Graphic by Yolanda Fundora
(SUMMIT, NJ) -- Vivid Stage, in residence at the Oakes Center, presents a world premiere comedy Etiquette by David Lee White from April 9-19, 2026. The play begins at The Cellar Theatre, a regional theatre that is back in production after a year of pandemic Zoom programming, but misbehavior in the audience turns everything upside-down.
The overworked and underpaid staff suddenly have to navigate in-fighting, diva tantrums, illegal vaping and internet trolls...not to mention the Cellar’s problematic history. The play is a hilarious look at what happens backstage when the culture is changing at breakneck speed and the personalities involved are even bigger than the catastrophes at hand.
Directed by Noreen Farley (Clinton), the cast includes Vivid Stage ensemble members Clark Carmichael (Hewitt), Laura Ekstrand (Livingston), Daria M. Sullivan (Lyndhurst), Jason Szamreta (Long Branch) and Emaline Williams (Hackettstown).
Because everyone should be able to enjoy mainstage productions with ease, Vivid Stage offers a variety of access services. Assistive Listening Devices, available at every performance at the box office, allow patrons to hear the performance amplified through their headsets. Also using these headsets, the Sunday, April 19 matinee will offer Audio Description, where the actions and/or images in the live show are described for people with visual impairment.
New for this production is AudioBill, developed by Cocotazo Media, which is an audio program that is a human-narrated alternative to printed showbills. The AudioBill can be accessed through a link that will be posted in the lobby and on the website. With advance notice, Large Print Materials are available that provide printed text in a larger font size for easier reading. There is Wheelchair Access via a ramp at the rear of the Oakes Center which can be reached via the small driveway along the building.
The Audio Described performance is funded in part by a grant from the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, a nonprofit service organization that promotes, supports, and strengthens the nonprofit professional theaters of New Jersey and the region.
For more information on Vivid’s Access Services, please click here.
During the run of Etiquette, several performances offer discounts and an enhanced experience. Thursday, April 9, is a preview performance; all tickets are $28. Friday, April 10, has an opening night reception following the show. Sunday, April 12, is Senior Sunday; seniors age 65+ pay $28. Thursday, April 16 is Under 30 Thursday; all patrons under 30 pay $25. Talkbacks follow the April 12 and 19 matinée performances.
Performances take place Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00pm, and Sundays at 2:00pm. Tickets range from $25 to $42, with special rates for subscribers and groups. Tickets are available for purchase online. The Oakes Center is located at 120 Morris Avenue in Summit, New Jersey. The parking lot is accessible from Ashwood Avenue, behind the theatre.
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, works in a variety of media, and a menu 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, the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, the Shubert and Summit Foundations 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.
