Jim DeVivo will contact applicants to schedule an interview with both the student and parent(s) to further discuss the program and the applicants' interested in joining.

Youth Troupe is scheduled to run for 15 Saturdays beginning January 23, 2010 and ending with a public presentation on May 8, 2010. (No class on April 3.) Troupe meets from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm on those days; however, the final day will also include the presentation at 2:00 pm. The cost for the prorgam is $475.00 for the 15 sessions and performance. Scholarships for students with financial need may also be available.

Questions? Contact Jim DeVivo at 973.514.1787 X14 or jdevivo@ptnj.org

Murder, Too by David Wiltse

A staged reading of "Murder, Too" by David Wiltse will take place on Saturday, November 21 at 7pm. Real life husband and wife, Jay O. Sanders (John Goodman’s biker buddy “Ziggy” on Roseanne) and Maryann Plunkett (Tony-winner, Me and My Girl) will play a husband and wife in Wiltse’s new murder comedy.

About the Playwright: David Wiltse is the author of 13 plays and 12 novels. A production of Sedition starring Playwrights Theatre’s John Pietrowski, was done at Playwrights Theatre in 2008. Another Wiltse play, The Good German, was produced in this theater in 2006.

About the Director: For Playwrights Theatre: Sedition, The Good German, Circumference of a Squirrel, Sunrise at Monticello, adapted & directed Jim Lehrer’s Flying Crows and The Special Prisoner (w/William Schallert). Elsewhere: Death of a Salesman (w/Frankie Faison), Bluff (w/John Astin), The Value of Names (w/Jack Klugman), The Price (w/Orson Bean & Stephanie Zimbalist), All My Sons (w/Richard Benjamin & Paula Prentiss), The Gin Game (w/William Schallert), Mrs. Warren’s Profession (w/Paula Prentiss & Prentiss Benjamin), Macbeth (w/Frankie Faison), Spread Eagle (w/Ed Asner, Sharon Gless, Jamey Sheridan, Fred Savage).

The Light by Ken Scarborough

Tonight's FORUM reading of "The Light" by Ken Scarborough will be directed by John Pietrowski. It begins at 7pm with a discussion to follow with Ken and John.

About the Playwright: Ken Scarborough has won four Emmys for his television writing: as a staff writer for Saturday Night Live, as the Head Writer for the PBS series Arthur, and as a writer for Between the Lions. Ken currently serves as Head Writer and Creative Producer for Martha Speaks, a children’s television series he developed for PBS. The Light is his first play.

About the Director: John Pietrowski is the Artistic Director of Playwrights Theatre, where he has directed numerous world premiere productions of plays in his 19-year tenure. A winner of the Agnes E. Nixon playwriting award at Northwestern University for two of his plays, he has had readings and productions of plays at theatres in New Jersey and New York. A graduate of Northwestern University’s Performance Studies Department, he also holds an Masters of Public Administration in non-profit management from Seton Hall University, and teaches at both Fairleigh Dickinson and Seton Hall University.

Class Dismissed by Jeffrey Sweet

"Classed Dismissed" by Jeffrey Sweet continues the FORUM reading series tonight at 7pm.

About the Playwright: Jeffrey Sweet has had 13 plays produced at the Tony Award-winning Victory Gardens Theatre of Chicago where he is a resident writer. He has previously worked with director James Glossman on productions of The Value of Names (at George Street), Bluff and Immoral Imperatives. Jeff’s play, With and Without, played at the Bickford. He wrote Something Wonderful Right Away, an oral history of Second City. He serves on the Council of the Dramatists Guild.

About the Director: For Playwrights Theatre: Sedition, The Good German, Circumference of a Squirrel, Sunrise at Monticello, adapted & directed Jim Lehrer’s Flying Crows and The Special Prisoner (w/William Schallert). Elsewhere: Death of a Salesman (w/Frankie Faison), Bluff (w/John Astin), The Value of Names (w/Jack Klugman), The Price (w/Orson Bean & Stephanie Zimbalist), All My Sons (w/Richard Benjamin & Paula Prentiss), The Gin Game (w/William Schallert), Mrs. Warren’s Profession (w/Paula Prentiss & Prentiss Benjamin), Macbeth (w/Frankie Faison), Spread Eagle (w/Ed Asner, Sharon Gless, Jamey Sheridan, Fred Savage).

Beggar at the Feast by Fengar Gael

The third week of FORUM continues tonight at 7pm with "Beggar at the Feast" by Fengar Gael, directed by John Pietrowski. FORUM is a staged reading series featuring the work of some of the country's best writers with intimate discussions between author and audience following each performance.

