(UNION, NJ) -- Premiere Stages, the professional theatre company in residence at Kean University, will present Healing Voices: Caregivers’ Stories on Thursday, February 18 at 7:00pm EST on Zoom. Produced in partnership with the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, Healing Voices: Caregivers’ Stories weaves together short works of prose, poetry, and theatre about personal caregiving experiences into an intimate theatrical performance.
Now in its fifth year, this year’s Healing Voices: Caregivers’ Stories will feature work from the eleven writers who were set to present their work at last year’s event, which was postponed due to the pandemic.
This year’s presentation will feature: Caregiving with the Homebound Elderly by Robert Barkovitz; The Snow by Steve Benzell; Make Yourself at Home by Nancy Burke; Made By Hand by Darin Earl; The Guru of Ozone Park by Jack Feldstein; Tvilah (or Arriving Where She Left) by Bailey Garcia; Red Rain by Ross Hewitt; Angel in The Driver's Seat by John Joseph; Blank Canvas by Cisely Martin-Breeden; Lunch at the Memory Unit by Christopher Parker and Hope Lives by Natalie Zaman.
Healing Voices: Caregivers’ Stories is free. Advance registration is required to attend the reading. For more information and to register for the reading visit www.premierestagesatkean.com .
Every year, the New Jersey Theatre Alliance invites caregivers to submit short works of prose, poetry, theatrical monologues and scenes for inclusion in an original theatrical piece about caregiving. Caregivers are not restricted to medical personnel; anyone who has provided care to someone in need is encouraged to submit a story about the experience.
“The Alliance is grateful that Premiere Stages is participating in the 2021 Stages Festival,” said John McEwen, Executive Director of the Alliance. “For more than 20 years, The Stages Festival has provided theatrical experiences for thousands of residents across New Jersey. While we may be gathering a bit differently this year, we are thrilled that theatre can remain a source of connection and joy in the Garden State. These efforts would not be possible without the wonderful help of partners such as Premiere Stages.”
The New Jersey Theatre Alliance 2021 Stages Festival is made possible by support from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts; Bank of America; The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey; OceanFirst Foundation; the George A. Ohl, Jr. Trust; New Jersey Historical Commission; and Fund for the New Jersey Blind. A full calendar of events is available here.
Premiere Stages wishes to express gratitude to the following Performers’ Unions: ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION, AMERICAN GUILD OF MUSICAL ARTISTS, AMERICAN GUILD OF VARIETY ARTISTS, SAG-AFTRA through Theatre Authority, Inc. for their cooperation in permitting the Artists to appear in this event. Healing Voices’ Caregivers’ Stories will benefit the The New Jersey Theatre Alliance. The mission of New Jersey Theatre Alliance is to unite, promote, strengthen, and cultivate New Jersey’s professional theatres and to advance the theatre community by developing innovative, collaborative, and engaging programs and services for member theatres and their diverse audiences. To make a donation, click here.
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.
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 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.
Created in 2004, Premiere Stages is the professional Equity theatre in residence at Kean University. Through its unique partnership with Kean, Premiere’s play development programs, educational initiatives, and professional development opportunities actively embrace the university's academic curriculum while expanding the scope, accessibility, and prestige of the professional programming on campus.
Founded in 1855, Kean University has become one of the largest metropolitan institutions of higher education in the region, with a richly diverse student, faculty and staff population. Kean continues to play a key role in the training of teachers and is a hub of educational, technological and cultural enrichment serving nearly 15,000 students. The University’s five undergraduate colleges offer more than 50 undergraduate degrees over a full range of academic subjects. The Nathan Weiss Graduate College offers six doctoral degree programs and more than 60 options for graduate study leading to master’s degrees, professional diplomas or certifications. With campuses in Union and Toms River, New Jersey, and Wenzhou, China, Kean University furthers its mission by providing an affordable and accessible world-class education.
