New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu



 

Premiere Stages To Present Brick City

originally published: 08/16/2018

(UNION, NJ) -- Premiere Stages at Kean University will present Nicole Pandolfo’s Brick City from September 6-23 in Kean University’s Bauer Boucher Theatre Center in Union, NJ.  In the play, worlds collide in Ms. Pandolfo’s topical and compelling new play when Jessie, a combative high school senior with a disability, and Darnell, the star player of the high school basketball team, find themselves together in extended study hall during the most important marking period of their lives.  As Darnell inches dangerously close to throwing away a lucrative college scholarship and Jessie a potential career as an artist, both discover things aren't always as simple as they may seem.

Originally commissioned over a two-year cycle through the NJPAC Stage Exchange and now receiving its first professional production, Brick City will feature actors Rafael Benoit, Jacqueline Correa, Madison Ferris and Chris Grant. Jessi D. Hill, who helmed this season’s workshop of Deneen Reynold-Knott’s Baton, directs.

Brick City is the culmination of a highly collaborative initiative between Premiere Stages, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, and we could not be more excited to end this cycle with a full production of Nicole’s fine play,” stated producing artistic director John J. Wooten. “The project fully embodies our mission and commitment to New Jersey based communities and local artists.”

Now in its fourth year, the NJPAC Stage Exchange pairs cutting-edge play development with insightful community dialogue. An innovative partnership between the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, and three professional producing theatres, the program annually commissions three new plays by three Garden State playwrights, presents free readings of the plays with public commentary at NJPAC in Newark, and ultimately results in three full productions of the plays at the collaborating theatres the following season.

A resident of Ridgewood, Ms. Pandolfo is a 2017 Dramatist Guild Fellow. Her work has been developed at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center as a Playwright Observer, at Tofte Lake as a Jerome Foundation Fellow, and the Lark. She was a finalist for the Stanley Drama Award, the Edward Albee Foundation Fellowship, and the Leah Ryan Fund for Emerging Women Writers. She is a member of The Actors Studio in the Playwright/Director Unit and received her MFA at Hunter College.




Reach New Jersey's largest arts & entertainment audience, click here for info on how to advertise at NJ Stage



Ms. Hill currently serves as the artistic associate for Flying Carpet Theatre Company and the literary team director for Rattlestick Playwrights Theater. She is a recipient of the Denham Fellowship from the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation, an alumna of the Women's Project Lab, and an affiliated artist at New Georges. She previously served as associate artistic director of terraNOVA Collective, where she co-created the Groundbreakers Playwrights Group and Groundworks new works program.

The accomplished cast includes Rafael Benoit, previously seen on television’s “Law and Order: SVU,” “The Blacklist: Redemption” and “Gotham”; Jacqueline Correa, whose distinguished regional credits include the Guthrie Theater, Arena Stage and Arkansas Rep; Madison Ferris, who recently made her Broadway debut opposite Sally Field in Sam Gold's acclaimed revival of The Glass Menagerie; and Chris Grant, a Linden resident and current Kean Theatre Conservatory student making his professional debut.

Patrons are encouraged to arrive early for the performance and enjoy a free art exhibit presented by Kean Galleries in conjunction with the production. Newark’s Papers, a collaboration between Kean alumnus Nelson Álvarez and acclaimed curator Alexis Mendoza, features detail drawings of Newark’s industrial buildings, a favorite subject of Brick City’s fictional Jessie, an aspiring photographer. The exhibit will run now through September 23 in the James Howe Gallery, located on the first floor of Kean University’s Vaughn Eames Hall.

Audience members are also invited to further engage with the issues raised by Ms. Pandolfo’s thought-provoking play through free post-show discussions with community leaders, local experts and artists involved with the production after select matinee performances (September 9, 15 and 22 at 3:00 pm). Featured speakers include Ms.  Pandolfo (Sunday, September 9); Mr. Álvarez and Mr. Mendoza (Saturday, September 15); and Jeremy Johnson, executive director of Newark Arts (Saturday, September 22). Premiere will also offer a series of informal pre-show talks every Saturday evening 30 minutes prior to performance in the lobby of the theatre.

Brick City runs September 6-23 in the Bauer Boucher Theatre Center on the Kean University main campus in Union, N.J. Performances take place Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 pm, Saturdays at 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm, and Sundays at 3:00 pm.  Tickets are $30 standard, $20 for senior citizens and Kean alumni and staff, and $15 for students and patrons with disabilities. Significant discounts for groups of 8 or more apply. To make reservations or to order a season brochure, please call the box office at 908-737-7469 or visit Premiere Stages online at www.premierestagesatkean.com.

Tickets are also available for Premiere Stages’ exclusive Brick City Opening Night Party on Friday, September 7. This event features a pre-show party with wine, hors d’oeuvres, live music, and breathtaking views of the New York City skyline in Kean’s North Avenue Academic Building event space, reserved seating for the performance, and a post-show champagne toast and dessert reception with the cast. Tickets for this exclusive event are $65, and may be purchased by calling 908-737-7469 or emailing ticket@kean.edu.