About the Playwright: Fengar Gael plays have been produced at the InterAct Theatre, New Jersey Repertory, Moxie Theatre, Seanachi Theatre, and MultiStages. She is a recipient of the Craig Noel Award for Outstanding New Play for Devil Dog Six, the Playwrights First Award for Opaline, and commissions from South Coast Repertory and the National New Play Network. She is working on a musical, Soul on Vinyl, and her play, The Usher’s Ball, will be produced in New York at CAP 21 next summer.

About the Director: John Pietrowski is the Artistic Director of Playwrights Theatre, where he has directed numerous world premiere productions of plays in his 19-year tenure. A winner of the Agnes E. Nixon playwriting award at Northwestern University for two of his plays, he has had readings and productions of plays at theatres in New Jersey and New York. A graduate of Northwestern University’s Performance Studies Department, he also holds an Masters of Public Administration in non-profit management from Seton Hall University, and teaches at both Fairleigh Dickinson and Seton Hall University.

Red Masquerade by Jack Wade

Join us for a reading on Saturday, November 14 at 7pm of Jack Wade's Red Masquerade. Make your reservations online or contact the box office at 973.514.1787 X10.

About the Playwright: Jack Wade's previous plays include Blood Ties (Hedgerow Theatre) and Last Stand on the Miracle Mile (Actor’s Center, of Washington, D.C.) He has designed lighting and /or scenery for over 200 theatrical and dance productions An Associate Chair and Professor of Theatre at SUNY New Paltz, he is a recipient of the Theatre Crafts International Award for outstanding achievement in theatrical design and technology and is a member of United Scenic Artists, Local 829.

About the Director: James Glossman - For Playwrights Theatre: Sedition, The Good German, Circumference of a Squirrel, Sunrise at Monticello, adapted & directed Jim Lehrer’s Flying Crows and The Special Prisoner (w/William Schallert). Elsewhere: Death of a Salesman (w/Frankie Faison), Bluff (w/John Astin), The Value of Names (w/Jack Klugman), The Price (w/Orson Bean & Stephanie Zimbalist), All My Sons (w/Richard Benjamin & Paula Prentiss), The Gin Game (w/William Schallert), Mrs. Warren’s Profession (w/Paula Prentiss & Prentiss Benjamin), Macbeth (w/Frankie Faison), Spread Eagle (w/Ed Asner, Sharon Gless, Jamey Sheridan, Fred Savage).

The Toymaker's War by Jennifer Fawcett

Come in from the cold tonight and see a staged reading of "The Toymaker's War" by Jennifer Fawcett. It begins at 7pm with a discussion to follow with the playwright. Tickets can reserved by calling 973.514.1787 X10 or online. $10 for tonight's reading or purchase a FORUM pass for $25 and see all the remaining FORUM readings (Nov. 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21 and Dec. 16).

About the Playwright: Jennifer Fawcett's work has been developed and produced at theatres in the US and Canada including the Kennedy Center, the Lark Play Development Center (NYC), Halcyon Theatre (Chicago), Waterfront Theatre (Vancouver), Summerworks Theatre Festival (Toronto) and the Adirondack Theatre Festival. She was the NNPN Emerging Playwright-in-Residence at Curious Theatre Company (Denver), and is the recipient of the National Science Playwriting Award from the Kennedy Center ACTF and a Creation Fund Award from the National Performance Network.

Lost Boy Found In Whole Foods by Tammy Ryan

Tammy Ryan's "Lost Boy Found In Whole Foods" continues the FORUM reading series tonight at 7pm.

About the Playwright: Tammy Ryan’s plays include A Confluence of Dreaming (finalist, 2008 Julie Harris Playwriting Award), The Music Lesson (2004 AATE Distinguished Play Award), and Dark Part Of The Forest (winner 2006 Premiere Stages Playwriting Festival). Lost Boy Found In Whole Foods was developed at the New Harmony Project and Premiere Stages Playwriting Festival this summer and will be presented at the National New Play Network’s 2009 National Showcase of New Plays in Atlanta in December.

About the Director: John Pietrowski is the Artistic Director of Playwrights Theatre, where he has directed numerous world premiere productions of plays in his 19-year tenure. A winner of the Agnes E. Nixon playwriting award at Northwestern University for two of his plays, he has had readings and productions of plays at theatres in New Jersey and New York. A graduate of Northwestern University’s Performance Studies Department, he also holds an Masters of Public Administration in non-profit management from Seton Hall University, and teaches at both Fairleigh Dickinson and Seton Hall University.

