(FRANKLIN, NJ) -- North Star Theater Company will present William Inge's classic romantic comedy Bus Stop, October 23-25, 2026 at the First Presbyterian Church of Franklin. The production is directed by Christa Piper. The play takes place in the middle of a howling snowstorm, a bus out of Kansas City pulls up at a cheerful roadside diner...
All roads are blocked, and four or five weary travelers are going to have to hole up until morning. Cherie, a nightclub chanteuse in a sparkling gown and a seedy fur-trimmed jacket, is the passenger with most to worry about. She’s been pursued, made love to and finally kidnapped by a 21-year-old cowboy with a ranch of his own and the romantic methods of an unusually headstrong bull. The belligerent cowhand is right behind her, ready to sling her over his shoulder and carry her, alive and kicking, all the way to Montana. Even as she’s ducking out from under his clumsy but confident embraces, and screeching at him fiercely to shut him up, she is inexplicably drawn to him.
As a counterpoint to the main romance, the proprietor of the cafe and the bus driver find time to develop a friendship of their own; a middle-age scholar comes to terms with himself; and a young girl who works in the cafe gets her first taste of romance.
Directed by Christa Piper, the cast includes Kalle Young (Elma Duckworth), Jennifer Balogh (Grace Hoylard), Jordan Perez (Will Masters), Destiny Covert (Cherie), Charlie Hudson (Dr. Gerald Lyman), Allison Ognibene (Carla), Phil Cocilovo (Virgil Blessing), and Jason Cahill (Bo Decker).
Performances take place Friday, October 23 at 7:00pm; Saturday, October 24 at 2:00pm & 7:00pm; and Sunday, October 25 at 2:00pm. Tickets are available for purchase online. The First Presbyterian Church of Franklin is located at 11 Main Street in Franklin, New Jersey.
Bus Stop premiered on Broadway at The Music Box Theatre on March 2, 1955. Directed by Harold Clurman, the production featured Phyllis Lowe, Elaine Stritch, Lou Polan, Kim Stanley, Anthony Ross, Patrick McVey, Crahan Denton and Albert Salmi.
Bus Stop is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service collection.
North Star Theater Company is dedicated to providing exceptional theatrical experiences that inspire, entertain, and strengthen the community through the performing arts.
Funding has been made available in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, through the State/County Partnership Block Grant Program, as administered by the Sussex County Arts and Heritage Council.
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
@ 7:30pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center
Morristown, NJ
There are multiple performances including:
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
@ 7:30pm
New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC)
New Brunswick, NJ
There are multiple performances including:
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
@ 7:30pm
McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theatre)
Princeton, NJ
There are multiple performances including:
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
@ 7:30pm
Kean Stage - Bauer Boucher Theatre Center
Union, NJ
Thursday, October 15, 2026
@ 7:00pm
Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) - Main Stage
Rahway, NJ
