Photo by Brad Resnick Photography
(RED BANK, NJ) –– Two River Theater, in partnership with Project Write Now, recently launched a new engagement program called Community Playmaking. Run in collaboration with local non-profits, it is open to adults from diverse, underserved communities free of charge. Participants engage in a series of free playwriting workshops fostering their creativity to write their own original short plays which are then performed by professional actors. Community Playmaking requires no prior experience—just a desire to learn and share stories.
The program kicked off in October 2024 with a group comprised of community members, staff, and volunteers from Lunch Break in Red Bank. The participants attended playwriting classes led by Project Write Now Executive Director Jennifer Chauhan and TRT Director of Education Kate Cordaro and learned the basics of dramatic structure, form, and character, then wrote their own original 10-minute plays, and the program culminated in a staged reading of the newly minted playwright’s plays performed by professional actors in the dining room at Lunch Break on December 17, 2024.
Community Playmaking will continue in February 2025, as the second iteration of the engagement program will collaborate with the Shore House in Long Branch, a local community resource open to adults living with a mental illness.
“It gives me great joy to launch Community Playmaking at Two River Theater,” says Artistic Director Justin Waldman. “This is an incredible opportunity for our institution to partner with stalwart Monmouth County not-for-profits – like Project Write Now, Lunch Break, and Shore House – who are doing the great good work to better our communities, and for individuals to directly engage and actively participate in the process of making art and sharing their truth. It is a truly awe-inspiring experience to see these stories come to life. I am grateful to our partners for jumping into this project with TRT and to the participants for their trust, vulnerability, and for leaning in. This is only the beginning and I am looking forward to expanding and sharing this unique and special experience with others.”
"Community Playmaking is a wonderful opportunity for people to discover that their stories and experiences truly matter," said Jennifer Chauhan, Executive Director of Project Write Now. "The writing process allows participants to experiment with their voice and style, uncovering the story only they can tell. Project Write Now is so grateful to the Two River Theater for inviting us to be part of this incredible program."
During the evening of short plays at Lunch Break, the plays included: Slice of Life by Courtney Byrne, Between Three Shades by Gregory Schwartz, Tides by Birgit Mondesir, Happy McFunland by Caitlin McGarry, Brewing Second Chances by Michelle Bowles, Office Workers Do Community Theater by Sasha Harris, Trivia Night by Fatima Carranza, On the Count of 3… by Shani Love, and The Banquet of Syphax by George Holler.
“The actors that we assembled really took these new plays to the next level,” says Kate Cordaro, Two River Theater’s Director of Education and director for the program’s staged reading. “Our fledgling playwrights truly got to witness their plays’ potential in these gifted actors’ hands. It was an incredible program that culminated in a night full of gratitude, joy, and possibility. I can’t wait to do it again!”
The cast included: Brittany Bellizeare (Two River’s August Wilson’s Seven Guitars, King Hedley II), Laura Dadap (Bhangin’ It, Agent 355), Hiram Delgado (Take Me Out, Two River’s Two Sisters and a Piano), Duane Noch (The Woman in Black, Same Life Over), Reynaldo Piniella (Thoughts of a…, Trouble in Mind), Heather Velasquez (Two River’s American Mariachi, Pipeline) , and Sondra Weimar (The Way of All Fish, Witness for the Prosecution).
The creative team included: Kate Cordaro (Director), Jennifer Chauhan (Writing Coach), Jessi Stier (Artistic Assistant), Megan Smith, (Stage Manager), and Alycya Thomas (Production Assistant).
As a caring community, Lunch Break freely provides food, clothing, life skills, and fellowship to those in need in Monmouth County and beyond. Their programs serve everyone, regardless of age, with some programs targeted to specific groups. Their pillar services such as food, clothing, housing and life skills are essential basic human rights afforded to anyone seeking such assistance.
Project Write Now is a 501(c)(3) literary arts nonprofit transforming individuals, organizations, and communities through writing. They provide a wide range of fee-based classes, editorial services, and literary events. Their community outreach programs help youth and adults develop the writing and communication skills needed to build resilience, pursue personal growth, and achieve academic or professional success.
A local community resource where people who participate are known as members. Membership is open to adults living with a mental illness. Shore House is not a treatment program or mental health service, but rather a place where members can learn new skills, develop new relationships, and explore new opportunities.
Two River Theater’s 2024/25 Season Sponsor is Hackensack Meridian Riverview Medical Center.
Two River Theater is funded in part by public support through the National Endowment for the Arts, the State of New Jersey, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, funding through a grant from the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Travel & Tourism and the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners. Private support includes Achelis & Bodman Foundation, Citizens Philanthropic Foundation, Courtyard by Marriott, Grunin Foundation, Merrill G. & Emita E. Hastings Foundation, Investors Foundation, Jersey Coast Family Law, Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey, John Ben Snow Foundation and Memorial Trust, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, Manasquan Bank Charitable Foundation, Molly Pitcher Inn and The Oyster Point Hotel, Monmouth University, OceanFirst Foundation, Open Heart Yoga,, The Shubert Foundation, Springpoint Senior Living Foundation, The Stone Foundation of New Jersey, Triumph Brewing Company, Visiting Nurse Association Health Group, Zager Fuchs P.C., and other generous funders.
Two River Theater produces American and world classics, new plays and musicals, programs for young people, and festivals of new work. Each year, they serve over 20,000 students, families and community members through our 4-6 show season, and 85+ events that reflect our diverse community of Monmouth County. Two River produces work on two stages—the 350-seat Joan and Robert Rechnitz Theater, and the flexible 110-seat Marion Huber Theater. In 2020 they expanded their campus to 80,000 square feet with the opening of the Center for New Work, Education and Design. Two River Theater has commissioned and premiered original projects including Be More Chill by Tony Award nominee Joe Iconis and Joe Tracz (the theater’s first Broadway production) and Hurricane Diane by former Playwright-in-Residence Madeleine George (which won an Obie Award for its Off-Broadway run), and in June 2019, Two River was nationally recognized by USA TODAY as one of “10 great places to see a play.” Two River Theater is led by Artistic Director Justin Waldman and Managing Director Nora DeVeau-Rosen.