Risk by Yasmine Beverly Rana

The second week of the FORUM reading series begins tonight at 7pm with "Risk" by Yasmine Beverly Rana. Tickets are $10 for one reading or purchase a FORUM pass for $25 and see all the plays you want in the FORUM series. Reserve online or call the box office at 973.514.1787 X10.

About the Playwright: Yasmine Beverly Rana's The War Zone is My Bed and Other Plays will be published by Seagull Books. The volume will include Blood Sky, Returning, and Paradise, all presented in Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey’s Reading Series. Yasmine is a founder and Resident Playwright at Nora’s Playhouse in New York, a new theater company celebrating the voices and stories of women artists. www.norasplayhouse.org. Her plays have been produced at Johns Hopkins University, Brooklyn College, Second Stage Theater, La MaMa E.T.C, among others.

About the Director: is the Artistic Director of Playwrights Theatre, where he has directed numerous world premiere productions of plays in his 19-year tenure. A winner of the Agnes E. Nixon playwriting award at Northwestern University for two of his plays, he has had readings and productions of plays at theatres in New Jersey and New York. A graduate of Northwestern University’s Performance Studies Department, he also holds an Masters of Public Administration in non-profit management from Seton Hall University, and teaches at both Fairleigh Dickinson and Seton Hall University.

Spread a Little Good Will This Season

For the 6th year in a row, Playwrights Theatre will be collecting new, unwrapped toys for Marine Corps Reserve Toys For Tots, gentlly used coats for Jersey Cares and pet items for Randolph Municipal Pound. In the lobby of Playwrights Theatre, there are 3 marked collection boxes. Items can be dropped off Monday-Friday, 10am-6pm. The last day for donations is Friday, December 11, 2009.

Marine Corps Reserve TOYS FOR TOTS
The mission of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted. Please donate new and unwrapped toys.

Randolph Municipal Pound
The Randolph Township Municipal Pound makes every effort to find homes for their animals, including placing them with no-kill shelters. Items the shelter needs: dry or canned dog or cat food, dog runs, rabbit hutches, used clean blankets, towels and small rugs, toys for cats and dogs.

14th Annual Jersey Cares Coat Drive
The goal of the 14th Annual Coat Drive is to collect and distribute 35,000 "gently used" winter coats to at-risk men, women, children and infants. Please donate your gently used winter coats.

Youth Troupe at Playwrights Theatre

Back by popular demand, Playwrights Theatre's Youth Troupe will return to our class offerings this year!

Youth Troupe (for students in grades 6-8) is a long-term production and performance project for students with a strong interest in creating theatre. During Troupe sessions, students will work collaboratively, under the direction of Jim DeVivo, Playwrights Theatre's Director of Education, to conceive, write and present an original performance piece based on a predetermined theme. Youth Troupe is in part a training program, as students will build skills that prepare them for continued involvement in theatre. It is also a unique forum for exploring thoughts and opinions, and expressing them creatively through a structured art form.

Above all, the process is fun, rewarding, and requires a great deal of dedication, discipline, and energy. The ideal Troupe candidate is a young person who is enthusiastic about theatre, interested in growing as an artist, eager to learn, has a cooperative spirit, and believes that he/she has something valuable to contribute to the company.

Applications are available online via our account with the website SurveyMonkey - http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=3W3d_2bXvW6CzTHlIuQRcsdA_3d_3d

Applications must be received by November 20, 2009. After that time, Jim DeVivo will contact applicants to schedule an interview with both the student and parent(s) to further discuss the program and the applicants' interested in joining.

Youth Troupe is scheduled to run for 15 Saturdays beginning January 23, 2010 and ending with a public presentation on May 8, 2010. (No class on April 3.) Troupe meets from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm on those days; however, the final day will also include the presentation at 2:00 pm. The cost for the prorgam is $475.00 for the 15 sessions and performance. Scholarships for students with financial need may also be available.

Questions? Contact Jim DeVivo at 973.514.1787 X14 or jdevivo@ptnj.org

NOT WHAT YOU THINK by Joe Sutton

On stage Saturday, November 7, join us for a reading of "Not What You Think" by Joe Sutton. Among the scheduled performers are Len Cariou (Tony-winner, original Sweeney Todd, Little Night Music) who will play George Orwell.

About the Playwright: Joe Sutton's plays about topical issues include Voir Dire (nominated for the Pulitzer), As It is in Heaven, and Restoring the Sun. Joe’s plays have been produced by such theatres as the New York Theater Workshop, Seattle Rep, and, most recently the Old Vic which produced his play Complicit. Joe is a recipient of fellowships from NYFA, the NEA, and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. When not in rehearsal, Joe resides in Montclair, NJ with his wife Anne and their sons James and Nicholas.

