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(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- The Rutgers Film Co-op/New Jersey Media Arts Center, in association with the Rutgers University Program In Cinema Studies, is proud to present the New Jersey Film Festival Fall 2010 which marks our 29th Anniversary. Showcasing new international films, American independent features, experimental and short subjects, classic revivals, and cutting-edge documentaries, the New Jersey Film Festival Fall 2010 will feature over 50 film screenings. The Festival will run from September 3 through November 4. Annual Halloween 3D Show Experimental Films Highlight Thursday evening screenings Sponsors: The New Jersey Film Festivalsm Fall 2010 is funded and sponsored in part by The Rutgers Film Co-op/New Jersey Media Arts Center; The Rutgers University Program in Cinema Studies/School of Arts and Sciences; Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission/Board of Chosen Freeholders and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts; Eastman Kodak; Johnson & Johnson; New Jersey Books; WCTC/WMGQ; The Home News Tribune; The Highland Park Mirror; The Rutgers University School of Arts and Sciences; the Rutgers University Office of Academic Engagement and Programming; The Rutgers University American Studies Department; Rutgers University School of Arts and Sciences Honors Program; Writers Boot Camp; Baseline/Film Tracker; Jungle Software; New Brunswick City Market; Showbiz Software; The Rutgers University Office of Community Affairs; Rutgers University Presentation Services; The Rutgers University Enhanced Classroom Support Department; Design Ideas; Advanced Printing; Steven C. Schechter, Esq.; Share and Harris. 
(Manasquan, NJ) -- They filled Madison Square Garden and the Academy of Music... headlined at The Filmore East and the Whiskey a Go Go... and today you can see big name performers up close and personal...The Mill in Spring Lake Heights, NJ. The Live at the Mill concert series has featured groups like legendary folk singer Richie Havens, tenor Michael Amante, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees the Lovin' Spoonful. Coming up, The Mill will host Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Dave Mason, formerly of Traffic, on August 12th, Pittsburg rocker and co-writer with Bruce Springsteen of Code of Silence,' Joe Grushecky will appear on August 19th, and E-Street Band member Nils Lofgren on September 10th. "Live at the Mill gives fans an unbelievable opportunity to see the entertainers they have followed for years in an intimate setting where the farthest seat in the house is only 65 feet from the stage," said Don Rodgers, CEO of the Mill. "Especially for E Street Band fans, the Nils Lofgren show has become one of our most popular!" The Live at The Mill dinner show packages include a complete three course dinner and show tickets for as little as $65 per person plus tax. According to Rodgers, The Mill provides a convenient lakeside setting in which to enjoy fabulous entertainment and fine dining. "We've all experienced the excitement of seeing our favorite groups in large, crowded venues. However, we find that our patrons appreciate a smaller intimate setting where they can really connect with the artist on a much more personal level." In addition to "Live at the Mill" concerts, the landmark restaurant offers themed parties at their monthly Mingles Networking Dance Nights, Latin Dance Nights, Ballroom Dance Nights and wine tastings. Ticket information, a complete event schedule, plus a variety of fine and casual dining offerings can be obtained online by visiting The MillNJ.com and by calling 732-449-1800. AWARD-WINNING LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHER SEES CLASSIC HOLIDAY CARDS HOLDING THEIR OWN IN AGE OF SOCIAL NETWORKING
(New York, NY) -- The social networking revolution has transformed virtually every aspect of our daily lives-most notably in the way we share our thoughts and feelings. The possibilities presented by Facebook postings, Tweets and emails are, by definition, expansive and unlimited. Yet, as award-winning photographer, Sue Barr has found in her business, more and more people are seeing the downside of "reaching out" electronically. The proof in the pudding? For Barr, it's holiday cards. 
Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre's new season brings two recent Off-Broadway successes to the stage in South Orange. As always, the theatre tells stories that reflect our shared experience of being human with heart and humor. Dreamcatcher, in its sixteenth season, is the professional theatre in residence at the Baird Center of South Orange and a senior member of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance. This year, the Dreamcatcher Resident Acting Company and its guests will present two mainstage productions, two improvisational comedy nights, two new play readings, one holiday variety show, and one Dreamcatcher Junior show, our annual production for families. Kicking off the season is Multiple Personality Disorder, Dreamcatcher's improvisational comedy troupe, on Saturday, September 25. At this first presentation, season passes will be available for the entire season, and the ticket price for the improv show can be applied to the cost of a pass. This popular event will also be held in the spring on Saturday, April 9, and can be enjoyed by the whole family. Dreamcatcher's fall mainstage production is the New Jersey premiere of a play by Melissa James Gibson entitled THIS. "This" is the moment in time in which Jane, Marrell, Tom and Allan find themselves: the passage into a new phase of their lives. A spouse has been lost to illness, romance has been lost to parenthood, and the old friends' relationships are stretched to the limit. In its 2009 premiere, the New York Times said the "dialogue sparkles with exchanges as truthful as they are clever," and called it the "best new play to open Off-Broadway this fall." THIS will open on October 29 and will play until November 14. On December 3 and 4, 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. Dreamcatcher will present its second mainstage production in March, the New Jersey premiere of Lisa Loomer's 2009 hit comedy DISTRACTED. In the play, a suburban mother and father find that their rambunctious nine-year-old may have Attention Deficit Disorder. As his parents navigate the complicated world of medical and alternative treatments, they confront the possibility that it's not just Jesse that's distracted: it's our entire culture. As funny as it is relevant, the Associated Press called it "a smartly comic, sharply observant and surprisingly humane play," and the reviewer from Time Out New York proclaimed it "my favorite comedy of the year!" DISTRACTED plays March 4 through 20. In the spring, two "Meet the Artist" free new play readings will be held on May 11 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 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 ranges 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. 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. FIRST FRIDAY, the first performance of each mainstage show, costs only $10 for students, and SENIOR SUNDAY, the first matinee performance of each mainstage show, costs only $10 for seniors. The theatre at The Baird is wheelchair accessible, and such access services as large print scripts, assistive listening devices, audio description and open captioning will be available by prior arrangement throughout the season. Performances are in the third-floor theatre at the Baird Center, 5 Mead Street, South Orange, NJ 07079. For more information and tickets for any of Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre's programs, please call 973-378-7754, ext. 2228, and visit www.DreamcatcherRep.org . MAGAZINE CELEBRATES TEN YEARS OF FAILURE
(Nashville, Tenn.) -- "Who would have thought it?," offers Jason Zasky, editor of Failure the independently-owned online magazine reflecting on Failure reaching its tenth anniversary, celebrating with a newly-designed Web site and a collection of stories delving into the worlds most universally-appreciated topic. With the infamous quote of Edmund Burke "Those who dont know history are destined to repeat it" ringing in his ears, Zasky and his team of writers cover the missteps, disasters, and unrealized expectations of man and machine in wonderfully excruciating detail. Current features explore: The ongoing failure of doomsayers to predict the end of the world; the crash of the baseball card industry; the deadly race to discover the Mount Everest of caves; and why Amish businesses are so successful, in spite of religious and cultural limitations. "In a culture that craves success there is no subject more compelling than failure," says Zasky. "And there is no classroom like failure to teach us how to succeed and survive. Failure has and always will be a fascinating lesson worth learning." Failuremag.com was launched in the summer of 2000 at the height of dot-com mania. A lot has changed since dot-coms, tech stocks, and Wall Street went bust but not Failure. Featuring "Failure of the Day," failure quotes, and must-read non-fiction book reviews, failuremag.com covers business, arts, entertainment, history, sports, science, technology and more with an equal mix of curiosity and historical perspective. Notes Zasky: "Every media outlet covers the subject of failure to one degree or another, but no publication has ever put it all in one place. Of course, failure is a loaded word, so we report, analyze, and investigate, but unlike many other publications, we try not to make failure a personal issue." 
