(CAMDEN, NJ) -- South Camden Theatre Company presents Incorruptible by Michael Hollinger weekends from October 28 to November 13 at their home base, the Waterfront South Theatre. Incorruptible is a hysterically funny dark comedy about the dark ages.”
Like its unambiguously ironic title, the play leaves little in the way of metaphorical mystery. Set around 1250 A.D. in Priseaux, France, the story follows a group of struggling monks who have resorted to selling the bones of their local deceased on their newly established black market of Catholic Saints. Shipping them off to distant monasteries, the austere religious leaders pass off the extremities as divine relics with the capacity to work miracles on any passing visitor with a penny and a prayer. Their customers build their religious audiences, the monks replenish their funds for the poor, and everyone goes home happy. After all, moral integrity can do little to fill a poor man’s pocket or a starving man’s stomach. As the most prudent of all the monks, Brother Martin, convincingly argues: “If we can’t do good with our faith alone, then faith alone’s no good.”
With this axiom, Michael Hollinger, the playwright, spins the web that the riotous antics that hit the stage attempt to untangle — or perhaps tangle even further.
Artistic Director, Dawn Varava stated, “When I was asked to choose the final show of our 2022 season, it struck me that we really needed to select a show with a great deal of humor and fun. Life’s been tough over the last couple of years and I personally know I needed a good laugh, so I chose the play Incorruptible.” Dawn continued, “I had understudied for the show when it premiered at the Arden Theatre in 2014. So, I knew just how great and funny the show really is from that experience.”
Dawn chose Drucie McDaniel to direct this very funny play. Drucie has more than 30 years of acting, directing experience for both theatre and film. She is also a member of Actor’s Equity Association and was a founding member of the Walnut Street Theatre School. When asked what she most likes about the play, Drucie said, “I just love the humor in this irreverent, yet inspiring production. Plus, the cast we selected is absolutely delightful and really makes me laugh.”
The cast for the show includes veterans of both stage and screen. They are Russ Walsh, Bastion Carboni, Lorraine Barrett, Steven Butler, Jess Otterbine, CD Schultz, Triston Haq, and Bobbi Block. Stage manager for this production is Jordan Chester.
Robert Bingaman, South Camden’s Board President welcomes this play to South Camden Theatre Company’s stage for the same reason’s Dawn chose the play, “It gives our audience the chance to come to our show, relax and simply enjoy a great story that is filled with laugh-out-loud fun. You’ll want to see this show, it’s a great ending to what has been an incredible season of theatre here at The Waterfront South Theatre.”
Performances take place October 28, 29, 30, November 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13. Tickets are available for general admission at just $20. There is also a Camden Resident ticket available for $5 thanks to a grant from Holman Enterprises. Read more about the show and the cast here.
Michael Hollinger’s plays include nine works that premiered at Philadelphia’s Arden Theatre Company, including An Empty Plate in the Café Du Grand Boeuf, Incorruptible, Tiny Island, Red Herring, Tooth and Claw, Opus, Ghost-Writer, Under the Skin, and the musical TouchTones (co-authored with composer Robert Maggio). Plays premiered elsewhere include Sing the Body Electric at Philadelphia’s Theatre Exile; Hope and Gravity at Pittsburgh’s City Theatre; Cyrano (translated and co-adapted with Aaron Posner) at Washington’s Folger Theatre; and the musical A Wonderful Noise (co-authored with Vance Lehmkuhl) at Creede Rep. Together these works have been produced throughout the U.S., off-Broadway, and abroad (London, Paris, Tokyo, Athens, Poland, and Slovenia). Awards include an ATCA/Steinberg New Play Citation, an L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award, a Mid-Atlantic Emmy, an Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award, the Frederick Loewe Award for Musical Theatre, four Barrymore Awards (including the F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Theatre Artist), nominations for Lucille Lortel and John Gassner awards, and multiple fellowships from the Independence Foundation and Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. Michael is a Professor of Theatre at Villanova University (where he received his MA in Theatre), Artistic Director of Villanova Theatre, and a proud alumnus of PlayPenn and New Dramatists. He shares a life with actor/teacher/director Megan Bellwoar and their children Benjamin and Willa.
South Camden Theatre Company is proud to call Camden home. When the company was founded in 2005, performances were held in the basement theatre of the Sacred Heart Church. We’re now the proud owners of The Waterfront South Theatre, the first, free-standing theatre built for live theatre in Camden in more than 100 years
The Waterfront South neighborhood is a growing arts community. Our arts neighbors now include Camden FireWorks, artist studio spaces, and gallery, The Nick Virgilio Writer’s House, Mighty Writers, Bee Still Studios, The Camden Shipyard & Maritime Museum, Camden Boat Works, and the Center For Environmental Transformation, along with The Heart of Camden, The Camden Sophisticated Sisters, and The Sacred Heart Church.
