By John Posada
originally published: 12/08/2022
(FAIR LAWN, NJ) -- Old Library Theatre is presenting The House of Blue Leaves by John Guare from December 9-11. In this play, the lives of a Queens, New York, family get turned upside down as Pope Paul VI visits New York City. Photographer John Posada was on hand to take photos.
Artie Shaughnessy, a zookeeper/failed singer-songwriter, longs to find fame in Hollywood with his girlfriend, Bunny. Artie’s mentally ill wife, Bananas, with whom he lives, imagines herself to be animals. Artie has found an institution for her–with trees with blue leaves–and will take her there before moving to California with Bunny, hopefully to find fame, fortune, and favor from his best friend, Billy, a Hollywood director.
Artie and Bananas’ son, Ronnie, is illegally home from the Army attempting to assassinate the Pope, and soon, the family’s evening is disrupted by three nuns and Billy’s deaf actress-girlfriend. Chaos erupts when characters’ lives intersect as they all try to be in the presence of the Pope on this historic day.
The House of Blue Leaves is a hilarious, heartbreaking, farcical journey through one New York apartment where characters engage directly with an audience who will at the same time adore–and admonish–them all.
The cast includes Alexander M. Oleksij (Artie Shaughnessy); Meg Renton (Bananas Shaughnessy); Ann Alfano (Bunny Flingus); Gabe Weiss (Ronnie Shaughnessy); Becca Corrado (Corrinna Stroller); Cynthia Smith Barry (Head Nun); Leticia Diaz (Second Nun); Maritza Puzino (Little Nun); Dan Bocchino (Billy Einhorn); James Phillips (The Man in White); Joseph Christianson (The Man at the Piano); and Brendan Bartlett (Military Policeman).
The creative team includes Bob Russell (Director); Craig Tiede (Producer); Alana Garcia (Stage Manager); Pearl Hart (Production Assistant); and Amy Kurfist (Costume Designer/Props Master).
Tickets - Adult: $20.00; Senior: $18.00; Member/Child Under 12: $15.00. Tickets are available for purchase online. Performances take place Friday, December 9th at 8:00pm; Saturday, December 10th at 8:00pm; and Sunday, December 11th at 2:00pm.
“The House of Blue Leaves” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc.
Here are more photos from the production.
Old Library Theatre (OLT), Fair Lawn Recreation Department’s resident theatre company, is a community theatre organization located in Bergen County, NJ. They want to acknowledge that they are on the traditional territory of the Lenape, the indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands.
Old Library Theatre was started in 1967 in Fair Lawn by a handful of dreamers who wanted to make the joy of theatre performance available to everyone. The original theatre was on River Road, but the company relocated to the George Frey Center for Performing Arts in the Fair Lawn Community Center in 2006. hey aim to continue the tradition of providing quality community entertainment at an affordable cost.
About the author: John Posada is a New Jersey based photographer specializing in photographing live theatre and music performances. Currently, John has spent the last 6 years concentrating on photographing almost 400 theater productions at over 70 different NJ theatres. Click here for John's website.
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