South Camden Theatre Company presents How The Light Gets In by E. M. Lewis.
Award-winning playwright E. M. Lewis released "How The Light Gets In" for production in 2019 just before it won the 2020 Harold and Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award. Today, we proudly announce the Regional Premiere of what the playwright calls "a richly human play that is heartfelt and poignant."
In an interview with DC Theatre Arts, Lewis stated, "During the last few years, there have been a lot of losses in our communities, a lot of fractures and breaks, a lot of isolation. It's been a lonely and bewildering time. Edward Albee once said that plays should "afflict the comfortable or comfort the afflicted." I hope that folks walk out of the theater after seeing this play feeling more brave in themselves, more connected to each other, and full of joy. This is a love story, after all! Whatever challenges the characters face along the way should end in joy."
"How The Light Gets In" opens on May 2 and continues through May 18 at South Camden Theatre's Waterfront South Theatre. Philadelphia Equity Actor and Director Damien J. Wallace leads the production. Damien returns to SCTC after successfully directing last season's powerful James Ijames play KILL MOVE PARADISE.
Damien stated, "I am truly blessed to be here at SCTC to direct this powerful work about the unconditionality of true love and the appreciation of imperfection. As a storyteller, I believe that the characters in this production find true love through the unconditional and unwavering security of one another. Their belief in one another provides support, nurturing, and encouragement.”
The cast for "How The Light Gets In" was selected for its professional talent and diversity and for how they work together since this is truly an ensemble theatre piece. The cast includes three actors who have all previously appeared on our stage, including Neena Boyle (Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Toxic Avenger (The Musical), Craig McLaren (The Brothers Size, The Legend of Georgia McBride, and Kill Move Paradise,) and Shannon Sullivan (Toxic Avenger - The Musical), along with one actor who is new to us, David Woo. Together, these four actors bring their hardships to life on stage and find support and nurturing from one another.
Damien J. Wallace perfectly said, "Together, this cast shows how these humans can take what is left of a fractured traumatized spirit and replace it with the strength of self and a recognition of one's self-worth. Love permeates hate, and only light can permeate darkness. The light can shine through these cracks and illuminate those emptyspaces."
Plan to see "How The Light Gets In" by E. M. Lewis on stage from May 2 - May 18. Shows are Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM and Sunday afternoons at 2:00 PM. General admission tickets are available for all performances for just $25.00. As a reader of The RETROSPECT, you can SAVE $5.00 OFF Friday evening tickets by using CODE "JOY" during online purchases. Visit www.southcamdentheatre.org to order online today.
“How The Light Gets In” by E. M. Lewis is being directed by returning AEA Actor and Director Damien J. Wallace. Damien returns after his direction for our production of KILL MOVE PARADISE, which opened this past season. This show is also a regional premiere. On stage May 2,3,4, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18. Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 PM and Sunday matine?es at 2:00 PM.
“A Good Farmer” by Sharyn Rothstein takes the stage in the Fall and is directed by returning director Scott Grumling. Scott directed “By The Water,” also written by Sharyn Rothstein, in 2018. “A Good Farmer” is on stage September 5, 6, 7,12, 13, 14,19, 20, 21.
“Dot” by Colman Domingo closes our 20th anniversary season just in time for the holidays. Zuhairah McGill, an AEA Actress and director, spearheads the show. Z was last seen on our stage in 2012. This is her first time as a director for South Camden Theatre Company. “Dot” is on stage November 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23
Learn more about each show and the company on our website here: https://www.southcamdentheatre.org
South Camden Theatre Company's Artistic Director, Dawn Varava, developed our "Season Of Love" in dedication to Sacred Heart Parish's Father Michael Doyle (1934-2022), who, in 2005, met with parishioner and local playwright Joseph M. Paprzycki and asked, "Why don't you do any of your plays in Camden?" To which Paprzycki responded, "Where?" Father Doyle quickly offered the Sacred Heart Church recreation hall for productions. And with that, the theatre company was formed. Along with celebrating our 20th Anniversary, we are also celebrating the 15 Anniversary of our theatre home since its construction and opening by the Domenica Foundation, Heart of Camden, and others in 2010.
South Camden Theatre Company, Inc., A 501 C3 Non-profit Corporation
THE WATERFRONT SOUTH THEATRE • 400 JASPER STREET • MICHAEL DOYLE LANE • CAMDEN, NJ 08104 OFFICE: 856.409.0365 • www.southcamdentheatre.org
The Concert Band & Soldiers’ Chorus are the oldest and largest of The U.S. Army Field Band’s performing components. Founded in 1946 and 1957 respectively, these two ensembles combine to present joint concerts on their national tours. They have performed in all 50 states and 30 foreign countries for audiences totaling hundreds of millions.
The Jazz Ambassadors is the official touring big band of the United States Army. Formed in 1969, this 19-member ensemble has received great acclaim at home and abroad performing America’s greatest original art form, jazz.
Joe Russo's Almost Dead is Marco Benevento, Dave Dreiwitz, Tom Hamilton, Scott Metzger and Joe Russo. We're a Grateful Dead cover band.
Join us for McCarter at the Museum - renowned performing artists in one-night only events at the Princeton University Art Museum.
Jason Robert Brown is a four-time Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist of The Last Five Years, Parade, Songs for a New World, 13, The Bridges of Madison County, Honeymoon In Vegas and The Connector, has performed as a soloist or with his band in venues around the world, including sold-out shows at the London Palladium and Carnegie Hall. His albums as a singer-songwriter include Wearing Someone Else’s Clothes and How We React and How We Recover on Ghostlight, and Coming From Inside the House and Live In Concert with Stephen Sondheim on Concord.
