The Connection Bernards Ridge Edition Feb-Mar 2020

Charming Chester 54 Grove Street, Chester, NJ 07930 chestertheatregroup.org When many people think of “com- munity theatre,” some satirical render- ing along the lines of “Waiting for Guffman” comes to mind. But in Chester, NJ, we have theatre of a much higher caliber. One of the benefits of being so close to New York City is the amount of artistic talent that pervades the area, and Chester Theatre Group , housed in the Black River Play- house, is a paragon of true community theatre. It is rare among other local NJ theatres in that it connects artists and audiences in a special in-the-round 103-seat theatre space where viewers are no more than three rows away from performers. That intimacy is its greatest asset, generating a singular energy that occurs only in live theater. This volunteer-run, non-profit theatre provides a bit of Broadway in your backyard with ticket prices averaging $15-$20. A fundamental cornerstone of CTG is promoting the invaluable work of directors. By providing a free and accessible venue for creative expres- sion, directors are invited each season to come forward with their ideas and visions for possible productions. CTG prides itself in taking risks that other theatres might not endeavor, asking, “Will the production be interesting, entertaining, and challenging enough to warrant production? And can we do it well?” From the commercial, the avant-garde, and the classical to dra- mas, musicals, and comedies, CTG’s philosophy has yielded decades of quality theater for our community, enriching artists and audiences alike. Recently, Chester has begun pro- ducing what they call “black box pro- ductions,” consisting of shows that may be exceptionally bold or have cast sizes too small to warrant main stage production. This January, CTG part- nered with the Mental Health Associa- tion of Essex and Morris to produce Every Brilliant Thing , an audience inter- active one-person play that raises awareness on suicide prevention. Next up on the Chester main stage is Melissa Ross’s Thinner Than Water, which follows a severely dysfunctional set of half-siblings who come together in the wake of their common father’s terminal illness. Their familial bonds are tested – at times funny, other times heartbreaking, and at all times profane – as they try to deal with their father’s impending death. Each sibling has a subplot: Renee’s marriage is on the rocks, Gary is hoping to be Big Brother to an 8-year-old boy, and Cassie is struggling to find her way in the wake of breaking up with her long-suffering boyfriend. The cast includes Lauri MacMillan (Rockaway), Jason Kruk (South Orange), Jessica Phelan (Mont- clair), Jill Bormann (Califon), Anthony Bentrovato (Morristown), Gloria Lam- oureux (Succasunna), Matt McCarthy (Chatham), and Sean Runnette (Denville). As you can tell just from these actors’ hometowns, CTG’s reach is far and wide into the NJ community. As a true community entity, CTG welcomes anyone in the area who wants to be involved theatrically, whether its rekindling that stage spark you had in high school, but haven’t fueled since or finding an outlet for your sewing or woodshop skills by crafting costumes and sets. Many of the artists involved at CTG have had professional theatre careers in NYC and beyond, but the beauty of com- munity theatre is it provides common ground for theatre lovers, no matter their prior experience. A Bit of Broadway in your Backyard! Opening February 14 and running through March 1 Tickets available at www.chestertheatregroup.org Then we round out the season with “Twelfth Night” and “Anyone Can Whistle.” Join us! The Black River Playhouse 54 Grove Street, Chester, NJ 07930 A Professional and Affordable Bookkeeping Service for Small & Mid-sized Businesses. From Basic Bookkeeping to Advanced... We can save you time and money by customizing our Services giving you only what you need for your Business. Services include: Customer Invoicing • Accounts Receivable Tracking Expenses • Accounts Payable Payroll Bank & Merchant Credit Card Statement Reconciliation Financial Statements Made Easy to Understand Personal Bookkeeping and Paperwork Organization Tax Prep and Clean-up And So Much More... Valley Bookkeeping Service LLC 154 US Route 206, Suite 2C Chester, NJ Office (908) 879-8790 Fax (908) 879-8792 valley.books@outlook.com www.valleybookkeepingsvc.com PAGE 53 theconnectionsnj.com