New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu



The Art of Living Well: "Who Will Start Another Fire" Plus Director Q&A With Jermaine Manigault, Emily Packer, and Lesley Steele

Tuesday, November 02, 2021 @ 7:00pm



Hopewell Theater
5 S. Greenwood Avenue, Hopewell, NJ 08525

THIS EVENT HAS PASSED

Tuesday, November 2 (with Directors Talk) & Sunday, November 7 (Encore Screening)

Dedza Films is a distribution initiative dedicated to curating and facilitating the distribution of films from the next wave with a focus on underrepresented communities and early works of emerging storytellers.

Dedza aims to treat these stories in a way that is often reserved for features and help filmmakers who were impacted by COVID-19, which affected festival and release plans. Their mission is to curate, community build, and partner with other initiatives and organizations focusing on changing the landscape.

The nine films presented include:

Like Flying 

15 Minutes / USA / 2020

Directed by Peier Tracy Shen

A young Chinese-American girl navigates her childhood through her parents’ broken relationship.

Family Tree 

17 Minutes / Uganda / 2020

Directed by Nicole Amani Magabo Kiggundu

We meet Nagawa, an 8 year old, whose day is almost like any other.  When her mother Margaret picks up Nagawa from school, she doesn’t have the heart to tell her daughter that her beloved father has been in a terrible accident.

Troublemaker 

11 Minutes / Nigeria / 2019

Directed by Olive Nwosu

Obi is hot, bored, and desperate for something to do. When his best friend, Emeka, gives him a packet of firecrackers, the boys decide to have some fun.

Polygraph

20 Minutes / Israel / 2020

Directed by Samira Saraya

Based on a true story, Yasmine, an openly lesbian Arab nurse living in Tel Aviv, finds out that her lover Or, an intelligence officer in the Israeli army, has been reporting on their relationship.

The Lights Are On, No One’s Home 

10 Minutes / USA / 2020

Directed by Faye Ruiz

Mar, a trans woman who left home years ago, returns to her old neighborhood to find her childhood home. Upon her return, she’s confronted with the changes that gentrification has brought to the place she once knew so well.

By Way of Canarsie

14 Minutes / USA / 2020

Directed by Lesley Steele & Emily Packer

A wandering portrait of an oft-neglected shoreline community, By Way of Canarsie imagines possible futures at odds with a peaceful present.

The Rose of Manila

12 Minutes / Philippines / 2020

Directed by Alex Westfall

An imagining of the formative years of Imelda Marcos, who, as one half of the Marcos regime, would become infamous for embezzling billions from the country to sustain her extravagant lifestyle.

Slip 

11 Minutes / USA / 2019

Directed by Nicole Otero

A woman arrives home at the end of a regular day, but as she begins to turn in for the night, she is overcome with a sense of restlessness.

Not Black Enough 

19 Minutes / USA / 2020

Directed by Jermaine Manigault

A young African-American man struggling to find his identity within his community meets a persuasive relic of the past.



This program is a part of Hopewell Theater's ongoing series, The Art of Living Well, featuring inspiring films, speakers and interactive discussions exploring ways of cultivating serenity, meaning and a deeper connection to one’s self and the world.




For information on how your event can be listed, click here



 

Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month,
click here for info

UPCOMING EVENTS




 

Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month,
click here for info


 

EVENT PREVIEWS

(NEWARK, NJ) -- The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) has announced the highly anticipated Def Poetry Reunion, taking place exclusively at NJPAC during the renowned Dodge Poetry Festival. The festival will run from October 15-17, 2026, with the Def Jam Poetry Reunion scheduled for Saturday, October 17th at 5:00pm, promising an unforgettable evening for poetry fans and local communities.



Bergen

Bergen County Players to Hold Open Auditions for "The Producers" this week

(ORADELL, NJ) -- Bergen County Players (BCP) will open auditions for The Producers on June 9th, 11th, and 13th. BCP is seeking a dynamic cast of strong comic actors who sing and move well to play main, supporting, and featured ensemble roles for its 94th season opener. The Producers is a satirical musical comedy and farce about two unlikely partners—a scheming, larger-than-life Broadway producer and a timid, anxious accountant—who set out to make the worst Broadway show ever and end up creating a surprise hit.



New

New Jersey Symphony to Make Rowan's Marie Rader Series Debut with "Life & Liberty" on July 22nd

(GLASSBORO, NJ) -- The Marie Rader Series will launch its 2026-27 season, entitled "Life & Liberty," with the New Jersey Symphony's Rowan University debut. On Wednesday, July 22, 2026, New Jersey Symphony Chamber Players featuring Rowan University Strings Faculty & Alumni will perform at Pfleeger Concert Hall. Showtime is 7:00pm.



Shakespeare

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.



Outlaw

Outlaw Country Comes to the Jersey Pines at Albert Music Hall on Saturday

(WARETOWN, NJ) -- The outlaw spirit of classic Country music will ride into Albert Music Hall on Saturday, June 13, 2026, as the historic Waretown venue presents a special evening dedicated to the songs, stories, and the independent spirit of Outlaw Country.












LATEST COLUMNS


Makin Waves Song of the Week: "Junky Eyes" by Greg Amici

The Makin Waves Song of the Week is "Junky Eyes," the latest video from Central Jersey-based singer-songwriter Greg Amici's 2025 solo debut LP, "Tragicomic."




Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites... 06/04/2026

"I am absolutely wonderful," laughed the always gracious and warm Bill Medley. "How are you doing? We're out here doing our thing, enjoying it, having a ball. I can't figure it out; well I know why people are showing up, they want to hear those songs." 




BlowUpRadio.com's New & Notable NJ Music 6/1/26

Lazlo, founder of BlowUpRadio.com (an online radio station based around New Jersey artists), shines a light on some of the many new releases from NJ based musicians each week with this column. This week Lazlo takes a look at new releases by Songbird, Allison Strong, Hexagon Cat, Sleep Station, and Lily Vakili. Plus a look back at "Everything Explodes" by Joshua Van Ness.




This Week in Music

Here is a look at shows taking place this week along with our featured listings and a look at some upcoming shows. New Jersey Stage offers previews of concerts throughout the Garden State as well as select shows in New York City and Philadelphia areas