With Special Guest Tony nominee Betsy Wolfe. Tony Award-nominated actress Betsy Wolfe is currently starring as Audrey in the acclaimed Off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors, following her recent Broadway run as Madeline Ashton in the hit musical Death Becomes Her. She previously originated the title role in Joy, the new musical inspired by inventor Joy Mangano, and earned a 2023 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her celebrated performance as Anne Hathaway in & Juliet. Other Broadway credits include starring as Jenna in Waitress, Cordelia in the acclaimed revival of Falsettos, Bullets Over Broadway, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Everyday Rapture, and 110 in the Shade, as well as her critically acclaimed performance as Cathy in the Off-Broadway revival of The Last Five Years. Wolfe made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Die Fledermaus and has appeared as a guest artist with more than 65 symphony, pops, and philharmonic orchestras worldwide, including the New York Philharmonic and BBC Symphony Orchestra, with performances at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Her screen credits include First One In, Estella Scrooge, CBS’s Instinct, and the film adaptation of The Last Five Years. Wolfe is also the co-founder of BroadwayEvolved, the acclaimed musical theatre training program she launched in 2018 to train and mentor the next generation of theatre artists.
A limited number of early access tickets for McCarter Director’s Circle members and members of the Museum’s Partner Circle are available, on sale Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 12:00 PM. General public on sale begins Friday, September 18, 2026 at 12:00 PM.
Please be aware there is no public drop-off or parking at the Museum. For visitors with mobility needs, please contact the Museum at least three business days in advance of your visit to request special access to the Museum via Elm Drive. Call 609-258-3788 and select option 1 to speak to a visitor services staff member, or email Louise Barrett at [email protected].
Celebrate 100 years of Miles Davis! The GRAMMY®-nominated trumpeter and bandleader Jon Faddis carries on the legacy in this anniversary tribute. He’ll spotlight Davis’s game-changing 1957 album Birth of the Cool and his 1959 modal masterpiece Kind of Blue. The all-star ensemble includes both new and familiar faces to NJPAC jazz audiences: Erena Terakubo (alto sax), Gary Smulyan (bari sax), Steve Turre (trombone), John Clark (French horn), Bob Stewart (tuba), Mike LeDonne (keys), Todd Coolman (bass) and John Riley (drums).
The legendary Rhode Island multi-platinum rock’n’roll group JOHN CAFFERTY & THE BEAVER BROWN BAND began their career in 1973 and achieved mainstream success in the 1980s with the “Eddie & The Cruisers – Motion Picture Soundtrack”. The hit single “ON THE DARK SIDE” held the “#1” position on the Billboard Rock charts and the MTV video charts for five consecutive weeks.
Celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary with New Jersey Ballet in a powerful evening of dance that captures the spirit, energy, innovation and resilience of the nation through the language of ballet. Red, White and Blue brings together iconic masterworks and bold contemporary voices in a program that reflects the many dimensions of the American experience while honoring New Jersey’s essential role in the fight for independence and the shaping of the nation.
“If you are looking to be blown away by raw talent, then look no further than Griffin House.” —American Songwriter
Written by and starring Vicki Lawrence
Two Performances Only
Vicki Lawrence, the legendary actress, comedian, and singer, brings her signature wit and charm to the stage in Vicki Lawrence and Mama: A Two-Woman Show. Best known for her iconic role as Thelma Harper, or "Mama," from The Carol Burnett Show and Mama’s Family, Lawrence delivers a hilarious and heartfelt performance that takes audiences on a journey through her extraordinary career. From her Emmy-winning years alongside Carol Burnett to her chart-topping hit, “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” she shares behind-the-scenes stories, comedy, and music—all with her trademark humor. Whether reminiscing about her Hollywood adventures or embodying the feisty Mama, Lawrence proves that laughter is timeless.
Music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison
(TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- Join journalist Paul Vigna for an eye-opening conversation about his provocative new book, The Almightier: How Money Became God, Greed Became Virtue, and Debt Became Sin, during a virtual discussion on Wednesday, November 11, 2026 presented by the Ocean County Library. The event begins at 2:00pm.
(PLAINFIELD, NJ) -- Ferrell Studios presents Carrie, the Musical at the Plainfield Performing Arts Center from November 12-15, 2026. Based on the classic novel by Stephen King, the musical poses the question: What happens when someone is pushed too far?
(HACKETTSTOWN, NJ) -- Centenary Stage Company's Fringe Festival continues with Ghost Dance: Picture of a Madman, a captivating one-woman play written and performed by Erica Knight. Running November 12–15, 2026, in the Kutz Theatre at the Lackland Performing Arts Center on the campus of Centenary University. The production explores the turbulent life and legacy of Ralph Albert Blakelock, one of America's most celebrated yet tragically overlooked nineteenth-century painters.
(HAMMONTON, NJ) -- Fool Moon Theatre Company presents a special, one-night-only presentation of the hit play Love, Loss and What I Wore on Thursday, November 12 2026 at Eagle Theatre. This exclusive event is a benefit for the Funny Farm Rescue & Sanctuary in Mays Landing. Showtime is 7:30pm.
(TRENTON, NJ) -- The James R. Halsey Foundation of the Arts (JRH), a 501c3 non-profit agency dedicated to providing quality arts education and mentoring to youth in the City of Trenton and greater New Jersey area presents the 2026 Student Film Showcase. Taking place on November 12th at the New Jersey State Museum Auditorium from 5:00pm - 8:00pm, this event features three films, written, directed, and produced by students, as well as a documentary focused on raising awareness on men's mental health, featuring authentic student voices and professional interviews.
