(EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- Wit, a drama by Margaret Edson and directed by Ed Faver runs weekends from April 25 - May 4, 2025 at Playhouse 22, as part of the theater's "On the Edge" series. The play centers on Vivian Bearing, a brilliant and seemingly unemotional poetry professor as she undergoes an experimental and extremely aggressive chemotherapy treatment for metastatic Stage IV terminal ovarian cancer.
As Vivian undergoes treatment at the hands of impersonal doctors (including one of her former students), she discovers that human compassion may be more important than intellectual wit. More than a play about cancer, Margaret Edson’s 1999 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama presents a teacher becoming a student of life as she contemplates her possible death.
Wit is part of Playhouse 22's "On the Edge" black box series focused on smaller, little-known shows, transforming the traditional stage into a new theatrical experience with the audience sitting on stage, close to the action unlike anything you have ever seen before at the theater.
The play focuses on a woman with terminal cancer and certain content may be uncomfortable for some guests.
The cast includes Heidi Hart as Vivian Bearing, Ph.D., a hard-nosed English professor diagnosed with cancer; with Paul Grote as Harvey Kelekian, M.D., Kascper Stelmaszak as Jason Posner, M.D. Stephanie Bradli as Susie Monahan, R.N. Mary O’Connor-Kelley as E.M. Ashford, Ph. D., and rounding out the cast in a variety of ensemble roles include Zachery Halley, Jeanpaul Isaacs, Jessica Junqua, and Wendy Wilgus.
The show runs April 25 - May 4, 2025 with performances on Friday and Saturdays at 8:00pm and Sunday matinees at 2:00pm. There will be a talk-back session with the cast and crew following the Sunday, April 27 performance.
The theater is conveniently located at the Elliott Taubenslag Theater at the East Brunswick Community Arts Center, 721 Cranbury Road, East Brunswick.
Limited general admission tickets are $18, and they must be purchased at Playhouse22.org or over the phone at 732-254-3939. There are no assigned seats.
Grant funding has been provided by the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners through a grant award from the Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund. For information on events, go to MiddlesexCountyCulture.com.
Photos by Paul Porowski for Playhouse 22
