100 YEARS by Richard Dresser a co-production between Playwrights Theatre and Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre

The Winners of the 29th Annual New Jersey Young Playwrights Contest

Playwrights Theatre is pleased to announce the winners of the 29th Annual New Jersey Young Playwrights Contest. From the 261 plays submitted by young writers throughout the state, a panel of theatre professionals has selected four High School plays, three Junior High School plays and three Elementary Schools plays. In each category, plays were selected without knowledge of playwrights' schools or grade. Judges were not provided with any of the playwrights' information. The 29th Annual New Jersey Young Playwrights Contest Festival will be held on May 21 and May 22 as part of a partnership between Playwrights Theatre and Premiere Stages at Kean University. Select plays from this festival will be reprised at Playwrights Theatre’s nationally-recognized Forum Reading Series in December 2012. This reading series brings together writers from all over the United States.

The plays will be presented at the University Center's Little Theatre at Kean University on Monday, May 21 at 7 pm for the Elementary and Junior High Division winners and on Tuesday, May 22 at 7 pm for the High School Division winners’ plays. The readings will feature professional actors and directors and reservations can be made by calling 973-514-1787 X21 or via email njypf@ptnj.org. Admission to the readings is free, but reservations are required, as seating is limited.

In the High School Division (grades 10-12), the winners are:
Monster by Samuel Gelman, 12th grade, The Pingry School
The Mystery Madame of 110 and Broadway by Emma Hathaway, 11th grade, Bergen County Academies
Must-Read by Isabelle Ingato, 11th grade, Toms River High School East
Disneyland by Alina Sodano, 11th grade, Bergen County Academies

The aforementioned winners will receive a New Jersey Governor’s Award in Arts Education, which is co-sponsored by New Jersey Arts Education Partnership and the New Jersey Department of Education, at the Governor’s Awards Ceremony on May 10 at 4:30 pm at the War Memorial in Trenton. The Governor’s Award is the highest honor in arts education in New Jersey.

In the Junior High School Division (grades 7-9), the winners are:
It Always Would by Emma Q. Baxter, 7th grade, Randolph Middle School
Fame in the Family by Madeleine Granovetter, 9th grade, Glen Ridge High School
Only Strangers by Nicole Zanchelli, 9th grade, Mount Saint Mary Academy

In the Elementary School Division (grades 4-6), the winners are:
Rosedale by Elizabeth Kilgore, 5th grade, St. Vincent Martyr School
The Time Travelers by Jason Li, 6th grade, Cranbury School
From Geek to Chic by Mollie Sullivan, 4th grade, Torey J. Sabatini School

Samuel Gelman (High School) and Elizabeth Kilgore (Elementary) were winners in their respective divisions last year. For the past two years, Emma Q. Baxter has submitted plays to contest and she was recognized last year with an Honorable Mention. Mollie Sullivan’s (Elementary) play was presented in March 2012 during the Madison Young Playwrights Festival.

Summer Classes for Kids & Teens and Adult Winter Playwriting

Our CAA classes are an opportunity for students at all levels of experience to bring their imaginations to life, while practicing basic performance and writing skills. Students will work collaboratively with their peers, creating characters and telling stories while building the confidence needed to enjoy creative freedom.

Our classes are taught by trained professional theatre educators who have years of experience as working actors, writers and directors. Since new skills are presented each session, the classes are designed to be taken multiple times. At the end of each kids and teen session, there is a "sharing" of class work for family and friends.

Classes for Pre-K & K (ages 4 & 5)
Creative Play
Fun drama exercises, storytelling and other activities use body, voice and imagination to develop students' creative expression. Build self-esteem and communication skills.
Monday - Friday, 9:30am-11:30am, Tuition $225 per session
Session A (June 25 - July 6) - Registration deadline June 18
Session B (July 9 - July 20) – Registration deadline July 2
Session D (August 6 - August 17) - Registration deadline July 30
Click here to register

Classes for Grades 1-3
Playmakers
Theatre games, pantomime and improvisation provide exciting means for learning basic performance skills in movement, voice and imagination. An engaging and nurturing environment for children to create and express themselves.
Monday - Friday, 9:30am-12:30pm, Tuition $275 per session ($250 for returning students)
Session A (June 25 - July 6) - Registration deadline June 18
Session B (July 9 - July 20) – Registration deadline July 2
Session C (July 23 - August 3) - Registration deadline July 16
Session D (August 6 - August 17) - Registration deadline July 30
Session E (August 20 - August 31) - Registration deadline August 13
Click here to register

Classes for Grades 4-6
Acting Lab
Act, play and create in a supportive, process-oriented class with an emphasis on play building skills through improvisation, theatre exercises and group collaboration.
Monday - Friday, 9:30am-12:30pm, Tuition $275 per session ($250 for returning students)
Session A (June 25 - July 6) - Registration deadline June 18
Session B (July 9 - July 20) – Registration deadline July 2
Session C (July 23 - August 3) - Registration deadline July 16
Session D (August 6 - August 17) - Registration deadline July 30
Session E (August 20 - August 31) - Registration deadline August 13
Click here to register

