Graphic: Dave Maulbeck/Yolanda Fundora

(SUMMIT, NJ) -- Vivid Stage, in residence at Oakes Center (120 Morris Avenue) in Summit, is celebrating its 30th Anniversary season, marking decades of bringing contemporary theatre to audiences in the state of New Jersey. Coming up is the sixth episode of the original series, Gemstones, by Phoebe Farber. Episode 6 runs Saturday, April 26 at 8:00pm and Sunday, April 27, 2025 at 2:00pm.

This series blends the best storytelling qualities of mainstage performances with the exhilarating fun of improv. Gemstones is a structured, longform improvisation series that mixes comedy and drama, and that can be viewed in its entirety or singly. Each performance will begin with a recap of previous episodes, so that audience members can either view the whole series throughout the season, or drop in as they wish. Written by Phoebe Farber, each monthly episode will feature recurring characters and special guests, much like a limited series that can be found on a streaming service, but with the freshness and excitement of live theatre.

In this episode, the family jewelry business seems to have turned a page, with Norma contributing her fresh designs and an ecommerce channel. And the family members have all taken steps to get out of the personal ruts they have fallen into since the patriarch’s death. But now a mysterious person appears, and new secrets are revealed. The company is facing yet another crisis.  Will they survive?

Episode 6 features Noreen Farley (Clinton) as Estelle, and Laura Ekstrand (Livingston) as her daughter Miranda. Harriett Trangucci (Summit) is cousin Norma, a jewelry designer, and Scott McGowan (Maplewood) is her unfaithful husband, the company’s accountant. Daria M. Sullivan (Lyndhurst) and Harry Patrick Christian (Montclair) are the journalists who are documenting - and sometimes amplifying - the family’s struggles. Special guest Beth Painter (Westfield) plays the mystery visitor who manages to throw the family’s equilibrium into peril. The episode is directed by Laura Ekstrand, with lighting design by Zach Pizza (Weehawkin) and Sound Design by Jeff Knapp (Montville).

The sixth episode of Gemstones will appear at the Oakes Center on Saturday, April 26 at 8:00pm and Sunday, April 27 at 2:00pm. Tickets are $33, $28 for seniors and $25 for students 25 and younger.  Tickets are available for purchase online.Oakes Center is wheelchair accessible; assisted listening devices and large print materials are available upon request.

Vivid Stage was founded in 1994 as Dreamcatcher Rep, and is a non-profit professional ensemble of actors who build community with the audience by sharing contemporary, life-affirming stories that challenge, energize and entertain. Their work has at its heart a belief in the essential goodness of people and the power of live performance to connect people through our shared humanity. They expose theatregoers to ideas and lives like and unlike their own with the intention of awakening their imaginations and creating empathy for others. They deepen the experience of all their patrons with personal contact through receptions, talkbacks, and interactive programs.

The company’s activities include mainstage productions, improvisational comedy and cabarets, new play readings and a variety of educational and senior outreach programs.

Vivid Stage’s programs are funded by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and many other corporations, foundations and individuals.  Vivid Stage is an Equity Producing member of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.

Vivid Stage, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) corporation, incorporated under the laws of the State of New Jersey.