About the Director: For Playwrights Theatre: Sedition, The Good German, Circumference of a Squirrel, Sunrise at Monticello, adapted & directed Jim Lehrer’s Flying Crows and The Special Prisoner (w/William Schallert). Elsewhere: Death of a Salesman (w/Frankie Faison), Bluff (w/John Astin), The Value of Names (w/Jack Klugman), The Price (w/Orson Bean & Stephanie Zimbalist), All My Sons (w/Richard Benjamin & Paula Prentiss), The Gin Game (w/William Schallert), Mrs. Warren’s Profession (w/Paula Prentiss & Prentiss Benjamin), Macbeth (w/Frankie Faison), Spread Eagle (w/Ed Asner, Sharon Gless, Jamey Sheridan, Fred Savage).

Reserve your tickets online or by calling the box office at 973.514.1787 X10

THE EXCEPTIONALS by Robert Clyman

On stage tonight, 7pm, a reading of Robert Clyman's "The Exceptionals."

About the Playwright: Robert Clyman's plays have been produced Off-Broadway and at regional theatres, including the Alley Theatre, Laguna Playhouse, San Jose Repertory Theatre, Repertory Theatre at George Street Theatre, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey and L.A. Theatre Works in addition to touring Scotland. His awards include a Eugene O’Neill Summer Conference Fellowship, Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award Geraldine Dodge Fellowship, New Jersey State Arts Council Award and an Edward Albee Foundation Fellowship He was nominated for an Outer Circle Critics Award for best script in 2008.

About the Director:
John Wooten is the Producing Artistic Director of Premiere Stages, a professional Equity theatre dedicated to the development of American dramatists. He has directed numerous world premieres and is a resident director for the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. John’s plays have been produced Off-Broadway, in London, Australia, India, South Africa, Canada and in regional Equity theaters across America. Published by: Dramatists Play Service, Samuel French, Playscripts Inc. and Dramatic Publishing Company. John teaches Playwriting and Inside Television at Kean University. His film Cat in the Pan recently premiered at the Montreal Film Festival.

FRATERNITY reading tonight

Come see the staged reading of "Fraternity" by Samuel Brett Williams tonight at 7pm, directed by John Pietrowski.

About the playwright: Samuel Brett Williams hails from Hot Springs, Arkansas, where he was raised in a strict southern Baptist environment. His plays have been developed at the Eugene O'Neill National Playwright's Conference, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Lark Play Development Center, Naked Angels, Yale University, and P73 Productions. Brett's plays have been produced at Cherry Lane Theatre, Ars Nova, Stageworks/Hudson, Mile Square Theatre, the D.C. Center and New Oreleans Theatre Experiment.

About the Director: John Pietrowski is the Artistic Director of Playwrights Theatre, where he has directed numerous world premiere productions of plays in his 19-year tenure. A winner of the Agnes E. Nixon playwriting award at Northwestern University for two of his plays, he has had readings and productions of plays at theatres in New Jersey and New York. A graduate of Northwestern University’s Performance Studies Department, he also holds an Masters of Public Administration in non-profit management from Seton Hall University, and teaches at both Fairleigh Dickinson and Seton Hall University.

FORUM begins this week

FORUM: 14 Staged Readings of New Plays

All readings begin at 7pm

Attend 1 reading for $10 or attend up to all 14 readings with a FORUM pass for only $25

Playwrights Theatre announces the return of the popular roundtable reading series FORUM with staged readings of 14 innovative new plays by some of the country's best writers with intimate discussions between author and audience following each performance.

On tonight's schedule is "Super" by Lia Romeo, directed by Artem Yatsunov.

About the Playwright: Lia Romeo earned her B.A. from Princeton University and her M.F.A. in playwriting from Rutgers University. She was last year's Emerging Playwright-In-Residence at Playwrights Theatre. Her short plays have been produced in fourteen different states and internationally, and she has world premieres of two new full-lenth plays coming up this season in Kansas and California. She is also the author of the humor book 11,002 Things To Be Miserable About, available in bookstores nationwide.

About the Director: Artem Yatsunov is one of the founding members of the troupe StrangeDog Theatre, http://www.strangedogtheatre.com/, with whom he has been directing for over a year now. Some of his past credits include: subUrbia by Eric Bogosian (Jersey City); Bootstraps (Luna Stage) and New.Tricks! (Playwrights Theatre) by Ben Clawson. Up next, he's directing the world premiere of Omnivores by Ben Clawson, opening the day after Thanksgiving, right here at Playwrights Theatre. Montclair State University Alum.

To reserve your tickets, call our box office at 973.514.1787 X10 or reserve online.

Click here for directions to the theatre.