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Playhouse 22 presents "American Son" - a Play that Raises Questions about Race, Parenting, and Justice

Published by New Jersey Stage

originally published: 12/31/2024

(EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- Start off the new year with American Son, a drama by Christopher Demos-Brown and directed by Mimi B. Francis at Playhouse 22 that runs weekends from January 3-12, 2025. A play about an estranged bi-racial couple that must confront their feelings about race and bias after their son is detained by the local police following a traffic stop incident. Their disparate histories and backgrounds inform their assumptions as they try to find out what happened to their son.

American Son is part of Playhouse 22's On the Edge black box series focused on smaller, little-known shows, transforming the traditional stage into a new theatrical experience with the audience sitting on stage, close to the action unlike anything you have ever seen before at the theater.

Due to adult language, the show is for mature audiences.

The cast includes Keturah Adeyemi as “Kendra Ellis-Connor”, Stephen Mennella as “Scott Connor”, Jacob Turchi as “Officer Paul Larkin” and Shelly Hightower as “Lt. John Stokes”.

The show will run January 3-12, 2025 with performances on Friday and Saturdays at 8:00pm and Sunday matinees at 2:00pm  There will be a talk-back session with the cast and crew following the Sunday, January 5 performance. The theater is conveniently located at the Elliott Taubenslag Theater at the East Brunswick Community Arts Center, 721 Cranbury Road, East Brunswick.




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General admission tickets are $18, and they must be purchased at Playhouse22.org or over the phone at 732-254-3939.  There are no assigned seats.

Playhouse 22 is an all-volunteer run community theater located in Central Jersey. The mission of the company is to encourage and nurture participation in the theater arts, promote the educational and communal values of live theater and provide a cultural haven in the community for all the performing arts.

PHOTOS BY Paul Porowski for Playhouse 22




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