(HACKENSACK, NJ) -- Paul Whelihan, producing artistic director of NJ's renowned touring educational theater, Pushcart Players will appear in the Company Theatre Group's production of Over the River and Through the Woods from March 7-15, 2026 at the Hackensack Performing Arts Center.
Set in Hoboken and written by acclaimed New Jersey playwright, Joe DiPietro, this heartfelt comedy follows Nick, a young professional whose big career move threatens to take him far from the loud, loving, pasta-serving orbit of his four Old-World Italian grandparents. What unfolds is a hilarious (and all-too-recognizable) clash between ambition and tradition, independence and family loyalty — complete with surprise dinner guests, guilt served family-style, exaggerated storytelling, competitive board games, and the kind of affection that shows up no matter what. Beneath the rapid-fire humor and generational sparring lies a deeply moving reminder of what we inherit from those who raised us.
"If you've ever had arguments with your family over Sunday dinner, Over the River might feel less like a play, and more like a documentary," said Whelihan, who plays the role of Nunzio, one of the family's big-hearted and larger than life grandfathers. "Di Pietro's beautifully crafted play resonates with all of us in the cast, in one way or another, in a very personal way. Masterfully blending humor and humanity, our characters love fiercely, live fully, and protect family at all costs."
Over the River and Through the Woods also stars Teddy Coluca, noted television actor featured as Lester on Only Murders in the Building, and Brimley on The Blacklist; Joey Nasta, a New York City-based actor, director, and producer; Elizabeth Nicholas, actor and opera singer; Andrea Prendamano, founding member of The Company, actor, and graphic designer; and Veronica Shea, artistic director of NJ's Off-Brand Opera.
Performances take place at Hackensack Performing Arts Center (102 State St, Hackensack) on March 7, 8, 14, and 15. Performance times are Saturdays at 2:00 & 7:00pm, and Sundays at 2:00pm. Tickets are $40 and are available for purchase online.
Aside from being producing artistic director of Pushcart, Whelihan performs, directs, and stage-manages off-Broadway (47th Street Theater, 59 East 59 Theatres, NY Fringe Festival, 54 Below, TheaterLab) and regionally (Bickford Theater, Forum Theater, Royal Poincianna, Broward Center, Centenary Stage, Growing Stage, Luna Stage Company, The Company Theater Group, Premiere Stages, Quillo Arts Center). Roles include Mushnik in Little Shop of Horrors, Tevye in Fiddler..., Pseudolus in ...Forum, and Noah in Two By Two. Whelihan originated the characters of Gruber in The Flame Keeper, Branch Rickey in Mr. Rickey Calls a Meeting, Stanley in Kiss the Bride, and the Mayor in Sheldon Harnick's Dragons.
Pushcart Players is the award-winning touring theater company specializing in arts education for young audiences Twice nominated for an Emmy©, Pushcart is the recipient of numerous state and private awards for excellence and innovation. A social-profit organization founded in 1974, Pushcart brings substantive musical theater, workshops, and residencies to young people and their families in schools and theaters nationwide. The troupe has traveled more than 7.5 million miles nationally and abroad, from the rural red schoolhouse to the nation's White House.
Over the River and Through the Woods marks the long-awaited comeback production for The Company since November 2019, celebrating their renewed commitment to producing high-quality professional theater in New Jersey. "After a long hiatus, we are excited to return to the stage and offer something truly special to our patrons," said Louis Scarpati, director and managing artistic director of The Company.
The Company Theatre Group was founded in the summer of 2007. Drawing inspiration from the acclaimed Group Theatre, The Company believes in creating authentic human behavior on stage – "Life in Fiction". Their goal is to create an environment and an experience where each audience member can feel like a fly on the wall, watching the lives of real people unfold and sometimes unravel right before their eyes.
