BACKSTAGE

with the Chatham Community Players

June 2005

Trustees Report and Annual Awards Made...

Awards Graphic ... At Chatham Community Players Annual Meeting on May 18, Debby Hennessy, outgoing President, presented a retrospective of the many highlights of the just-completed season.

Also at the meeting, the Shipler Award for an outstanding contribution during the entire season was presented to Joelle Bochner. The Dawley Award, for long-time meritorious service, was presented jointly to Kathy and Steve Ruskin (each received a silver bowl). And our intrepid photographer, Jenny Fischer, received a special gift as a thank you upon her retirement from that duty. Another feature of the meeting was a sparkling entertainment presented by our high school interns.

A highlight was the announcement of the upcoming subscription season: "Brighton Beach Memoirs" ...in the fall; "Master Class" ...winter; and "Pippin" ...spring musical. Plan to subscribe to our terrific 84th season!

Auditions for "Brighton Beach Memoirs"

The Chatham Players is pleased to announce auditions for "Brighton Beach Memoirs" by Neil Simon. Beginning Chatham's 84th season, the show opens October 7 and runs through October 22. Director Joe Nierle returns to Chatham (Chess, Sweeney Todd, Secret Garden) and asks that actors come prepared to read from the script. Actors do not have to be the age of the character, but they should be able to play the age of the character. Auditions will be held on Tuesday, June 21, and Wednesday, June 22, at 7 p.m. at The Chatham Playhouse, 23 North Passaic Avenue, Chatham.

"Brighton Beach Memoirs" is a portrait of the writer as a Brooklyn teen in 1937. This coming-of-age story focuses on Eugene Jerome. The cast consists of four women ages 13-40 and three men, ages 15-40.

The cast breakdown is as follows:

Eugene Jerome 15 year old boy who narrates us through the story of his family and his personal realizations about girls and the way of life. Stanley Jerome Eugene's 19 year-old brother who is concerned with his own life, but does play the big brother to Eugene. Jack Jerome 40 years old. Father/husband working overtime to feed and support his family. Kate Jerome 38 years old. Hard working, "keeping the family together,"no-nonsense woman. Blanche 38 year old sister to Kate. A widow who lives with the Jerome family with her two daughters, Nora and Laurie. Nora 16 years old; Growing up Laurie 13 years old; Playing helpless

Chatham Community Players has an open casting policy. All roles are open, none are pre-cast. For more details please visit our auditions page. If you have any questions or concerns, call Kristin Barber at (732) 208-4184 or e-mail casting@chathamplayers.org.

All are welcome to join our Painting Party

We need to turn our theatre back into a Black Box theatre in time for our Jersey Voices, one act festival. A group of us are meeting on Saturday, June 25th from 11am — 3pm. We will have rollers, paint brushes and paint. Dress in your least favorite outfit and join in on all the fun!

You do not need any painting talent — all are welcome!

Jersey Voices set for Summer Run

Jersey Voices Logo Jersey Voices, the Chatham Community Players' annual festival of original one-act plays, will have its 11th season from July 29 & 30 through August 4, 5, & 6. Jersey Voices is produced by Bob Denmark. Bob Lukasik is the Artistic Director, and Assistant Artistic Director is Maybelle Cowan Lincoln. The following authors, directors, and actors will be featured:

"Ebbets Field" by Frank Briamonte: What is life but some of our memories: Daniel, a middleaged man, his father, Vincent, and Leslie, a caretaker at an assisted living facility, will be played by Jim Broderick of Iselin, Keith Beechey of Fairfield, and Gloria Mui of South Orange. Kate Schlesinger directs.
"In Sickness and Fine China" by Margaret Ruvoldt, will be directed by Joanne Scanlon. Chess Lankford of Summit plays a groom-to-be, and Laura Brown of Morris Plains, the bride. The stresses of a relationship can show up in the strangest of places.
Henry Meyerson is the author of "Silence", which will be directed by Jon DeAngelis; it features Deborah Bernstein of Maplewood, and Tom Drummer and Joshua Dick of Chatham. The closest lines of communication can be broken by tragedy.
The boys of summer will be boys. John Saul of Morristown plays Mel, a baseball fan, and Kristin Barber of East Stroudsburg, PA his wife, in Gary Shaffer's "In the Beginning." This play will be directed by Arnold Bucchaine.
Mark Phelan directs "Old Fashioned Dating" by Eric Alter, which features Jo Ray of Berkeley Heights, Paul Bettys of Parsippany, Peter Curley of Maplewood, and Laura Carey of Ledgewood. Truly, beauty is not skin deep.
"Executive Dreams", a theatrical ballet, conceived and choreographed by Donald Earle Howes, will also be part of the program.