UNION, N.J. Premiere Stages at Kean University is collaborating with Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey to produce Tammy Ryan's beautiful play, Lost Boy Found in Whole Foods (September 2 trough 19) in the Zella Fry Theatre on the Kean University campus, located at 1000 Morris Avenue, Union, N.J. In this timely new work, Gabriel, an optimistic former "lost boy" from Sudan meets Christine, a suburban mother in desperate need of attention and adventure. What begins as an unlikely friendship becomes an unbreakable bond that changes the pair and leads them to a better understanding of their place in the world. Four-time Emmy Award Winner Kim Zimmer leads the accomplished professional cast that includes David Farrington, Jamil Mangan, Trish McCall Warner Miller, and Alexandra Rivera. John Pietrowski directs. Best known as Reva Shayne on Guiding Light, Kim is also an accomplished theatre actress, having starred off-Broadway in John Patrick Shanley's Four Dogs and a Bone and in numerous regional productions including The Rainmaker, Jake's Women, Blood Brothers, Dirty Blonde and as Mama Rose in Gypsy. Kim has appeared on McGuyver, Models Inc., Seinfeld, Designing Women, and several films including Body Heat. Artistic Directors John Wooten and John Pietrowski have partnered to develop the play over the past eighteen months through a series of readings and workshops, as assisted by Dramaturg Erica Nagel. "The response has been incredible. It was clear to all involved that this was not a story that should be told, it was one that had to be told" - stated Wooten. The campus community agrees. The Human Rights Institute at Kean University, the Darfur Rehabilitation Project, and the Kean Department of Theatre are collaborating with Premiere Stages and Playwrights Theatre to bring this important new work to the stage. "We feel empowered to have such committed partners working with us to bring this important play to life. It is an amazing story and another example of how the arts often bring topical issues to the forefront." added Wooten. Thanks to a generous grant from the Kean University Quality First Initiative, this production of Lost Boy Found in Whole Foods will include multiple community events featuring scholars and leaders in the field of Human Rights advocacy before and after select performances. A special opening night pre-show reception for donors will be held on September 3rd in Kean University's new Human Rights Institute and a champagne toast with the cast follows the performance. To purchase tickets for this exciting evening, please call 908-737-4092. "This production marks an expansion of our ongoing partnership with Premiere Stages," said John Pietrowski of Playwrights Theatre. We have collaborated on the development of a number of plays, and also on one of our keystone projects, the New Jersey Young Playwrights Festival and Contest. This is an excellent example of how two theatres with similar missions can join together to make their programs and services stronger and more effective." All performances take place in the Zella Fry Theatre on the Kean University campus, located at 1000 Morris Avenue, Union, N.J. Premiere Stages offers affordable prices, air-conditioned facilities and free parking close to the theatre. Premiere Stages provides free or discounted tickets to patrons with disabilities. All Premiere Stages facilities are fully accessible spaces. Please call for a list of sign-interpreted, audio-described or open-captioned performances. Assistive listening devices and large print programs are available at all times. Publications are available with advanced notice in alternate formats. Tickets for productions range from $15 to $25, with discounts for groups. For more information, call 908-737-SHOW or visit www.kean.edu/premierestages . For group rates and packages, please call 908-737-4077. Premiere Stages is made possible in part through funding from 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, Kean's Quality First Initiative, The Westfield Foundation, The Gleason Family Foundation, The Provident Bank Foundation, and through the generous support of individual patrons. Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey is made possible in part through funding from 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, the F.M. Kirby Foundation, Inc., Bank of America, the Bay and Paul Foundation, The Bickford Foundation, Dramatist Guild Fund, Horizon Foundation of New Jersey, The Prudential Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, Travelers, The Victoria Foundation, and many corporations, foundations and individuals. Photo: Warner Miller and Kim Zimmer in rehearsal for Lost Boy Found in Whole Foods at Premiere Stages at Kean University. Photo by Karina Leone 
(Cape May, NJ) - Cape May Stage, South Jersey's premier professional Equity theatre, is pleased to announce a new production of a classic of postmodern existentialist theatre: Samuel Beckett's Happy Days. Starring Lynn (Sex and the City, Munich) and Ron Cohen, Happy Days will open Thursday, August 26 at 8:00 p.m. at the Robert Shackleton Playhouse on Bank and Lafayette Streets. In the original review for the New York Times, Howard Taubman called Happy Days "a song of rue that will haunt the inner ear long after you have heard it." Centering on Winnie, "a woman no longer young", the play is a chilling inspection of the futility of life, inspecting the burdens we all bear. Joined by Willie, her henpecked mate, Winnie's burdens are somewhat literal; nonetheless, she is able to approach her life with an expectation of happiness. While the title of the play is ironic, Winnie finds reasons to consider the days of the play "happy". Artistic Director Roy Steinberg says, "Happy Days resonates anew in 2010 as more