(LEFT to RIGHT) Teaching Artist Jennifer Pillaga, MPTCS Principal Shimeica Maxwell, Teaching Artist Jamil Mangan, MPTCS Student, Actor Marcus McPherson, Actor Lucien Edme, Actor Sarah Cuneo, MPTCS Student, Premiere Stages Managing Director Nick Gandiello, UCSB Charitable Foundation President Mary Smoot and UCSB Representative Briana Londono. Photo Credit: Ian Alfano

(UNION, NJ) -- Premiere Stages, the professional theatre company in residence at Kean University, held a playwriting residency at Marion P. Thomas Charter School in Newark, New Jersey. The residency was graciously funded by the Union County Savings Bank Charitable Foundation, which is committed to strengthening our communities and driving real change by partnering with non-profit organizations that share their vision to revitalize underserved communities, help disadvantaged populations and foster financial inclusion.

Over the course of seven weeks, students in grades sixth through eighth at the Marion P. Thomas Charter School Performing Arts Center Academy learned the fundamentals of playwriting—character, dialogue, setting, conflict, and structure—through performance and writing. Premiere Stages Lead Teaching Artist Jamil Mangan and Assistant Teaching Artist Jennifer Pillaga inspired the students to draw from personal and cultural experiences to write short plays and monologues for the stage. The residency culminated in a school wide assembly of the students' work, performed by professional actors Sarah Cuneo, Lucien Edme, Marcus McPherson and Jennifer Pillaga.

“On behalf of Union County Savings Bank, the UCSB Charitable Foundation is proud to partner with Kean University Foundation and Premiere Stages to bring the art of playwriting to the students at Marion P. Thomas Charter School," said Mary Smoot, President of the Union County Savings Bank Charitable Foundation.

“The partnership between Premiere Stages and the Union County Savings Bank Charitable Foundation proved vital in bringing high-quality arts education to New Jersey students,” stated Nick Gandiello of Premiere Stages. “Support from the Foundation was instrumental in augmenting the theatre arts programming at MPTCS and providing the participating students with an essential outlet for creative expression.”

Premiere Stages’ education programs, under the umbrella of the Premiere Play Factory, have introduced theatre to thousands of children across New Jersey, particularly those children in underserved and underfunded school districts. Through our playwriting residencies, Play Factory Performance Series of professional theatre for young audiences, and Camp Premiere for middle and high school students, we introduce students to theatre with an eye towards increasing literacy, supporting English language learners, modeling the collaborative process, and encouraging self-expression.

Premiere Stages is committed to producing topical plays and interactive programs that reflect people of all ethnic and racial backgrounds, national origins, nationalities, ancestry, religious groups, gender expression or identities, sexual orientation, political beliefs, ages, abilities and disabilities.

Premiere Stages is made possible in part through funding from W. John Bauer and Nancy Boucher, The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, The Shubert Foundation, Carole Shaffer-Koros and Robert Koros, The Northfield Bank Foundation, Blue Foundry Charitable Foundation, Union County Savings Bank Charitable Foundation, The Hyde and Watson Foundation, The Union Foundation, E.J. Grassmann Trust, The New Jersey Theatre Alliance, The Union County HEART Grant and through the generous support of individual patrons and local organizations. Discover Jersey Arts is our marketing partner. Visit JerseyArts.com for more information about other arts programming happening around the Garden State.

Created in 2004, Premiere Stages is the professional Equity theatre in residence at Kean University. Through its unique partnership with Kean, Premiere’s play development programs, educational initiatives, and professional development opportunities actively embrace the university's academic curriculum while expanding the scope, accessibility, and prestige of the professional programming on campus.

Kean University, New Jersey’s urban research university, is a national institution of higher education recognized for its diversity, innovation and the social mobility of its graduates. Designated an R2 research university by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, Kean ranks among the top eight percent of U.S. universities for research and doctorate production. Founded in 1855 as a teachers college, Kean has evolved into a thriving research university that supports students as they persist to graduation, give back to their communities and launch successful careers. Kean’s six colleges offer more than 50 undergraduate programs, six doctoral degree programs and more than 70 options leading to master’s degrees, professional diplomas or certifications, across a full range of academic subjects. With campuses in Union, Toms River and Manahawkin, New Jersey, and Wenzhou, China, as well as Kean Online, the University provides students of all backgrounds an affordable and accessible world-class education.