Here and There...

...Sean Hennessy was Lighting Designer on "Happy Hour" at 12 Miles West...Jonathan Wierzbicki (Jersey Voices) and David C. Neal (Jersey Voices) are performing in Circle Players "Girl Gets Boy"...Meghan Luckey ("All My Sons", "Pride & Prejudice", "Blood Brothers") Edith, and Scott Hart ("Joseph...Coat", "West Side Story") just performed in Barn Theatre's production of "Pirates of Penzance"...Elissa Strell ("Into the Woods") directed "Eve," Steve Nitka ("...Cuckoo's Nest") performed in "Neatsfoot Oil," and Paul Bettys (Jersey Voices) acted in "Hope Springs" in Barn Theatre's 2005 Playwrights Festival... "Bat Boy" at Brundage Park Players opens with Don Howes (Jersey Voices, "Roll Call") as Choreographer; Kym Frank ("Side Man") directs; and Tracy Lynne Haskell ("Blood Brothers") and Jeff Dopson ("A Little Night Music") are in the cast.

From Theater to Film

Chris Furlong and Chris Messineo's film company, Off Stage Films, has had a busy and successful month. Fifty-two teams competed in the annual "NYC Midnight Run," a 24-hour film competition. Their entry, "The Piggy Bank," advanced to the finals and was awarded "4th Runner up." The film starred Paul Rivers ("Enchanted April," "A Christmas Carol," "Blood Brothers") and was shown publicly at the NYU Film Center in New York on May 22. "The Hunter," their short silent film, was featured at the "Music In the Dark III Film Festival" in New York on May 18; Emmy-award winning composer Michael Whalen composed the score. And finally, "The Aggie" appeared on May 7 at Arlene's Grocery Picture Show, an International film festival held each year in New York. For more information, visit offstagefilms.com.

Thanks...

...to all our generous friends who have recently sent contributions to Chatham Community Players. Our expenses are only partially met by subscription and ticket receipts, and we need your help to continue offering quality live theater, as well as our associated intern and outreach programs. We are a registered non-profit organization, and donations are tax-deductible to the extent the law permits.