couples find themselves in their latter years buried in responsibilities, sometimes debt, and facing health issues. Samuel Beckett, better than any dramatist of our time, explores the questions of existence, communication, and mortality with long-term partners." Funny, touching, and enlightening, Happy Days is sure to challenge the audience. Happy Days received its premiere off-Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theatre in September of 1961. Since then, the play has become one of Beckett's most studied works, with many actresses considering the tour-de-force role of Winnie as being the female equivalent of Hamlet. "When you are given a gift of an artist like Lynn Cohen," says Steinberg, "you search for the right vehicle. This production is a theatrical event with national importance not only because of the level of the artist, but also the fact that we are doing it in a small, sophisticated beach community. These factors speak to our company's mission and echo First Lady Michelle Obama in, 'the arts are not somehow apart from our national life; the arts are at the heart of our national life.'" About the Cast Lynn Cohen (Winnie) appeared at Cape May Stage under the direction of Roy Steinberg in last season's Social Security. In the interim, Lynn had the pleasure of returning to television's Law and Order: Special Victims Unit to play a murderous butcher. She also appeared at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park in Sarah Ruhl's new translation of Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters, directed by John Doyle, and then at George Street Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ., in Creating Claire, a new play by Joe DiPietro, writer of this year's Tony-winning musical Memphis. Of course, she also walked the red carpet to celebrate her continuing appearances as the nanny-housekeeper Magda at the premiere of the latest movie version of Sex and the City. Other film and TV credits include The Extra Man, Steven Spielberg's Munich, Eagle Eye, Charlie Kaufman's Synecdoche, New York, Woody Allen's Manhattan Murder Mystery, Julie Taymor's Across the Universe, Tim Robbins' Cradle Will Rock, Everybody's Fine (with Robert De Niro), Helen Hunt's Then She Found Me, all three Law and Orders, Damages, and Nurse Jackie. Ronald Cohen (Willie) also appeared in last year's Social Security. After wrapping up Social Security, Ronald appeared in the fall at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park in Sarah Ruhl's new translation of Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters, directed by John Doyle. Come early spring, he was again appearing in Three Sisters, this time with The Working Theatre of New York. He also had brief turns this year on Boardwalk Empire, a new HBO series set to debut this fall, and in a film being shot in Tampa, FL, entitled Not Waving But Drowning. Films include such titles as Ablution, Last Call, and Strangers When We Meet. In addition to treading the boards, he was for many years a writer and editor with the fashion industry bible, Women's Wear Daily, and currently writes about Broadway for Musical Stages, London. Show Information Happy Days opens Thursday, August 26, 2010, at 8:00 pm at the Robert Shackleton Playhouse at the corner of Bank & Lafayette Streets in downtown Cape May. Performances thereafter are Wednesday through Sunday through September 25th at 8:00 pm. Tickets are $35 adults, $30 seniors, and $12.50 students. Call (609) 884-1341 for reservations and information or visit the theatre's website, www.capemaystage.com . During the current run Cape May Stage is participating with eight Cape May gourmet restaurants in a money-saving "Dinner & A Show" package promotion - a special night out. Restaurants involved in the promotion include 410 Bank Street, The Blue Pig Tavern, Harry's Bar & Grille at the Montreal Inn, The Ebbitt Room, Frescos, La Verandah at the Hotel Alcott, The Mad Batter, and The Washington Inn. Call the individual restaurants for reservations and information. 
(LONG BRANCH, NJ) -- The New Jersey Repertory Company located at 179 Broadway in Long Branch is proud to present the world premiere comedy Character Assassins by Charlie Schulman September 23 thru October 31. Character Assassins explores what happens when a jaded theater critic with a pen as venomous as a cobra, squares off with a playwright who has reached the end of his creative rope and is now bound for vengeance. Simon Frank can make or break the career of any hapless playwright on a whim and the unfortunate victim this time is Jonathan Burns, who is already but one gasp away from drowning in self-pity and booze. After being briefly hailed as the new Arthur Miller for his first play, Jonathan is then subjected to a relentless barrage of negative reviews for all his subsequent sallies unto the stage, gradually driving him to the brink of self-destruction. Not one to proffer sympathy, Simon disavows all responsibility for the havoc that he causes in people's lives by casually providing the insight that "critics dont close plays, producers do." Character Assassins is a comic-thriller that has more twists and turns than the Colorado winding its way through the Grand Canyon. Amidst picked locks, doors torn from their hinges, police sirens, calls to 911, and a gun intriguingly placed in the middle of a room, Simon and Jonathan enact the archetypal battle between critic and writer. Audiences can experience the excitement of the fastest roller coaster in the world and reach 128 miles per hour of frenetic mayhem merely by taking their seat at New Jersey Rep for the 90 minute ride of Character Assassins. Directed by Dana Benningfield, Character Assassins stars NJ Rep regular Warren Kelley as Simon Frank and newcomer Brad Fraizer as Jonathan Burns. 
