(SUMMIT, NJ) -- Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre, in residence at Oakes Center at 120 Morris Avenue in Summit, is announcing its 2015-2016 season. This professional company will bring three productions, including two New Jersey premieres, to the stage in addition to improvisational comedy, new play readings, a holiday variety show and many programs for seniors and students. As always, the Dreamcatcher Resident Acting Company and their guests will tell stories that reflect our shared experience of being human with heart and humor.
Dreamcatcher’s fall mainstage production is The Electric Baby, Stefanie Zadravec’s lyrical comedy that premiered in 2012. When a young man is killed in a car accident, a group of fractured souls encounters a magical dying baby and begin to rewrite the stories of their lives. Folk tales and folklore weave throughout this darkly comic story of sad endings, strange beginnings, and the unlikely people that get you from one place to the next. During its 2012 production, The New York Times said, “The imperceptible magic that pervades human existence and the power of myth to assuage sorrow are invoked by Stefanie Zadravec as she entwines the lives of strangers in The Electric Baby, a touching new drama.” The Electric Baby will open on October 2 and will play until October 18.
The second mainstage production of the season, opening in February, is the New Jersey Premiere of John Kolvenbach’s Sister Play. In this offbeat portrait of family relationships, Anna will do anything to make her sister Lily happy, including destroying all her relationships. When Lily, Anna and her husband Malcolm retreat to their late father’s cabin in Cape Cod, they expect to relax, unwind and take stock. But when a charming but shadowy drifter enters the picture angling for Lily’s heart, their pilgrimage takes a surprising turn. During its recent rolling world premiere in California and Massachusetts, StarkInsider wrote, “Sister Play is why live theater can be so remarkable. You don’t soon forget a play like this.” Sister Play runs February 19 through March 6.
Dreamcatcher’s final mainstage production of the season will be the New Jersey Premiere of Bruce Graham’s poignant family drama The Outgoing Tide. In a summer cottage on Chesapeake Bay, Gunner has hatched an unorthodox plan to secure his family’s future but meets with resistance from his wife and son, who have plans of their own. As winter approaches, the three must quickly find common ground and come to an understanding before the tide goes out. This drama hums with dark humor and powerful emotion. When the play ran Off-Broadway in 2012, The New York Times said, "…this drama brings sensitive observation and minor-key humor to painful situations that many of us will recognize from our own families…its poignant conclusion will have resonance for many in the audience." The Outgoing Tide runs from April 22 through May 8.
The improv comedy group Multiple Personality Disorder will bring its own brand of silliness and spontaneity to life for two evenings during the season. The first MPD show will be on Saturday, September 12, 2015 and the second will be Saturday, May 14, 2016.
From Friday, November 20 through Sunday, November 22 will be an original musical cabaret performance, celebrating the Great American Songbook. A few weeks later, on December 4 and 5, Dreamcatcher will present A Very Special (Holiday) Special, a unique and affectionate send-up of traditional television holiday variety shows. This Very Special Special will include holiday songs, comic sketches and improv, and lots of good old-fashioned fun.
In the spring, two “Meet the Artist” free new play readings will be held on May 18 and 25, thought-provoking experiences which include the opportunity for audience discussion with the writer, director and actors after the performance.
After its month-long Summer Theatre Conservatory for students aged 10-17, Dreamcatcher will present its annual Dreamcatcher Junior production on Friday, July 29, an original family show that always draws on the creativity of its young actors to shape the piece. Each year, the youth company creates a one-of-a-kind piece that has ranged from fairy tale quest to Shakespeare adaptation to musical revue.
Throughout the year, Dreamcatcher offers internships for high school and college students, classes for teens and adults, and many volunteer opportunities. In addition, the theatre provides a menu of outreach programs for students and seniors that travel to other venues. All of Dreamcatcher’s activities center on the collaborative nature of theatre and creating a comfortable environment for artists and audiences of all ages to explore and grow together. The company’s work is supported by grants from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, and several other corporate and individual donors that believe in the power of the arts to bring people together and promote understanding between them.
Season passes may be purchased that provide substantial discounts to all events, and special rates for groups are also available. The theatre at Oakes Center is wheelchair accessible, and such access services as large print scripts, assistive listening devices, and audio description will be available by prior arrangement throughout the season. Performances will be held at Oakes Center, 120 Morris Avenue, Summit, NJ 07901. For more information and tickets for any of Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre’s programs, please call 908-514-9654, and visit www.DreamcatcherRep.org.
About Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre:
Dreamcatcher was founded in 1994, and is a non-profit professional ensemble of actors who build community with the audience by sharing life-affirming stories in an intimate environment. We seek to expose theatregoers to ideas and lives like and unlike their own, to awaken their imaginations and create empathy for others. The company focuses on deepening the experience of our patrons by supplementing the performances with personal contact through receptions, talkbacks, and interactive programs.
Dreamcatcher's core company of professional local actors performs contemporary work that entertains and challenges, and has at its heart a belief in the essential goodness of people. The company’s activities include mainstage productions, improvisational comedy and cabarets, new play readings and a variety of educational and senior outreach programs.
Dreamcatcher’s programs are funded by the New Jersey State council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Dramatist Guild Fund, The Summit Area Public Foundation, the Manley-Winser Foundation, and many other corporations, foundations and individuals. Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre is a senior member of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.