Musical Performance (Grades 4-5/Grades 6-8)
Build skills in using the "actor's instruments" in an energized and encouraging environment. While exploring sound and movement through singing, dancing and acting, students learn about breathing, rhythm, projection and timing. Students create their own short musical for presentation to parents and friends on the last day of class.
Monday - Friday, 9:30am-12:30pm, Tuition $275 per session ($250 for returning students)
Session B (July 9 - July 20) – Registration deadline July 2
Session C (July 23 - August 3) - Registration deadline July 16
Session D (August 6 - August 17) - Registration deadline July 30
Session E (August 20 - August 31) - Registration deadline August 13
Click here to register

Full Day Theatre Academy (Grades 4-6)
Monday - Friday, 9:30am-4:30pm
Session B (July 9 - July 20) – Registration deadline July 2
Session C (July 23 - August 3) - Registration deadline July 16
Students work with a team of artists and alternate daily through classes in acting, musical performance, playwriting and play production.

This summer, Playwrights Theatre is offering an Early Enrollment rate plan for the Full Day Camp classes in the Summer Theatre Camp. These special rates can be secured by enrolling students in a Full Day Camp session prior to the dates listed below. No other discounts apply.

Tuition $525 • When Enrolled BEFORE Jan 31 • With a deposit of $262.50
Tuition $550 • When Enrolled BEFORE Feb 28 • With a deposit of $275.00
Tuition $575 • When Enrolled BEFORE Mar 31 • With a deposit of $287.50

After March 31, Full Day Camp registration will return to the regular fee of $595.00 (a deposit of $297.50 is required at the time of enrollment). A deposit in the amount of ½ of the tuition due is required at time of registration. The remaining balance must be paid no later than May 30.

All Full Day Camp enrollments, whether made during the reduced enrollment period, or after, include a $100.00 non-refundable enrollment fee that will not be refunded unless Playwrights Theatre initiates a class cancellation of the session in which the student is enrolled.

To secure this reduced rate, enrollments must be made by phone ONLY. Please contact the Education Office at 973-514-1787, ext. 21. Leave a message if no one is available to take your call. Your call will be returned promptly.

Classes for Grades 7-9
Acting Workshop
Through exercises in voice, movement, and improvisation, students familiarize themselves with the fundamentals of acting. This class leads to further study in monologue and scene work.
Monday - Friday, 9:30am-12:30pm, Tuition $275 per session ($250 for returning students)
Session A (June 25 - July 6) - Registration deadline
June 18 Session E (August 20 - August 31) - Registration deadline August 13
Click here to register

Full Day Theatre Academy (Grades 7-9)
Monday - Friday, 9:30am-4:30pm
Session B (July 9 - July 20) – Registration deadline July 2
Session C (July 23 - August 3) - Registration deadline July 16
Students work with a team of artists and alternate daily through classes in acting, musical performance, playwriting and play production.

This summer, Playwrights Theatre is offering an Early Enrollment rate plan for the Full Day Camp classes in the Summer Theatre Camp. These special rates can be secured by enrolling students in a Full Day Camp session prior to the dates listed below. No other discounts apply.

Tuition $525 • When Enrolled BEFORE Jan 31 • With a deposit of $262.50
Tuition $550 • When Enrolled BEFORE Feb 28 • With a deposit of $275.00
Tuition $575 • When Enrolled BEFORE Mar 31 • With a deposit of $287.50

After March 31, Full Day Camp registration will return to the regular fee of $595.00 (a deposit of $297.50 is required at the time of enrollment). A deposit in the amount of ½ of the tuition due is required at time of registration. The remaining balance must be paid no later than May 30.

All Full Day Camp enrollments, whether made during the reduced enrollment period, or after, include a $100.00 non-refundable enrollment fee that will not be refunded unless Playwrights Theatre initiates a class cancellation of the session in which the student is enrolled.

To secure this reduced rate, enrollments must be made by phone ONLY. Please contact the Education Office at 973-514-1787, ext. 21. Leave a message if no one is available to take your call. Your call will be returned promptly.

Get Ready To Audition - High School
Auditioning for high school, college or community theatre? This is the class for you. Call the education department to schedule your dates and times 973-514-1787 X21.

Whether you’re auditioning for college theatre programs, professional theatres, high school or community theatre productions, good audition skills are a must, and practice with good guidance is the only way to get there. This four-session intensive will improve your ability to select and present monologues and songs that will show you off at your best. The final class will consist of a simulated audition and subsequent critique session.

Playwriting Workshop for Adults
Winter Class
January 9 - March 12
Mondays, 7:00pm-10:00pm
Tuition $275 ($250 for returning students) • Pro-rate options are available for late starts for this class only.

Spring Class
March 19 - May 21
Mondays, 7:00pm-10:00pm
Tuition $275 ($250 for returning students) • Pro-rate options are available for late starts for this class only

Summer Classes
June 11 - August 13
Mondays, 7:00pm-10:00pm
Tuition $275 ($250 for returning students) • Pro-rate options are available for late starts for this class only.

