New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu



 

American Theater Group Presents Free Monday Night Play Readings Starting with "An American Tree" by Di Shawn J. Gandy

Published by New Jersey Stage

originally published: 11/26/2023

(RAHWAY, NJ) -- American Theater Group (ATG), a  professional theater company in Central NJ, will launch a series of Monday night play readings beginning December 4th with An American Tree by Di Shawn J. Gandy. The performance will take place at the newly-reopened Hamilton Stage in Rahway, NJ at 7:00pm and is free, with donations gratefully accepted.

This new play is set in the scorching summer of 1889 where deep in Alabama's unforgiving Jim Crow South, the Bonner family's legacy, a woven tapestry of two generations grappling with their painful history, teeters on the brink of revelation. Amid a nation scarred by history, An American Tree delves into deep emotions and hidden secrets, where choices can save or shatter. As tension mounts, the heart-wrenching decision between preserving the fragile family and embracing the untold story unfolds, where past and present collide.

The reading will be directed by Diane L. Parker. The cast includes: Carmen Balentine, Andrea LaTrell, Michael Maurice, Sandra Ward, Felicia Russell, Derek Simmons, and Peter Reimann. A Q&A discussion with the playwright and the cast will follow the reading.

“ATG’s mission it to present new works and undeservedly neglected ones,” said Jim Vagias, ATG’s Producing Artistic Director, “and we are always pleased for the opportunity to expose our audiences to provocative new works and playwrights.”

Hamilton Stage is located at 360 Hamilton Street in Rahway and is independently operated under the governance of Union County Performing Arts Center.




Follow New Jersey Stage on social media
Facebook, Threads, Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky



American Theater Group (ATG), founded in 2012, produces new and classic works primarily by American playwrights with an emphasis on the development of new works and the rediscovery of undeservedly neglected older ones. The company also focuses on offering quality arts-in-education programming. ATG programming is made possible in part by funds from the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.



You can have your events appear here,
whenever someone reads an article about
Rahway

click here for more information

Niko

Niko Moon - Mayor's Summer Concert Series

Thursday, August 13, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) - Main Stage
1601 Irving Street, Rahway, NJ

 

Petflix

Petflix – A Free Pet-Friendly Outdoor Movie at the Hamilton Street Lot

Saturday, August 15, 2026 @ 6:00pm
Hamilton Stage at Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC)
360 Hamilton Avenue, Rahway, NJ

 

DJ

DJ Drewski - Mayor's Summer Concert Series

Thursday, August 20, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC)
1601 Irving Street, Rahway, NJ

 

All-4-One

All-4-One - Mayor's Summer Concert Series

Thursday, August 27, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) - Main Stage
1601 Irving Street, Rahway, NJ

 

Teenage

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 35mm

Thursday, September 17, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) - Main Stage
1601 Irving Street, Rahway, NJ

 



EVENT PREVIEWS

(CAPE MAY, NJ) -- Cape May Stage presents a staged reading of Appendage by Derek Murphy on Monday, August 10, 2026 at 7:00pm. A darkly comic and psychologically sharp two-hander, Appendage by Derek Murphy explores grief, masculinity, and the messy ways we cope with loss. Admission is free.

South Camden Theatre Company's New Play Reading Series presents a reading of "The Ocean Deep" by Katherine Vondy

(CAMDEN, NJ) -- South Camden Theatre Company's New Play Reading Series presents a reading of The Ocean Deep by Katherine Vondy on Monday, August 10, 2026. Admission is free with live music at 6:00pm and the reading & discussion at 7:00pm.
Gateway Playhouse to Hold Open Auditions for "9 to 5: The Musical"

Gateway Playhouse to Hold Open Auditions for "9 to 5: The Musical"

(SOMERS POINT, NJ) -- Gateway Playhouse of Somers Point is holding open auditions for their third MainStage production of the year, the incredibly fun 9 to 5: The Musical. Auditions will take place from 6:00pm-8:00pm Monday and Tuesday, August 10 and 11, 2026. All roles are open and any performance experience is welcomed (must be 16 or older).

Middlesex County Plays-in-the-Park to Host Auditions for "Curious George: The Golden Meatball" on August 12th

(EDISON, NJ) -- Middlesex County's Plays-in-the-Park is holding auditions for its fall 2026 children's production of Curious George: The Golden Meatball on Wednesday, August 12, at 6:00pm at the Stephen J. Capestro Theatre located inside Roosevelt Park in Edison. Everyone's favorite mischievous monkey and his friend in the yellow hat sing and dance up a storm in this adventure-filled musical.

Music Mountain Theatre presents "Alice By Heart"

(LAMBERTVILLE, NJ) -- Music Mountain Theatre presents Alice By Heart with three performances from August 12-13, 2026. From the Tony and Grammy Award-winning creators of Spring Awakening (Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik) and co-written by Jessie Nelson (Waitress) this is a touching musical inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Chimera Productions presents "Job" at Paul Robeson Center for the Arts

Chimera Productions presents "Job" at Paul Robeson Center for the Arts

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- New Jersey-based theater company Chimera Productions will present its 17th production, Job by Max Wolf Friedlich, from August 13-15, 2026 at 8:00pm each night. The play, presented in the intimate 60-seat theater inside Princeton's Paul Robeson Center for the Arts, is a psychological thriller that offers a sharp, darkly funny, and unsettling examination of our addiction to work, the internet, the cost of modern life, and what we're willing to sacrifice to belong.

Masquerade Theatre presents "Myths, Legends & Folklore Showcase"

(RIVERSIDE, NJ) -- Masquerade Theatre presents Myths, Legends & Folklore Showcase with performances on Friday, August 14 and Saturday, August 15, 2026 at 8:00pm each night.
Asbury Park Theater Company to Hold Open Auditions for "The Wolves" by Sarah DeLappe

Asbury Park Theater Company to Hold Open Auditions for "The Wolves" by Sarah DeLappe

(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- Asbury Park Theater Company (APTCo) has announced that its first mainstage production under newly appointed Producing Artistic Director Nate Patten will be The Wolves, Sarah DeLappe's Pulitzer Prize finalist play that has captivated audiences across the country with its sharp wit, emotional honesty, and unforgettable portrait of young women finding their voices.
Ferrell Studios Community Theatre presents "Merrily We Roll Along"

Ferrell Studios Community Theatre presents "Merrily We Roll Along"

(METUCHEN, NJ) -- Ferrell Studios Community Theatre, a nonprofit theatre organization serving Central New Jersey, announces its upcoming production of Merrily We Roll Along, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by George Furth. The production will close the company's 2025-26 season, themed "Our Time," with five performances at St. Luke's Episcopal Church Auditorium in Metuchen, NJ from August 20-23, 2026.
Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey presents Rogue Shakespeare with "The Merry Wives of Windsor"

Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey presents Rogue Shakespeare with "The Merry Wives of Windsor"

(MADISON, NJ) -- This August, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (STNJ) invites audiences to experience Shakespeare the way it was meant to be — immediate and gloriously bold — with Rogue Shakespeare: The Merry Wives of Windsor, running August 14-23, 2026 at the F. M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre on the campus of Drew University.