				BACKSTAGE with the Chatham Community Players June 2005 Trustees Report and Annual Awards Made... ... At Chatham Community Players Annual Meeting on May 18, Debby Hennessy, outgoing President, presented a retrospective of the many highlights of the just-completed season. Also at the meeting, the Shipler Award for an outstanding contribution during the entire season was presented to Joelle Bochner. The Dawley Award, for long-time meritorious service, was presented jointly to Kathy and Steve Ruskin (each received a silver bowl). And our intrepid photographer, Jenny Fischer, received a special gift as a thank you upon her retirement from that duty. Another feature of the meeting was a sparkling entertainment presented by our high school interns. A highlight was the announcement of the upcoming subscription season: "Brighton Beach Memoirs" ...in the fall; "Master Class" ...winter; and "Pippin" ...spring musical. Plan to subscribe to our terrific 84th season! Auditions for "Brighton Beach Memoirs" The Chatham Players is pleased to announce auditions for "Brighton Beach Memoirs" by Neil Simon. Beginning Chatham's 84th season, the show opens October 7 and runs through October 22. Director Joe Nierle returns to Chatham (Chess, Sweeney Todd, Secret Garden) and asks that actors come prepared to read from the script. Actors do not have to be the age of the character, but they should be able to play the age of the character. Auditions will be held on Tuesday, June 21, and Wednesday, June 22, at 7 p.m. at The Chatham Playhouse, 23 North Passaic Avenue, Chatham. "Brighton Beach Memoirs" is a portrait of the writer as a Brooklyn teen in 1937. This coming-of-age story focuses on Eugene Jerome. The cast consists of four women ages 13-40 and three men, ages 15-40. The cast breakdown is as follows: Eugene Jerome 15 year old boy who narrates us through the story of his family and his personal realizations about girls and the way of life. Stanley Jerome Eugene's 19 year-old brother who is concerned with his own life, but does play the big brother to Eugene. Jack Jerome 40 years old. Father/husband working overtime to feed and support his family. Kate Jerome 38 years old. Hard working, "keeping the family together,"no-nonsense woman. Blanche 38 year old sister to Kate. A widow who lives with the Jerome family with her two daughters, Nora and Laurie. Nora 16 years old; Growing up Laurie 13 years old; Playing helpless Chatham Community Players has an open casting policy. All roles are open, none are pre-cast. For more details please visit our auditions page. If you have any questions or concerns, call Kristin Barber at (732) 208-4184 or e-mail casting@chathamplayers.org. All are welcome to join our Painting Party We need to turn our theatre back into a Black Box theatre in time for our Jersey Voices, one act festival. A group of us are meeting on Saturday, June 25th from 11am — 3pm. We will have rollers, paint brushes and paint. Dress in your least favorite outfit and join in on all the fun! You do not need any painting talent — all are welcome! Jersey Voices set for Summer Run Jersey Voices, the Chatham Community Players' annual festival of original one-act plays, will have its 11th season from July 29 & 30 through August 4, 5, & 6. Jersey Voices is produced by Bob Denmark. Bob Lukasik is the Artistic Director, and Assistant Artistic Director is Maybelle Cowan Lincoln. The following authors, directors, and actors will be featured: "Ebbets Field" by Frank Briamonte: What is life but some of our memories: Daniel, a middleaged man, his father, Vincent, and Leslie, a caretaker at an assisted living facility, will be played by Jim Broderick of Iselin, Keith Beechey of Fairfield, and Gloria Mui of South Orange. Kate Schlesinger directs. "In Sickness and Fine China" by Margaret Ruvoldt, will be directed by Joanne Scanlon. Chess Lankford of Summit plays a groom-to-be, and Laura Brown of Morris Plains, the bride. The stresses of a relationship can show up in the strangest of places. Henry Meyerson is the author of "Silence", which will be directed by Jon DeAngelis; it features Deborah Bernstein of Maplewood, and Tom Drummer and Joshua Dick of Chatham. The closest lines of communication can be broken by tragedy. The boys of summer will be boys. John Saul of Morristown plays Mel, a baseball fan, and Kristin Barber of East Stroudsburg, PA his wife, in Gary Shaffer's "In the Beginning." This play will be directed by Arnold Bucchaine. Mark Phelan directs "Old Fashioned Dating" by Eric Alter, which features Jo Ray of Berkeley Heights, Paul Bettys of Parsippany, Peter Curley of Maplewood, and Laura Carey of Ledgewood. Truly, beauty is not skin deep. "Executive Dreams", a theatrical ballet, conceived and choreographed by Donald Earle Howes, will also be part of the program. Here and There... ...Sean Hennessy was Lighting Designer on "Happy Hour" at 12 Miles West...Jonathan Wierzbicki (Jersey Voices) and David C. Neal (Jersey Voices) are performing in Circle Players "Girl Gets Boy"...Meghan Luckey ("All My Sons", "Pride & Prejudice", "Blood Brothers") Edith, and Scott Hart ("Joseph...Coat", "West Side Story") just performed in Barn Theatre's production of "Pirates of Penzance"...Elissa Strell ("Into the Woods") directed "Eve," Steve Nitka ("...Cuckoo's Nest") performed in "Neatsfoot Oil," and Paul Bettys (Jersey Voices) acted in "Hope Springs" in Barn Theatre's 2005 Playwrights Festival... "Bat Boy" at Brundage Park Players opens with Don Howes (Jersey Voices, "Roll Call") as Choreographer; Kym Frank ("Side Man") directs; and Tracy Lynne Haskell ("Blood Brothers") and Jeff Dopson ("A Little Night Music") are in the cast. From Theater to Film Chris Furlong and Chris Messineo's film company, Off Stage Films, has had a busy and successful month. Fifty-two teams competed in the annual "NYC Midnight Run," a 24-hour film competition. Their entry, "The Piggy Bank," advanced to the finals and was awarded "4th Runner up." The film starred Paul Rivers ("Enchanted April," "A Christmas Carol," "Blood Brothers") and was shown publicly at the NYU Film Center in New York on May 22. "The Hunter," their short silent film, was featured at the "Music In the Dark III Film Festival" in New York on May 18; Emmy-award winning composer Michael Whalen composed the score. And finally, "The Aggie" appeared on May 7 at Arlene's Grocery Picture Show, an International film festival held each year in New York. For more information, visit offstagefilms.com. Thanks... ...to all our generous friends who have recently sent contributions to Chatham Community Players. Our expenses are only partially met by subscription and ticket receipts, and we need your help to continue offering quality live theater, as well as our associated intern and outreach programs. We are a registered non-profit organization, and donations are tax-deductible to the extent the law permits.