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Storyfaces

Thursday, August 11, 2022 @ 12:00pm



Grunin Center
1 College Drive, Toms River, NJ 08754

A limited number of free public tickets are available. Advance registration required.

Camp groups – please call 732-255-0400 ext. 2487 to reserve your group.

About The Show

“I am a painter and a storyteller and this is how I tell my stories.”

The stories come to life on the faces of the audience in this innovative performance, an inspiring fusion of theatre and visual arts. StoryFaces is an exciting and unusual storytelling show for adults and family audiences, in which volunteers are brought on stage and face painted to illustrate stories as Christopher tells them, captivating the audience with folktales and his uniquely animated original stories — ranging from the comic adventures of The Amazing Face Story to the heroic tale of Punia and the King of the Sharks and an ancient tale asking the timeless question: Is Life Fair?

In his stage presentations, Christopher Agostino shares discoveries from his 30 year adventure in theatre, storytelling and painting faces, and his exploration into the anthropology of the art of transformation.

Christopher Agostino’s StoryFaces was featured in the opening presentation of the 2013 National Storytelling Conference.



About Christopher Agostino

 

Christopher Agostino has enjoyed a 30 year adventure in theater, storytelling, facepainting and bodypainting as chronicled in his book Transformations! The Story Behind the Painted Faces, published by Kryolan Professional Makeup. He and his work have appeared on the CBS Early Show, NBC Today Show and the cover of the Abercrombie & Fitch Quarterly. Before Cave Walls…the story on our skin is his unique educational presentation on the history and cultural significance of masks and bodyart.

His StoryFaces storytelling shows combining theater with painted faces have been presented at the Face & Body Art International Convention, The World Bodypainting Festival and for hundreds of audiences in schools, festivals and theaters. Christopher is the Artistic Director of Transformations Facepainting, a company which has earned the preeminent position at public events in New York City, transforming thousands of people annually for the Bronx Zoo, NYC Parks Department, the NYC Housing Authority, and special events like the World Science Festival.

“I believe that more important than the design you get painted with is the experience of being painted, the experience of seeing a new identity when you look in the mirror, and how that identity is perceived when others look at you. A face painter, by changing how the world perceives the person they have painted, alters that person’s perception of the world and of themselves.”




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UPCOMING EVENTS




 

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EVENT PREVIEWS

(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- State Theatre New Jersey proudly presents The Sound Studio Series, an immersive musical experience that places concertgoers at the very heart of the performance. Held in STNJ's intimate Studio space, limited to just 80 attendees, The Sound Studio Series features a dynamic mix of both classical and rock performances. Each concert concludes with an exclusive post-show meet-and-greet with the artists, offering fans a rare opportunity to connect directly with the performers. Tickets for the series are $20-$30.



Arden

Arden Children's Theatre presents "The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales"

(PHILADELPHIA, PA) -- This spring, Arden Children's Theatre invites families into a hilariously twisted world where classic fairy tales don't go quite as expected in its next production of the 2025/26 season, The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales (The Stinky Cheese Man). Based on the beloved book by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith, adapted by John Glore, the production brings the book's fractured fairy tales to life for kids and adults alike. Directed by Steve Pacek, the production runs on the Arden’s Arcadia stage with previews starting April 8, opening night on April 18, with performances running through May 31.



Haddon

Haddon Township to Hold 4th Annual String Band Parade

(HADDON TOWNSHIP, NJ) -- The Camden County Board of Commissioners, along with Haddon Township, invites residents and visitors to the fourth annual String Band Parade down Haddon Ave, featuring the Philadelphia Mummers String Bands on Saturday, May 30, 2026 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. (note: it was rescheduled from April 25th due to the weather)



Hitchcock

Hitchcock Meets Hilarious: Bergen County Players presents "The 39 Steps"

(ORADELL, NJ) -- Fresh off being named the top live music or theater venue by 201 Magazine's "Best of Bergen" readers, Bergen County Players (BCP) invites audiences to brace themselves for a whirlwind of espionage and outrageous comedy with the Tony Award-winning The 39 Steps, which runs weekends from May 2-31, 2026. Directed by BCP life member Steve Bell, this breakneck adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 film classic blends film noir suspense with Monty Python-style absurdity.



Ritz

Ritz Theatre Company presents "Porgy and Bess"

(HADDON TOWNSHIP, NJ) -- The Ritz Theatre Company presents Porgy and Bess from May 1-24, 2026. Set in the 1930s in Catfish Row, a Black community in Charleston, South Carolina,the musical tells the story of Porgy, a kind but disabled beggar, and Bess, a woman trying to escape her violent lover Crown and the seductive pull of drugs offered by Sportin' Life. The production is directed by Darryl Thompson, Jr.












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