Click here to register for any of the Adult Playwriting Classes

5 Questions With Emilie Beck

Our final reading of the FORUM series for 2011 is SOVEREIGN BODY by Emilie Beck. This reading will be held on Sunday, December 18, 7:00pm, at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Dreyfuss Theatre, 285 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ. Click here for directions. Click here for a printable map of the campus (the Dreyfuss Theatre is located in Building 9).

Emilie Beck’s play, Sovereign Body, was a finalist for National New Play Network’s Smith Prize and Ashland New Plays Festival, and was seen in Road Theatre’s Summer Playwrights Festival. Number of People was in Playwrights Theatre’s 2010 Forum Series, with Len Cariou, having been previously developed at Pasadena Playhouse and Hartford Stage with Edward Asner. It received its world premiere at the Piven Theatre. As a director, Emilie directed the Jeff-Award winning production of Because They Have No Words in Chicago and LA, and won LA Weekly awards for Best Director and Production for Block Nine at the Elephant Theatre.

1. What inspired you to write Sovereign Body?
My aunt has been living with advanced Parkinson's Disease for about 30 years. She started getting symptoms when her second child was just a baby. The feelings and responses it brought up within our family were surprising and varied. For myself, I found that I was so angry on her behalf, with no one to whom I could direct that anger. I'd been wanting to write about it for a long time, but I knew I needed a portal that took me to a more layered place than writing about a woman who gets sick. I started to read literature that had been written by Parkinson's patients, and, to a person, they all wrote about the feeling of being invaded. They would use some form of that word, "invaded" or "invasion." And it got me thinking on a larger level about what that means and how that feels in all its nuances. And, of course, during this time, we Americans have been invaders. We have attacked people, their homes, their families, and we have done it in a way that's politically justified by our government. And people, nations, clans have done it throughout history. I became fascinated by the way we feel in control of our bodies (this is a recurring theme for me) , and by extension, our homes, our countries, and resentful of any "foreign invader." So Sovereign Body became a political play to me, even though on the surface it's about a woman and her family and an illness.

2. You are also a director, do you prefer one over the other?
I enjoy both writing and directing. I think they speak to the different sides of my personality. As a director, I love the collaboration involved. I love the process of discovery, and the interdependence of all the artists working to bring dimension to a script. It's an exciting journey, and I get a lot of fulfillment in seeing what the designers and the actors are able to mine, and then figuring out how all of it lives in one cohesive vision. It piques the social, gregarious side of me. On the other side, I love the process of squirreling myself away with a million books, researching, soaking up ideas, and then allowing those to play out in characters and a story that speak from within me. I am not a fast writer. Or rather, I start out of the gate with speed, and as I go along I realize how much I don't yet know, and the journey becomes sort-of like going through a maze, where you actually want to hit the dead-ends because you learn so much from going there. You want to explore the whole maze, even though 9 out of 10 of those paths take you in the wrong direction. It's only by going there that I find the story I actually want to tell. So it's solitary and slow, and allows me to feed the side of myself that craves isolation. I find that balancing the work of a director with that of a writer is actually healthier for me than leaning more one way or another. It gives me sort-of a heavy pendulum experience, where I can take a break from the challenges of one approach by diving into the complete opposite.

3. What was your first job? Did you learn any valuable lessons from it?
My first job of any substance was as a waitress in a local diner when I was 15. I had been a pretty shy kid, pretty down on myself most of the time. There was something romantic about being a waitress to me at that point. (I've now had enough experience with it that I don't remember why I ever felt that way.) And it was hard at first. I had a lot of trouble balancing my time and remembering what dressing someone asked for. But I would work the counter, and these characters would come in from a nearby halfway house, and I remember one guy in particular who you couldn't understand; there was no way to decipher his speech. At first he was really annoyed with me that I didn't know his order, and we had to go back and forth until I finally figured it out. But then I realized he came in every week at the same time, and I would have his order ready for him. We couldn't speak, but we could communicate, and I got that you could effectively change a relationship based on how much effort you were willing to put in. It took me a long time to take that lesson out of the restaurant, but it's something that I carry with me. That not all people are good communicators, and sometimes you just need to show some good faith to let them know that you'll listen until you get it.

4. Who was your childhood hero and why?
I could answer with Maria Tallchief, or Gene Kelly, and both of those would be true. But my constant hero -- someone I still admire -- is and was my next-door neighbor growing up: Liz Wittner. She's two years older than I am, so I think I was alternately a friend and a pest in her eyes, at least before we were adults. But to me she was the nicest, smartest, most beautiful person I knew. I wanted to be just like her. She had a way of making everyone around her feel comfortable. She was funny and warm and empathic. If a little bit of her has rubbed off on me in any way, I'm pretty happy about that. I know that I'm not nearly as nice as she is, and despite my best efforts I seem to have a much more threatening presence, but every once in a while my husband will say to me, "You sound just like Liz," and I'll feel really proud. She's still my dearest friend, and one of the best people I know.

5. What movie always makes you laugh out loud?
Sleeper. I actually haven't seen it in ages, but I have a really wonderful memory of my little brother and I, late one night, having dragged a tiny little black-and-white TV into his room, sitting with our pillows on our laps so that we could smother our laughs and not wake our parents up while we watched it. I'm also a big fan of Buster Keaton, and I think Woody Allen's work in Sleeper was reminiscent of Keaton's work. These days my laughs come mostly from Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. Eddie Izzard and Louis CK can also make me gasp for air.

