Arts & Entertainment

Jersey Voices Festival in Final Weekend

The one-act festival highlighting Garden State voices comes to the Chatham Playhouse.

The best of what New Jersey has to offer the theatrical world is a lot closer than you may think.

The 19th Annual Jersey Voices Festival returns to the Chatham Playhouse this year, with two final performances now through Saturday featuring six original  short plays by New Jersey playwrights.

"The plays this year run the gamut from comedy to heart gripping drama and the themes cover many aspects of life such as loss, fear and unconditional love," Chris Furlong of the Chatham Community Players said.

The plays also feature New Jersey directors and actors who get to experiment with new roles. Bob Lukasik, artistic director of the festival, said, "We are very pleased to have four veteran directors returning and two new directors" at this year's festival.

Producer Bob Denmark said, "I’m constantly amazed and excited by the creativity, the resilience, the persistence of the playwrights of New Jersey whose plays we get to present every summer.” 

Each August when the festival ends, the process begins again. Playwrights immediately send  their scripts in to the Chatham Community Players for consideration for next year's festival. In 19 years, over 70 playwrights have had over 100 plays performed at the festival.

The plays in this year's festival are:

  • "Most Beautiful Rock" by Eric Alter of West Orange. The Story of War told and heard by people who aren't quite ready to hear it and are surprised by how it ultimately resolves. This production features Cara Heary of Summit, Jon Beeler of Cedar Grove, Jeff Maschi of Milltown, Jim Clancy of Basking Ridge and Lewis T. Decker of Millington. Directed by Joann Scanlon of Chatham.
  • "One Woman's Onions" by Mark McCarthy from Union City. Two modern suburban sisters with separate lives dance around their differences, but finally come to the fact that they love and care for each other and will find a place of common thought. This production features Tara Cioletti of Wayne and Alexandra Landau of Florham Park. Directed by Arnold Buchiane of Summit.
  • "Fool Me Twice" by Jerrod Bogard of New York, NY. Being Royalty is really just a business... This production features Miriam Salerno of Millburn, Jeff Foote of Denville and Jim Clancy of Basking Ridge. Directed by Paul Bettys of Denville. 
  • "Aquasize" by Loretta Napolitano of Denville. A group of Senior Citizens adjust to their ages and the reality while trying to get their exercise in. This production features Ellen Fraker-Glasscock of Chester, Geraldine Baillod of Rockaway, Melissa Lowver of Summit, Gwyn E. Nielsen of Scotch Plains, Art Seif of Berkeley Heights and Dickson Lane of West Orange. Directed by Steve Catron of Mendham.
  • "The 5564 to Toronto" by Karen Howes of Madison. The impossible to believe happens in a near empty bus terminal at 4:00 in the morning. This production features Chip Prestera of Stirling and Anna McCabe of Morristown. Directed by Ron Mulligan of Bloomfield.
  • "Keli Richards" by Omar Kozarsky from Mahwah. Love is blind and love endures. Unrequited love, though, is still tough to live with.  This production features Julie Ann Nolan of Little Falls, Scott Tyler of Morristown and Lewis T. Decker of Millington. Directed by Megan Ferentinos of Cranford.

Performance dates are Friday and Saturday evenings, August 2 and 3. All performances begin at 8 p.m. at the Chatham Playhouse, 23 North Passaic Ave. in Chatham, NJ.  Tickets are $15 for adults (19 and older) and $10 for youth (18 and under).  

Tickets can be purchased online at ccp.ticketleap.com, and more details can be found at the Box Office at (973) 635-7363 or www.chathamplayers.org

Festival organizers recommend purchasing tickets in advance, and anyone needing special needs should contact the playhouse at least 24 hours in advance.


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