(SUMMIT, NJ) -- Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre, professional theatre in residence at Oakes Center in Summit, is producing the NJ Premiere of String Around My Finger by Brenda Withers. This quiet comedy unfolds in a hospital the day after a couple experiences a miscarriage. Now they must decide what to cling to, and what to release. String Around My Finger runs April 25 through May 12, 2019.
While Emma is still in the hospital after her miscarriage, she and Kip try, with the help or interference of his sister, a physician’s assistant and an insightful older patient, to piece together what their relationship has been and what it still might become. This play previously received its world premiere at Portland Stage, Maine, in 2017, after winning the Clauder Competition for New England playwrights. One review said that the play “resonates with a genuineness of dialogue, character and situation,” mixing the “laughter and sadness that human beings experience in grappling with the twists and turns of life's journey.”
The production is directed by Clark Scott Carmichael (Montclair) and features Dreamcatcher ensemble members Noreen Farley (Clinton), Dave Maulbeck (Madison), Scott McGowan (Maplewood) and Harriett Trangucci (Summit). It also welcomes back Brianna Kalisch (NYC), seen in Dreamcatcher’s production of What Stays last season.
Brenda Withers is a playwright, actor, and founding member of the Harbor Stage Company, a professional ensemble on Cape Cod. Her plays include The Deer and the Antelope, Northside Hollow, The Ding Dongs, and Matt & Ben and have been presented at places like Portland Stage, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, Amphibian Stage, and HERE. Recent onstage credits include Actors Theatre of Louisville, McCarter Theater, Hartford Stage, and American Theater Group. She is the recipient of the Clauder Prize and an Edgerton Award and has enjoyed playwriting residencies with the Huntington, New Georges, and the Camargo Foundation. Brenda studied drama and religion at Dartmouth College.
String Around My Finger will run at Dreamcatcher from Thursday, April 25, a preview performance, through Sunday, May 12, 2019. Performances are Friday and Saturday nights at 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm. Tickets range from $20 to $35, with special rates for subscribers and groups. Purchase tickets at www.dreamcatcherrep.org or by calling Brown Paper Tickets at 800-838-3006. Performances are at Oakes Center, located at 120 Morris Avenue in Summit, New Jersey.
Special dates: Thursday, April 25 is a preview performance; all tickets $20. Friday, April 26 is opening night, followed by a reception with the cast. Sunday, April 28 is Senior Sunday; seniors age 65+ pay $20. Talkbacks follow the April 28 and May 5 matinees.
Parking is available in the lot behind the theatre at 20 Ashwood Avenue and on the street surrounding the theatre. The facility is wheelchair accessible. Assistive listening devices for patrons who are hearing impaired and advance large print scripts are available for free by prior arrangement.