(LONG BRANCH, NJ) -- Inspired Life Studios is pleased to present the closing reception for "Urban Canvas", an art show featuring a sampling of artists from the mural & street art initiative that began on South Broadway in Long Branch earlier this month. The work of these artists will be on display for this final night, Friday, September 10th, from 7:30pm to 11:30pm, accompanied by live music by the local Jazz/Funk Band, Sunny Daze. This event is free and open to the public. A short talk and walking tour of the murals in progress will also be available at 7pm, weather permitting. Those interested in this will meet in front of the former Siperstein's location at 128 Broadway in Long Branch. The Long Branch Arts Council kicked off the Urban Canvas Project in early August with the help of Inspired Life Studios' curator/owner, Chris Murphy. The artists in the show include Jason Sisino, Lee Alston, Andrew Ricci, Leon Rainbow, Jonathan Conner, members of the Albus Cavus Group, Ronnie Jackson, and Rev.Chris Murphy, herself. This is an ongoing project, that will eventually cover 50 abandoned buildings on Lower Broadway, as an attempt to bring beauty and culture with a modern "edge", to an otherwise dilapidated area. Sipperstein's Paints helped make this possible by generously donating all the paint and materials that all of the artists are using for the project. This show, hosted by Inspired Life Studios, is just a taste of the great things to come in Long Branch! Inspired Life Studios is a donation based yoga studio and art gallery, located at 560 Broadway #202, at the corner of Pearl Street in Long Branch. Parking is available on Pearl Street, Broadway, or in the municipal lot across the street, accessible from Branchport Ave. For more information, call (732) 222-4524 or visit the website: www.inspiredlifestudios.com . You can also check out Inspired Life Studios on Facebook. Inspired Life Studios offers monthly art shows, as well as donation based yoga classes 7 days a week, and other workshops and events. Inspired Life is dedicated to bringing arts and creativity to the community in an accessible and affordable way that anyone and everyone can enjoy. DOO WOP ROCK-N-ROLL SPECTACULAR AT THE STRAND
(Lakewood, NJ) -- Coming to The Strand Theater on September 11, 2010 the DOO WOP Rock-n-Roll Spectacular at 7:00p.m. Take a trip down memory lane and join us for a night of fun and entertainment featuring several performances from bands such as The Manhattan Skyline (Cara Mia), The Dubs (Could Be Magic), and Vito and the Salutations (Gloria). These legendary bands come together for one show, hosted by Carl Thomas and his Bobby Darin Revue. Audiences will have three options to experience the spectacular performance. The Mezzanine & Pier costing $35.00, Premium seating costing of $50.00 and for $75.00 audience members will receive premium seating that includes a private gourmet and cocktail party before the show with the performers. While you are enjoying the show remember that all the proceeds for this event benefit the Ocean Medical Center Prostate Cancer Fund. We hope to see you there. For more information call the box office at 732-367-7789 or visit the website at www.strand.org . The Strand Theater is located at 4th Street and Clifton Avenue in Lakewood, New Jersey. 
(Red Bank, NJ) -- The tragic events of September 11, 2001 will be remembered and the memory of Lincroft, New Jersey resident Beth A. Quigley, a victim of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, will be honored by a benefit screening of the award-winning documentary "Severe Clear" on September 11, 2010 at Red Bank's Count Basie Theatre. Following the film, there will be a question and answer session with Colts Neck filmmaker and former Marine Corps First Lieutenant Michael Scotti. The event will benefit ReserveAid, the nonprofit organization dedicated to alleviating the emotional and financial burdens placed on the men and women called to active duty, by providing financial support to the service members and their families. "The upcoming benefit event will be a truly special evening in honor of a truly special person. It is an opportunity to honor the memory of Beth by helping our fighting men and women and their families who have been adversely affected by the war," said Scotti. "By doing so, we are celebrating Beth's life." |