Click here to purchase a ticket to see SOVEREIGN BODY at FDU.

You can also find additional information on our website about the entire FORUM reading series.

$10 per reading
$25 for a FORUM pass (if you are going to attend at least 3 readings in the series---this is the best deal)

5 Questions With Peter Bonilla

The 21st reading in our FORUM series is A HUMAN EQUATION by Peter Bonilla. This reading will be held at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Dreyfuss Theatre, 285 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ. Click here for directions. Click here for a printable map of the campus (the Dreyfuss Theatre is located in Building 9).

Peter Bonilla was literary manager of Philadelphia's InterAct Theatre Company from 2005 to 2008. Originally from Washington, D.C., Peter received his undergraduate degrees in theater arts and economics from the University of Pennsylvania. For A Human Equation, his first play, Peter received a 2008 playwriting fellowship from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. A Human Equation was developed at PlayPenn in 2008, with Academy Award-nominated actor David Strathairn reading the role of Kenneth Feinberg. A Human Equation was also a finalist for the National New Play Network's Smith Prize, and received its world premiere in September 2011 in an acclaimed production by the Winding Road Theatre Ensemble (Tucson, AZ).

1. What inspired you to write A HUMAN EQUATION?
September 11 happened on my third or fourth day of college, and very soon after I worked on a college production of the first part of Angels in America, which was my first taste of theatre's potential to be a mirror of society at a particular moment in time. So for years after September 11 I would casually wonder about how the playwriting community would respond to the tragedy, but it never really did. I think this is for a number or reasons. Firstly, I think that things in America just moved exceptionally quickly after 9/11, and from having worked as a literary manager, I can attest to the fact that playwrights became far more interested in the post 9/11 American experience, writing plays about Homeland Security, the War on Terror, and especially about the Iraq war. We largely skipped September 11, though not out of any ill-intent; I think it was a confounding topic from a playwriting perspective, how to get something that could get at the scale of the tragedy without being cliched and obvious, and telling a story people already think they know.

The story of the September 11 compensation fund, when I learned about it, seemed to provide the perfect window into America's 9/11 experience, with the experiences of thousands filtered through the lens of one person having to try and make some sense of it all. Better, it was something that I think most Americans were only minimally aware of, and I know I wasn't aware of it at all, so it had the potential to be a genuine learning experience. I remember exactly when I had the idea for it--it was September 11, 2005, when I caught a retrospective of the fund and of Kenneth Feinberg's experience as special master on 60 Minutes. This was incredibly naive to think at the time, given that I had never written a play, but it never occurred to me that anyone else would write it.

2. This is your first play. Do you plan to write more?
I am in the very beginning stages of conceptualizing a new play, which I think is my favorite part. The working idea is that the next play I want to write will be on one level about the political and economic forces involved in getting a history textbook approved by a state school board, but on a deeper level about the politicization of history and the enormous (and largely unseen) struggle just to decide how it should be presented, and how we compromise our standards in the process. I have ideas for a couple of others, but this is what's on my mind now. We'll see if I'm actually able to articulate all the thoughts on it that in my head seem so promising.

3. You have undergraduate degrees in theatre arts and economics, does this make you both right and left brained?
Maybe it does, though I guess you'd be better off asking someone who has known me a long time. In high school I was more oriented in the classroom towards math and science-related subjects. I started doing theater at my parents' suggestion, because I was pretty shy and very introverted then (I'm marginally less shy now, and every bit as introverted still) and it seemed like a good way to meet people. It took, and I ended up doing theater through college. Economics I added later because I missed exercising my quantitative side and wanted to push myself a little harder.

When it comes to a fundamentally creative activity like playwriting, I'm not sure from only having written one play which side of my brain is the driving force. I sketch out everything longhand on notepads because I've found that to be more organic and conducive to bursts of creativity and general free-association (that blinking cursor on the screen is just the loneliest thing on Earth), but I also know that to a great extent with A Human Equation I had to be very analytic (especially later in the process) when writing it, because it has so many small parts and short scenes and each of them has to work just right with all of the others. At many times it certainly didn't feel like a very creative process; it was a lot more like problem-solving, and seeing how changing certain variables affected the whole piece.

4. What is your favorite website?
The Onion, whose satire I think has more content than almost any other news site there is. The quality of much print journalism and nearly all television news not produced by the BBC is so appalling, dishonest, and content-free that I don't generally make much time for it, though somehow through osmosis I manage to stay decently informed. There are some good sites I do read regularly (Slate, The Atlantic, The Economist, and Reason, namely) but no question The Onion tops my list; it simultaneously captures the zeitgeist and is great escapism.

5. If you could tour with any band, who would that be?
I became a huge fan of the band Boston when I was younger, and saw them perform live in 2003. I'd have to say them. I would love to be on the keyboards for one of their epic organ solos. This would require me to learn to acquire some musical talent, though. Otherwise I'd do some relatively low-skills backup work for the alt-country/folk singer Neko Case, just to be able to listen to her every night. Great songwriter, great musician, unforgettable voice, and a lover of greyhounds. If I ran the Catholic Church, she'd have been a saint yesterday just on that last point.

