(LEFT) Matt de Rogatis (RIGHT) Christian Jules Le Blanc
(OCEAN GROVE, NJ) -- Ruth Stage presents Edward Albee's The Zoo Story at the historic Jersey Shore Arts Center in Ocean Grove from September 4-6, 2025. This searing one-act revival stars three-time Emmy winner Christian Jules Le Blanc (The Young and the Restless) and acclaimed Off-Broadway actor Matt de Rogatis, best known for his explosive turn as Brick in Ruth Stage's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
Directed by Oxford-trained filmmaker Theo Devaney, this intimate staging promises to strip Albee’s early masterwork down to its raw, unnerving core—where civility erodes, isolation festers, and words become weapons. Known for reimagining the classics with psychological edge, Ruth Stage brings its signature intensity to this modern American classic, reigniting The Zoo Story with urgent relevance.
Theo Devaney
Performances begin Thursday, September 4th at 7:00pm; Friday, September 5th at 8:00pm; and Saturday, September 6th at 8:00pm. All performances take place at the Jersey Shore Arts Center (66 South Main Street) in Ocean Grove, New Jersey. Tickets are priced at $40 and are available for purchase online.
Albee’s first play, The Zoo Story launched his career and established him as a bold new voice in American theater. Set on a Central Park bench, the story follows a tense encounter between two strangers—reserved Peter and volatile Jerry—that escalates into a shocking confrontation. With razor-sharp dialogue and searing themes of isolation, class, and human disconnection, The Zoo Story remains a haunting exploration of the human condition.
RJ Lamb founded Ruth Stage Inc., his third theater company, in early 2017. For 37 years, Lamb produced, directed, wrote, and starred in over 100 productions. During that period he worked with thousands of artists and his passion for the theater inspired multiple generations.
Biographies
Matt de Rogatis (Jerry) is a critically acclaimed New York stage actor, he is the Chairman and Creative Director of Ruth Stage, the boundary-pushing nonprofit behind Off-Broadway’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, where he earned praise from The New York Times for his powerful performance as “Brick.” Other notable credits include Frederick Clegg in The Collector (59E59), Richard III in Austin Pendleton’s Wars of the Roses (124 Bank Street Theater), Tom in The Glass Menagerie (Wild Project), and Roy in Lone Star (Theatre Row). Many thanks to Theo Devaney, Christian Jules Le Blanc, Frank Danieli and Bob Lamb.
Christian Jules Le Blanc (Peter) is a three-time Daytime Emmy winner and twelve-time nominee, best known for his long-running role as Michael Baldwin on CBS’s The Young and the Restless. In 2022, he made his New York theater debut starring as Big Daddy in Ruth Stage’s groundbreaking Off-Broadway revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. His other stage credits include Ladies in Retirement opposite Julie Harris and Eileen Brennan, No Orchids for Miss Blandish, and appearances at the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival. On television, he starred in In the Heat of the Night and appeared on As the World Turns, Perry Mason, and Cheers. Also an award-winning visual artist, Le Blanc has exhibited work in Los Angeles, D.C., and New Orleans. Originally from North Carolina, he now lives in Los Angeles and is a proud member of the Rogue Theater Company.
Theo Devaney (Director) is a British-Italian actor, filmmaker, director, and acting coach whose career spans London, Vancouver, Los Angeles, and New York. A graduate of the Oxford School of Drama, he spent years performing in classical, regional, and contemporary theatre across the UK, eventually founding his own company to produce bold new works. Known for Supernatural, Netflix’s A Christmas Prince trilogy, and voicing Sherlock Holmes in Moriarty the Patriot, Theo now runs the Theo Devaney Acting Studio near NYC - mentoring a community of over 100 actors via ongoing classes & 1:1 coaching.
Christian Specht (Lighting Designer) Originally from Leesburg, GA. Lighting design credits (selected): Off-Broadway credits: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Theatre St. Clements), Lone Star (Theatre Row)/ Ruth Stage; Do Re Mi, Smile, Zorba the Greek (AMY Theatre) J2 Spotlight Musical Theatre Company; 9 to 5, Gypsy, Guys and Dolls, Ragtime, The Music Man, Crazy for You, Hello Dolly, Brightstar, Cabaret (SSTI); 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Spongebob the Musical, Spamalot (Peach State Summer Theatre); A Christmas Carol (Penn State University) Peter and the Starcatcher, 1776 (Samford University); Glen Campbell, The Manhattan Transfer, Mandy Patinkin: Dress Casual, Ann Hampton Callaway (Angelina Arts Alliance); Ain’t Too Proud/intern (Kennedy Center) Freaky Friday/ALD, Around the World in 80 Days/ALD (Alley Theatre); Titanic The Musical/ALD (Signature Theatre)
Edward Albee (playwright) was born on March 12, 1928, and began writing plays 30 years later. His plays include The Zoo Story (1958), The American Dream (1960), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1961-62, Tony Award), Tiny Alice (1964), A Delicate Balance (1966, Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award), All Over (1971), Seascape (1974, Pulitzer Prize), The Lady From Dubuque (1977-78), The Man Who Had Three Arms (1981), Finding The Sun (1982), Marriage Play (1986-87), Three Tall Women (1991, Pulitzer Prize), Fragments (1993), The Play About The Baby (1997), The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? (2000, 2002, Tony Award), Occupant (2001), Peter and Jerry: Act 1, Homelife; Act 2, The Zoo Story (2004), and Me, Myself and I (2007).
Albee was a member of the Dramatists Guild Council and President of The Edward F. Albee Foundation. Mr. Albee was awarded the Gold Medal in Drama from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters in 1980, and in 1996 received the Kennedy Center Honors and the National Medal of Arts. In 2005 he was awarded the special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Ruth Stage (Producer) Founded in 2017 by Bob Lamb, Ruth Stage is a bold nonprofit theater company reimagining the classics for modern audiences. Under the visionary leadership of Chairman and Creative Director Matt de Rogatis, the company crafts psychologically rich, viscerally charged productions that challenge norms and disrupt the status quo. Best known for its groundbreaking Off-Broadway premiere of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Ruth Stage redefines the theatrical canon through fearless reinterpretation. Beyond the stage, the company drives social impact through partnerships with veteran and cancer organizations—using the power of storytelling to connect, heal, and inspire.
