By John Posada
originally published: 07/06/2023
(MAPLEWOOD, NJ) -- “No matter how old you get, love, longing, jealousy, and hope remain constant” -- Sunset Park by award-winning writer Joseph Vitale kicks off the Summer Season at The Theater Project, a leading incubator for rising talent and a showcase for New Jersey artists. The company is returning to Maplewood’s Burgdorff Cultural Center, with a packed schedule of new and lesser-known work. Photographer John Posada was on hand to take photos.
Sunset Park, performing July 6-16, consists of four intertwining stories about growing older and coming to terms with the changes in our lives. The play was a finalist in the 2022 NY Theatre Festival, with cast members Michael Bias (Bergenfield, NJ) and Sue-Ellen Mandell (Nyack, NY) receiving nominations for best actor and actress.
“It is said that childhood is its own country,” said Vitale, “and in many ways so is getting older. We cross an invisible barrier of sorts and suddenly have to deal with things we’ve never had to deal with before, physically and emotionally. I wanted to write a play about what changes in the human spirit as we age and what remains the same.”
The cast also includes Valerie Stack Dodge (Morris Township), Gary Glor (Union), Becca McLarty (Montclair) and Jack Coggins (Hoboken). The play is directed by Theater Project artistic director Mark Spina (Union).
“We are very proud to count Joe Vitale among our workshop member playwrights,” said Spina.
Vitale, a finalist for the 2020 Woodward-Newman drama prize and recipient of a NJ Council on the Arts fellowship in playwriting, is the author of a number of plays, including Dragons in the Crease, which was performed at New York’s Hudson Guild Theater in 2019. Murrow, a one-man show about the life of Edward R. Murrow (called “a dramatic masterpiece” by the Huffington Post), was performed Off-Off Broadway in 2016. His one-acts have been performed around the country, and his play The Interpreter, about the Nuremberg Trials, was produced by The Theater Project. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild.
Tickets range from $20-$32 and are available for purchase online. The Burgdorff Center for the Arts is located at 10 Durand Road in Maplewood, New Jersey.
Made possible by funds from the Essex County Division of Cultural Affairs, and the New Jersey Arts and Cultural Renewal Fund, show times are Thursday-Saturday at 8:00pm with a 2:00pm Sunday matinee. Sunset and Miss Abigail will feature post-show ‘talkbacks’ each Friday night while Kabaret will have meet-and-greets after each performance.
Here are more photos from the production.
The Theater Project, which received another prestigious National Endowment for the Arts grant in 2021, has gained regional and national recognition for its ongoing projects including its annual Young Playwrights Competition, ARK (Actors Reading with Kids) program, the Think Fast short play competition—which attracted writers from throughout the county.
The Theater Project—a 501(c)3 non-profit, professional theater producing off-Broadway quality shows for New Jersey audiences—is offering a multi-show FlexPass as well as discounted pricing for students and seniors. Single ticket prices are $32 for general admission, $25 for seniors and students. Senior Sunday prices—the first Sunday of each play performance—are $20. FlexPasses are $75 for a three-play pass and $55 for a two-play pass
About the author: John Posada is a New Jersey based photographer specializing in photographing live theatre and music performances. Currently, John has spent the last 6 years concentrating on photographing almost 400 theater productions at over 70 different NJ theatres. Click here for John's website.
EVENT PREVIEWS
The Maplewood Strollers to present a Broadway Karaoke Party on June 12th
(MAPLEWOOD, NJ) -- The Maplewood Strollers present a Broadway Karaoke Party on Friday, June 12, 2026 at the Burgdorff Center for the Performing Arts. The event, which serves as a fundraiser for the theater company, begins at 7:30pm.
Mile Square Theatre presents "An Evening in the Woods: Musical Selections from Into the Woods" on June 13th
(HOBOKEN, NJ) -- Mile Square Theatre will hold its first-ever Education Program Fundraiser, An Evening in the Woods: Musical Selections from Into the Woods in Concert, on Saturday, June 13, 2026 at 7:00pm, with a preshow reception beginning at 6:00pm.
The Growing Stage presents round 2 of the 2026 New Play Reading Festival on June 13th
(NETCONG, NJ) -- The Growing Stage presents round 2 of the 2026 New Play Reading Festival on Friday, June 13, 2026 at 4:00pm. The plays include Snapped, The Wind in the Wildflowers, Timmon and the Magic Shoes, and My Tree.
Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey presents "American Folktales" on Saturday
(MADISON, NJ) -- The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (STNJ) presents American Folktales, the next installment in the Theatre's popular Classics for Kids! series, on Saturday, June 13, 2026 at 11:00am at the F. M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre. The performance is appropriate for all ages.
Players Guild of Leonia presents The Marshall Playwright Showcase from June 12-14
(LEONIA, NJ) -- The Players Guild of Leonia presents The Marshall Playwrights Showcase from June 12-14, 2026. Named in honor of their long-time PGL member, Helene Marhsall, the showcase includes five original one-acts making for an unforgettable night! Works are by Keith Whalen, Conor Casey, Michael Gage Costa, and Chris Widney.
Studio Players' Reading Series presents "The Laramie Project 10 Years Later" on June 14th
(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- Studio Players' Reading Series presents a Staged Reading of "The Laramie Project 10 Years Later" on Sunday, June 14, 2026 at 7:00pm. Written by Moises Kaufman and Leigh Fondakowski, this is a powerful and deeply moving epilogue to the groundbreaking original. The reading is directed by Thomas J. Donohoe II.
The Company Theatre Group presents a Staged Reading of "Final Day, the Musical" on June 16th
(HACKENSACK, NJ) -- The Company Theatre Group presents a Staged Reading of Final Day, the Musical in the Ruth Bauer Neustadter Gallery at Hackensack Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, June 16, 2026 at 3:00pm & 7:00pm. Set on the final day of World War II in Germany, Final Day follows prisoners awaiting liberation as they confront a camp commandant under orders to execute them all.
interACT Theatre Productions presents "Psycho Beach Party"
(MAPLEWOOD, NJ) -- interACT Theatre Productions presents Psycho Beach Party by Charles Busch presented as part of OUT IN MAPSO PRIDE 2026 with two performances June 19-20 at The Burgdorff Center for the Performing Arts.
Magnolia Productions presents "The Vagina Monologues"
(ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ) -- Magnolia Productions presents "The Vagina Monologues" across two weekends from June 12-20, 2026 at the Navesink Library. A whirlwind tour of a forbidden zone, Eve Ensler's Obie Award-winning play features personal monologues from women of various ages, races and sexualities.
Wharton Community Players present "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
(BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ) -- The Wharton Community Players invite audiences to step into a world of magic, romance, and mischief with their upcoming production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Wharton Performing Arts School faculty member Lilli Markey. Performances take place across two weekends from June 12-21, 2026.
MORE EVENTS
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