Click here to purchase a ticket to see A HUMAN EQUATION at FDU.

You can also find additional information on our website about the entire FORUM reading series.

$10 per reading
$25 for a FORUM pass (if you are going to attend at least 3 readings in the series---this is the best deal)

5 Questions With Dominique Cieri

The 18th reading in our FORUM series is SAFE by Dominique Cieri which will be presented on Tuesday, December 13, beginning at 7:00pm at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Dreyfuss Theatre in Madison, NJ.

Domnique Cieri is the recipient of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Playwriting Fellowship 2003, and 2009. A graduate of Rose Bruford College, England, and recipient of the State University of New York Chancellor’s Medal of Excellence for Scholarship and Creative Activities. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing at Goddard College, Vermont. Ms. Cieri’s plays have been produced and developed in New Jersey, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Pitz & Joe is currently under contract with Warner Brothers. Her newest play, Safe will have its first reading at Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey where she is also developing a new play in New Jersey Women’s Playwrights Project.

1. What inspired you to write Safe?
The question of Nature verses Nurture and working with boys who struggle against all odds- are they going to make it?

2. You are also a teaching artist. What do you think is the most valuable lesson you can teach your students?
To fully realize their potential.

3. Pitz & Joe is currently under contract with Warner Brothers. What plans are underway for developing this?
The script has been penned and Josh Brolin will be directing and starring.

4. What is your favorite book and why?
This is the most difficult question because there are far too many. I love Julia Alvarez, Mikal Gilmore's Shot in the Heart. I just finished reading Lost Memory of Skin by Russell Banks - (The Sweet Hereafter - a great book and screenplay) his sentences move like a freight train and when reading his work you're on that train and you're not getting off- he portrays parts of America and its outcasts that nobody else will touch.

5. What is the oldest thing in your refrigerator?
Definitely the ices cubes.

Click here to purchase a ticket to see SAFE at FDU.

You can also find additional information on our website about the entire FORUM reading series.

$10 per reading
$25 for a FORUM pass (if you are going to attend at least 3 readings in the series---this is the best deal)

Last Chance to Enter

Today at 11:59pm is the last day for all Elementary School and Junior High School entries into the 28th Annual New Jersey Young Playwrights Contest.

For complete details and to submit your script, visit the New Jersey Young Playwrights Contest and Festival blog.

Summer Program for Kids & Teens - BIG DISCOUNTS for Early Enrollment

Playwrights Theatre’s Creative Arts Academy summer camp for kids and summer theatre program for teens will begin on June 20, 2011 and run all summer long in two-week sessions. For more information and to register, visit www.ptnj.org or call 973-514-1787 X21.

The Full-Day Theatre Academy (Monday through Friday, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm) is designed for grades 4-6 and 7-9. Students work with a team of artists and alternate daily through classes in acting, musical performance, playwriting and play production. Students explore each skill and learn how to weave the various elements together into an engaging, original performance piece presented to family and friends. Full-Day sessions are available for Session B (July 5-July 15) and Session C (July 18-July 29). Each session concludes with a presentation for family and friends.

This summer, Playwrights Theatre is offering an Early Enrollment rate plan for the Full Day Camp classes in the Summer Theatre Camp. These special rates can be secured by enrolling students in a Full Day Camp session prior to the dates listed below. No other discounts apply.

Tuition $525 • When Enrolled BEFORE January 31 • With a deposit of $262.50
Tuition $550 • When Enrolled BEFORE February 28 • With a deposit of $275.00
Tuition $575 • When Enrolled BEFORE March 31 • With a deposit of $287.50

After March 31, Full Day Camp registration will return to the regular fee of $595.00 (a deposit of $297.50 is required at the time of enrollment). A deposit in the amount of ½ of the tuition due is required at time of registration. The remaining balance must be paid no later than May 30.

All Full Day Camp enrollments, whether made during the reduced enrollment period, or after, include a $100.00 non-refundable enrollment fee that will not be refunded unless Playwrights Theatre initiates a class cancellation of the session in which the student is enrolled.

To secure this reduced rate, enrollments must be made by phone ONLY. Please contact the Education Office at 973-514-1787, ext. 21.

The Half-Day Summer Camp for kids and the Half-Day Summer Theatre Program for teens is an opportunity for students at all levels of experience to discover new facets of creativity while developing their theatrical skills. Tuition is $275 per two-week session, $250 for returning students with the exception of the Creative Play class, which is $225.

Each session concludes with a presentation for family and friends and is designed to have a slightly different emphasis so students can take the same class several times and still have a high-quality learning experience.

Session A (June 20 - July 1) – Registration deadline June 13
Morning classes from 9:30am-12:30pm include: Playmakers (grades 1-3), Acting Lab (grades 4-6), Acting Workshop (grades 7-9), Musical Performance (grades 4-5/6-8). The Creative Play class (ages 4 & 5) will meet from 9:30-11:30am.