Premiere Stages offers affordable prices, air-conditioned facilities and free parking close to the theatre. Premiere Stages also provides free or discounted tickets to patrons with disabilities. All Premiere Stages facilities are fully accessible spaces, and companion seating is available for patrons with disabilities. Assistive listening devices and large print programs are available at all times; publications in alternate formats are available with advance notice. Please call 908-737-4077 for a list of sign-interpreted, audio-described or open-captioned performances. For more information, please visit Premiere Stages online at www.premierestagesatkean.com.




Reach New Jersey's largest arts & entertainment audience, click here for info on how to advertise at NJ Stage



Kean University’s Bauer Boucher Theatre Center is located in Vaughn Eames Hall, 1000 Morris Avenue, Union, New Jersey.

Premiere Stages is made possible in part through funding from W. John Bauer and Nancy Boucher, The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, The Northfield Bank Foundation, The Wallerstein Foundation for Geriatric Life Improvement, The Hyde and Watson Foundation, The Union Foundation, E.J. Grassmann Trust, The New Jersey Theatre Alliance, Investors Foundation, The Union County HEART Grant, Les Malamut Art Gallery, Actors’ Equity Association Foundation, and through the generous support of individual patrons and local organizations. Discover Jersey Arts is our marketing partner. Visit www.JerseyArts.com for more information about other arts programming happening around the Garden State. 

PHOTO of Ridgewood resident Nicole Pandolfo. Photo by Ian Alfano




FEATURED EVENTS

ART | COMEDY | DANCE | FILM | MUSIC | THEATRE | COMMUNITY

To narrow results by date range, categories,
or region of New Jersey
click here for our advanced search.


Deathtrap

Deathtrap

Friday, April 25, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Grunin Center - Black Box Theater
1 College Drive, Toms River, NJ 08754
category: theatre

Click here for full event listing

 

The

The Super 70’s Prom! Dinner Theater Show

Friday, April 25, 2025 @ 6:00pm
Avenel Performing Arts Center
150 Avenel Street, Avenel, NJ 07001
category: theatre

Click here for full event listing

 

Deathtrap

Deathtrap

Saturday, April 26, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Grunin Center - Black Box Theater
1 College Drive, Toms River, NJ 08754
category: theatre

Click here for full event listing

 

The

The Super 70’s Prom! Dinner Theater Show

Saturday, April 26, 2025 @ 6:00pm
Avenel Performing Arts Center
150 Avenel Street, Avenel, NJ 07001
category: theatre

Click here for full event listing

 

Vivid

Vivid Stage presents "Gemstones" by Phoebe Farber

Saturday, April 26, 2025 @ 8:00pm
Oakes Center
120 Morris Avenue, Summit, NJ 07901
category: theatre

Click here for full event listing

 

More events

Event Listings are available for $10 and included with our banner ad packages




 

EVENT PREVIEWS

The

The Broadway Theatre of Pitman presents "West Side Story"

(PITMAN, NJ) -- The Broadway Theatre of Pitman presents West Side Story weekends from April 25 through May 18, 2025. Step into the streets of New York City and experience the timeless tale of love, rivalry, and passion. From the first notes to the final breath, West Side Story is one of the most memorable musicals and greatest love stories of all time.



The

The Mo Willems Classic, "Knuffle Bunny" Arrives At The Growing Stage

(NETCONG, NJ) -- The Growing Stage: The Children's Theatre of New Jersey is thrilled to present, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical weekends from May 2-18, 2025. Based on the book by Mo Willems and published by Hyperion Books for Children, the musical features a script and lyrics by Mo Willems and music by Michael Silversher. It tells the story of Trixie, her father and her favorite stuffed bunny as they set off on a trip to the Laundromat.



E.

E. M. Lewis Talks Life Updates and Inspirations as 'How The Light Gets In' Arrives at South Camden Theatre Company

Several years ago, I talked with playwright/teacher/librettist E.M Lewis when her play "Apple Season" was a 2019 selection for the National New Play Network's Rolling World Premier program. According to the NPNN website, "each Rolling World Premiere supports partnerships between three NNPN Member Theaters and a playwright as they work together to develop and produce three distinct productions of a previously unproduced play."



Roy's

Roy's Hall presents The Devil and Daisy Dirt - A Garden State Gothic Event

(BLAIRSTOWN, NJ) -- The Devil and Daisy Dirt - A Garden State Gothic Event comes to Roy's Hall on Saturday, May 3, 2025 at 8:00pm. This production features live music, a life-sized puppet, and takes a deep dive into New Jersey's most intriguing lore. The cast includes Alex Dawson, Dan Diana, Arlan Feiles, and Jackie Fogel. This is one show you won't want to miss!



Theater

Theater League of Clifton to Hold Auditions for "Murder at the Banquet"

(CLIFTON, NJ) -- The Theater League of Clifton will hold auditions for its next dinner/theater production, "Murder at the Banquet," on Friday, May 16 from 7:00pm-9:00pm; Sunday, May 18 from 5:00pm-7:00pm; and Monday, May 19, 2025 from 7:00pm-9:00pm at Mario's Restaurant (710 Van Houten Avenue) in Clifton, New Jersey.