(TRENTON, NJ) -- From the minds of Kate Brennan and David Lee White comes Clean Slate, a new musical that tells the story of a group of disaffected high school students who are sent to a rehabilitation camp. The show is the second installment in Brennan and White’s Infinity Trilogy and makes its world premiere this winter in a co-production with Rider University and Passage Theatre Company.  The production will be presented in Rider University’s Yvonne Theatre (2083 Lawrenceville Rd, Lawrence Township) February 24th-26th, 2023 and Passage Theatre’s Mill Hill Playhouse (205 E. Front Street, Trenton)  March 10th-12th, 2023.

While at Camp Clean Slate, the campers notice that they may, or may not, be haunted by the souls of former campers who have gone missing. A story of radical empathy, the piece explores the need to remember who we used to be in order to move forward.

“This show fits in perfectly with this season’s theme of Foundations for our Future,” says Passage’s Artistic Director, Ryanne Domingues. “It explores the nature of empathy and forgiveness of both ourselves and others. It also gives us the opportunity to work with the incredibly talented students in Rider University’s Department of Theatre & Dance. Having students work alongside professional actors allows everyone in the process to learn something new.”

In the show, we meet Andi, a troubled young girl who is sent to a summer camp  for troubled teens called “Clean Slate”. There, she meets a number of other campers with demons in their pasts. Even more troubling is that the woods that surround them appear to be haunted. One night, Andi strikes up a conversation with a mysterious voice emanating from a pile of rocks. She discovers that the voice belongs to a young woman named Cassie who ran away from the Clean Slate program years earlier and has been lost ever since. As the days pass, the campers discover that they must work together to save themselves and the forest, and to unlock a brighter future.

Clean Slate began its development at McCarter Theater’s Education Program in 2018, followed by a workshop with Ignition Arts at the Lyric Theatre in Oklahoma City in 2019, and was a finalist for Notre Dame College’s New Works Festival in 2021. This past year, Passage Theatre held two workshops and presented an outdoor staged reading in Mill Hill Park that assisted in the creative preparation of the script and music. Passage audiences will be welcomed into a space that celebrates the empowerment of youth and community commitment to the greater good. This begins on March 1st with the company’s Community Dialogue that speaks to how we can support Trenton youth in our current climate. Patrons are invited to join the conversation via Zoom from 6:30-8:30pm. In addition, Passage Theatre will partner with local organizations such as Trenton Cycling Revolution, The RISE Center, Artworks Trenton, and The Watershed Institute to engage the local community and provide further exploration of the themes presented in the show.

Clean Slate presents music and lyrics by Kate Brennan with a book by David Lee White. This production is directed by C. Ryanne Domingues with musical direction by Louis Danowsky. The cast contains both current Rider University students and professional Equity actors. Audiences are encouraged to purchase tickets by visiting rider.edu or passagetheatre.org.

COVID HEALTH AND SAFETY: PASSAGE THEATRE - Passage Theatre is committed to the safety and wellbeing of our community.  They are actively monitoring the current trends in the COVID-19 Pandemic, and currently require that patrons wear masks when in the theater. Masks are available free upon request. Please social distance when consuming food or drink.

When possible, Passage encourages patrons to purchase tickets in advance to reduce wait time at the box office. Both virtual and paper programs will be available. Hand sanitizer will be available at several locations throughout the facility.

Refunds and Exchanges: If Passage needs to cancel a performance, a patron’s ticket will be fully refunded. If a patron needs to reschedule a visit for health reasons, they may do so for any performance throughout the season with a ticket of equal or lesser value. 

Photos by Jeff Stewart Photography