Session B (July 5 - July 15) – Registration deadline June 27
Morning classes from 9:30am-12:30pm include: Playmakers (grades 1-3), Acting Lab (grades 4-6), Musical Performance (grades 4-5/6-8). The Creative Play class (ages 4 & 5) will meet from 9:30-11:30am. Full-Day Theatre Academy (grades 4-6 and 7-9) is from 9:30am-4:30pm.

Session C (July 18 – July 29) – Registration deadline July 11
Morning classes from 9:30am-12:30pm include: Playmakers (grades 1-3), Acting Lab (grades 4-6), Musical Performance (grades 4-5/6-8). The Creative Play class (ages 4 & 5) will meet from 9:30-11:30am. Full-Day Theatre Academy (grades 4-6 and 7-9) is from 9:30am-4:30pm.

Session D (August 1 – August 12) – Registration deadline July 25
Morning classes from 9:30am-12:30pm include: Playmakers (grades 1-3), Acting Lab (grades 4-6), Acting Workshop (grades 7-9), Musical Performance (grades 4-5/6-8). The Creative Play class (ages 4 & 5) will meet from 9:30-11:30am.

Session E (August 15 – August 26) – Registration deadline August 8
Morning classes from 9:30am-12:30pm include: Playmakers (grades 1-3), Acting Lab (grades 4-6), Acting Workshop (grades 7-9), Musical Performance (grades 4-5/6-8). The Creative Play class (ages 4 & 5) will meet from 9:30-11:30am.

SPECIAL SESSION - PLAYWRITING WORKSHOP (grades 6-12)
(June 22 - August 24) • Registration deadline: June 15
Wednesdays from 9:30am-12:30pm • $275

Playwrights Theatre Creative Arts Academy teaches classes year-round for children, teens and adults. The Creative Arts Academy is committed to nurturing independent thinking, artistic and personal development through the literary and performing arts. At the Creative Arts Academy, students are part of a community where self-expression and creativity thrive and every person is a valuable member of the whole. Playwrights Theatre’s Creative Arts Academy strives for artistic excellence while emphasizing the creative process, both of which are vital to the personal, social and academic evolution of students of all ages. Creative Arts Academy instructors are highly experienced professional artists who are perceptive and dynamic in the classroom. Creative Arts Academy teachers are committed to developing their own skills, as well as those of their students, and to refining their artistry through continued practice and education.

For more information including class descriptions and to register, visit www.ptnj.org or call (973) 514-1787.

THE LAW OF THE MONKEYS by Ken Scarborough

Dani has a lot of love to give, and she gives it freely in this dark comedy by former SNL writer Ken Scarborough.

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 served as Head Writer for the Nickelodeon series Doug and currently serves as Head Writer and Creative Producer for Martha Speaks, a children’s television series he developed for PBS.

Directed by John Pietrowski and featuring Eilis Cahill, Daniel Sullivan, Stacie Lents, Clark Carmichael, David Mason.

Tickets $10 or $25 for a FORUM pass and see all the readings through Sunday. Order online or by phone 973.514.1787 X10.

ARTIST AS A MAN by Joe Sutton

Author Joe Sutton explores the tangled relationship between an author and his agent. Not based on a true story, or is it?

Directed by James Glossman and featuring Paul Murphy, David Mason and Evelyn McGee Colbert.

Joe Sutton’s plays include Voir Dire, As It is in Heaven, Complicit, and Restoring the Sun. They have been produced by such theatres as the New York Theater Workshop, BAM and the Old Vic. Joe is a recipient of fellowships from NYFA and the NEA, and has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Last season Joe developed his mystery television show Scales of Justice for the USA network. Joe resides in Montclair, NJ with his wife Anne and their sons James and Nicholas.

$10 for tonight's reading for buy a FORUM pass for $25 and see all the readings this week.

To secure your seat, order online or call the box office at 973.514.1787 X10.

JACKASS FLATS by John Simon & C.C. Lovehart

Tuesday, December 14 at 7pm

It's Las Vegas, 1951, and an unusual trio of women take a road trip to a sunrise picnic at the dawn of the Nuclear Age. Funny and relevant, JACKASS FLATS is a heart-warming story of survival in a time and place both mythical and real.

C.C. Loveheart Jackass Flats was first inspired by the personal reminiscences of C.C. Loveheart who grew up in Las Vegas. In her checkered career, she has acted on stage and screens of all sizes from coast to coast. She is a Clio award winner and created the character of Coco for Nickolodeon’s Pinwheel House for which she still gets fan mail. She is a Lifetime Member of The Actors’ Studio. In New Jersey, she appeared in The Gin Game.

John Simon C.C.’s husband and frequent collaborator, is a self-described “compulsive musician”. As a record producer and performer, he has worked with Janis Joplin, Leonard Cohen, The Band, Taj Mahal, Gil Evans, Marshall McLuhan and many others. He has released several albums of original songs. John and C.C. have appeared in a self-penned cabaret act called Alone Together For The First Time Again.

Directed by Brendan Burke

Kay..................................................Denise Lute
Ginny...............................................Olivia Gilliatt
Lana Dee..........................................Lucy Eller

The reading will be held at:
Playwrights Theatre
33 Green Village Road
Madison, NJ 07940
Need directions?

