(UNION, NJ) -- The Theater Project presents Kaleidoscope Kabaret, an evening of short plays from its Playwrights Workshop This annual showcase of new work will be offered this year on Zoom, Friday and Saturday November 20 and 21 at 7:30pm. Audiences are invited to see a variety of new work from authors whose plays have been performed in Canada, Great Britain, New York and around the US. Tickets are $15 (suggested donation) for this online event.
The Playwrights Workshop meets privately so members can share work in progress and get feedback from their colleagues. Once a month, a full-length play is read aloud for the public followed by a lively discussion with the author; once a year, short plays are rehearsed and produced for the Kabaret showcase.
The Theater Project also showcases one student writer in each Kabaret. This year’s event includes a play by Jacob Makofske, a senior at Northern Highlands Regional High School, Allendale, an honoree in The Theater Project’s 2020 Young Playwrights Competition. Jacob, who plans to study film production, says of the experience, “It’s been life-changing. It’s boosted my confidence and it’s opened up so many amazing opportunities for me.” Jacob is directing and producing his short play HERO MAN with fellow students with support from The Theater Project.
“The Kabaret is nearly 20 years old – this is the first time it has been presented online,” says Theater Project artistic director Mark Spina. “We don’t want to see that tradition of supporting new work interrupted. We are proud to be able to offer virtually all of our programs on virtual platforms.”
Each play will be prerecorded; a live playwrights forum will cap each evening, with writers Lynn Marie Macy of Cranford, Joseph Vitale of Denville, Mike Sockol of Holmdel, Valerie Stack Dodge of Morris Plains, Gail Lou DeSandies of Englewood and Andrew Barnes of Brooklyn.
The Theater Project, an award-winning New Jersey theater company in its 26th year, is known for presenting outrageous comedy as well as drama with social commentary. Like many other theaters, it has leapt to meet “the show must go on” challenge of Covid-19 for the sake of audiences and artists. In the words of young playwright Jacob Makofske, “Thank you for everything you have done to keep theater alive virtually over the last few months; I can’t imagine that it’s been easy, but it certainly is appreciated.”
