Suzanne Dawson

(CAPE MAY, NJ) -- This week, Classic American Tales presents two different events in two different Cape May locations: The historic Dormer House B&B and Rea's Farm. 

For those looking for a laugh, come to The Dormer House on Thursday, July 10, 2025 at 4:00pm, when Suzanne Dawson presents Charles “Chic” Sale’s The Specialist and other vaudeville routines. Sale (1885–1936) was an American actor in films and vaudeville. Not long before he died at age 52, he noted that 25 years earlier he had played 80-year-olds, but later in life, he played younger men.

"If I live to be 70, I expect to be Shirley Temple's biggest rival," he joked. In 1929, he created a character for vaudeville, Lem Putt, a carpenter who took pride in building outhouses. With the help of newspaper cartoonist, Roy James, he adapted his monologue into a book called The Specialist, that became popular in the United States and England. His other books are The Champion Cornhusker Crashes the Movies and I'll Tell You Why.

Suzanne Dawson played leading roles off-Broadway in CBS Live, The Last Musical Comedy, The Great American Backstage Musical, and the revival of New Faces of ’52.  Her regional credits include Sylvia at Florida Studio Theatre, The Snowball and A Little Night Music at Buffalo Studio Arena, Carnival at The Alliance in Atlanta, and Rumors at Paper Mill Playhouse in NJ. Suzanne performed in the following plays in Cape May directed by Gayle Stahlhuth, founding artistic director of Classic American Tales (CAT): To the Ladies!, Alice on the Edge, The Butter and Egg Man, Berkeley Square, Dulcy, Ruth Draper’s Company of Characters, Arsenic and Old Lace, and the world premieres of The World of Dorothy Parker, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Zorro!, and Dorothy Parker: A Certain Woman.  Member Actors' Equity Association.

On Friday, July 11 at 6:00pm & 7:00pm in the barn at Rea’s Farm, Gayle Stahlhuth will present a selection from The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.  If it's been a while since you read the book, sit back and enjoy Gayle bringing Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman and the Cowardly Lion to life as they travel to Oz. The farm is located at 400 Stevens Street in West Cape May and the fee is pay-what-you-wish.

“Tales at The Dormer House” continue through October 16 every Thursday at 4:00pm, where guests are treated to lemonade and tasty treats while listening to stories by American authors. This B&B is located at 800 Columbia Avenue in Cape May.  Performances are on the porch, weather permitting.  Otherwise, they will be inside. Cost is only $12.00, cash at the door, and guests at The Dormer House and children ages 12 and under are free. On July 17, it’s Boys Will be Boys with Stephanie Garrett reading Chester Himes’ “Mama’s Missionary Money” and Frank Smith reading O. Henry’s “The Ransom of Red Chief.”

Reservations are made through CAT by calling 609-884-5898 or emailing ClassicAmericanTales@aol.com.

Classic American Tales is a nonprofit theater with the mission to “Tell America’s stories one tale at a time.”  To learn about the full season of events which include performances at End of the Road Theater and lectures and a playwrighting workshop at the Cape May Public Library, visit https://www.ClassicAmericanTales.org