$10 for the reading for reserve a FORUM pass and see all the remaining readings for $25. Purchase your tickets online or by calling the box office at 973.514.1787 X10.

Week Three of FORUM

The third and final week of FORUM begins tomorrow. $10 for one reading or $25 for a FORUM pass. Order online or by calling the box office at 973.514.1787 X10.

Tuesday, December 14 - 7:00pm
JACKASS FLATS by John Simon & C.C. Lovehart
It's Las Vegas, 1951, and an unusual trio of women take a road trip to a sunrise picnic at the dawn of the Nuclear Age. Funny and relevant, JACKASS FLATS is a heart-warming story of survival in a time and place both mythical and real

Wednesday, December 15 - 7:00pm
ARTIST AS A MAN by Joe Sutton
Author Joe Sutton explores the tangled relationship between an author and his agent. Not based on a true story, or is it?

Thursday, December 16 - 7:00pm
THE LAW OF THE MONKEYS by Ken Scarborough
Dani has a lot of love to give, and she gives it freely in this dark comedy by former SNL writer Ken Scarborough.

Friday, December 17 - 7:00pm
NUMBER OF PEOPLE by Emilie Beck
In this one person show, a Holocaust survivor whose encounter with a German family after his release from the camps comes to define the essence of his life.

Saturday, December 18 - 7:00pm
MARLOWE by James Glossman
An ensemble adaptation of Raymond Chandler's classic film-noir tales of iconic private eye Philip Marlowe, among the sun burnt, violent streets of 1940s Los Angeles.

Sunday, December 19 - 7:00pm
THE EXCEPTIONALS by Robert Clyman
In a new version of last year’s reading, and prior to it’s production at Merrimack Theatre in Massachusetts, this play takes place in the Coordinator for Parent Liaison’s office of a donor insemination research program for “exceptional” children and their parents.

TRESPASSER IN A PROMISED LAND by Russell Davis

Tonight kicks off the 2nd week of the FORUM reading series with a new play from Russell Davis, "Trespasser In A Promised Land."

The reading begins at 7pm with an intimate discussion with Russell immediately following. $10 for the reading or get a FORUM pass for $25 and see all the remaining readings in the FORUM series. Tickets available online or by calling the box office at 973.514.1787 X10.

From the author of Mahida’s Extra Key to Heaven, Karnik has gone to the house of a cult in a remote countryside to retrieve a friend who has ended up there. Here he comes face-to-face with the elusive cult leader.

Russell Davis’ plays have been produced previously at Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey. He is a 2008-10 recipient of a Pew Fellowship in the Arts. He was resident playwright at People’s Light & Theatre for the NEA/TCG Theatre Residency Program. He has received grants and fellowships from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, McKnight Foundation, New York Foundation for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, as well as two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Directed by John Pietrowski and featuring Ryan Shams, Prentiss Benjamin, Mariam Habib, Daniel Sullivan.

Join Us for Week Two of FORUM

FORUM
Roundtable Reading Series
Week Two: December 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12

FORUM brings playwrights, actors and audience members together to enjoy the creative process of bringing a play to life. Staged readings of 17 innovative new plays by some of the country's best writers with intimate discussions between author and audience following each performance.

$10 per reading or get a FORUM Pass for $25 and attend all the readings.

Wednesday, December 8 - 7:00pm
TRESPASSER IN A PROMISED LAND by Russell Davis

Thursday, December 9 - 7:00pm
THE LAST DAYS OF MICKEY AND JEAN by Richard Dresser

Friday, December 10 - 7:00pm
A USER'S GUIDE TO HELL, FEATURING BERNIE MADOFF by Lee Blessing

Saturday, December 11 - 7:00pm
TEXAS BOOT by Jeffrey Sweet

Sunday, December 12 - 7:00pm
FURIES by Matt Bukovac

To reserve your tickets, visit our website or call the Box Office at 973.514.1787 X10

Playwrights Theatre
33 Green Village Road
PO Box 1295
Madison, NJ 07940
973.514.1787 X10

http://www.ptnj.org/

Directions to our theatre

Good Things to Do

For the 7th year in a row, Playwrights Theatre will be collecting toys for the Marine Corps Reserve Toys For Tots, gently used coats for Jersey Cares and pet items for Randolph Township Municipal Pound.

In the lobby of Playwrights Theatre, there are three marked collection boxes. Items can be dropped off at 33 Green Village Road, Madison, NJ, Monday-Friday from 10am-6pm. The last day for donations is Wednesday, December 15, 2010.

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.

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.

Randolph Township 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.

REVELATION by Samuel Brett Williams

Tired of the same old, same old holiday shows? Come see an exciting new play!

REVELATION by Samuel Brett Williams

From the author of Fraternity and The Revival, and a National New Play Network-commissioned play, this comic picaresque imagines the End Times as they might occur in New York City.

Performance is tonight at 7pm at Playwrights Theatre, 33 Green Village Road, Madison, NJ. Need directions?

Make your reservation online or call the box office at 973.514.1787 X10.

Samuel Brett Williams hails from Hot Springs, Arkansas, where he was raised in a strict Southern Baptist environment. He received his BA in English and Political Science from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, and his MFA in Playwriting from Rutgers University, where he studied under Lee Blessing. REVELATION is the fourth play he has been lucky enough to develop with Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey. In 2008, he was the resident playwright at PTNJ.

Directed by James Glossman and featuring Will Manning, Stacie Lents, Liam Joynt, Erin Mortensen.

We'll see you at the theatre!

THE FALLEN by Yasmine Beverly Rana

Week One of the FORUM reading series: A Celebration of New Jersey Writers

continues this evening at 7pm with THE FALLEN by Yasmine Beverly Rana

Survivors of the atrocities in the former Yugoslavia confront their past and assess their future. An expanded version and further development of the play read in last year’s series.

Reserve your seat to tonight's reading online or by calling 973.514.1787 X10.

Performance takes place at:
Playwrights Theatre
33 Green Village Road
Madison, NJ 07940

Directions can be found here

FORUM: Playwrights Theatre Reading Series -- 16 New Plays

Playwrights Theatre’s roundtable reading series FORUM will take place at 7pm each evening on November 30, December 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19.

FORUM brings playwrights, actors and audience members together to enjoy the creative process of bringing a play to life. Staged readings of 16 innovative new plays by some of the country’s best writers with intimate discussions between author and audience following each performance.

The readings will be held at Playwrights Theatre, 33 Green Village Road, Madison, NJ. You can attend one reading for $10 or purchase a FORUM PASS which gives you access to the entire festival for $25. Playwrights Theatre’s season subscribers receive a FORUM PASS as a free added bonus.

Reservations can be made online at http://www.ptnj.org/ or call (973) 514-1787 X10.

FORUM Schedule:
Tuesday, November 30 – Auqa by Carrie Louise Nutt
Wednesday, December 1 – Hungry by Lia Romeo
Thursday, December 2 – The Fallen by Yasmine Rana
Friday, December 3 – Revelation by Samuel Brett Williams
Saturday, December 4 – The Sticks by John Wooten
Sunday, December 5 – The Thread of Story by Judah Skoff
Wednesday, December 8 – Trespasser In A Promised Land by Russell Davis
Thursday, December 9 – Mickey and Jean by Richard Dresser
Friday, December 10 – A User’s Guide to Hell Starring Bernie Madoff by Lee Blessing
Saturday, December 11 – Texas Boot by Jeffrey Sweet
Sunday, December 12 – Furies by Matt Bukovac
Wednesday, December 15 – Artist As A Man by Joe Sutton
Thursday, December 16 – The Law Of The Monkeys by Ken Scarborough
Friday, December 17 – Number of People by Emilie Beck
Saturday, December 18 – Marlowe by James Glossman
Sunday, December 19 – The Exceptionals by Robert Clyman

Programs are subject to change, based on artistic need. Please visit the website www.ptnj.org for up-to-the-minutes details.

Lost Boy Found In Whole Foods A Must See

Lost Boy Found In Whole Foods
by Tammy Ryan

a co-production between Playwrights Theatre and Premiere Stages, in partnership with Kean University Human Rights Institute

directed by John Pietrowski

September 2 - 19, 2010

"See. This. Play." Sherri Rase, [Q]onStage

"If you like excellent drama...you must see new, powerful, timely play Lost Boy Found In Whole Foods."Rick Busciglio, Examiner.com

"Almost everything comes together extraordinarily well in director John Pietrowski's crisp production."
Peter Filichia, The Star-Ledger

Click here to purchase tickets online or call the box office at 908-737-7469. Please note: All performances take place at the Zella Fry Theatre on the campus of Kean University.

Performances This Week:
Thursday, Sept 9 at 8pm
Friday, Sept 10 at 8pm
Saturday, Sept 11 at 3pm and 8pm
Sunday, Sept 12 at 3pm

Special Events This Week:
Sunday, Sept 12 - "Sunday Scholars" post-show discussion with Dr. Jay Spaulding, expert on Sudanese History

An optimistic former "Lost Boy" from Sudan meets a suburban mother in desperate need of adventure. What begins as an unlikely friendship soon becomes an unbreakable bond that leads them toward a better understanding of their place in the world.

Click here for directions to Premiere Stages at Kean University

Lost Boy Found In Whole Foods Opens Today

Lost Boy Found In Whole Foods by Tammy Ryan is a co-production between Playwrights Theatre and Premiere Stages in partnership with Kean University Human Rights Institute. The production which previews tonight, September 2, 2010 at 8pm runs through September 19, 2010.


Directed by John Pietrowski
Appropriate for ages 11 and up.

An optimistic “Lost Boy” from Sudan meets a suburban mother in desperate need of adventure. What begins as an unlikely friendship soon becomes an unbreakable bond that leads them toward a better understanding of their place in the world.

Please note: All performances of this production will be held at the Zella Fry Theatre on the Campus of Kean University.

A host of special events will occur in conjunction with the production. For more information, click here.

September 2 - "Pizza Preview" with $10 student tickets and free pizza in the lobby before the show.

To order tickets call the box office at 908-737-7469 or order online.