By Gary Wien
originally published: 10/29/2014
(LONG BRANCH, NJ) — There's a lot going on during
Angels and Ministers of Grace and nothing much going on. The latest world premiere at New Jersey Repertory Company offers quirky characters, multiple storylines, and fine acting, but gets a bit lost during the way and winds up resembling a soap opera.
The play by Elaine Smith focuses on the world of a close knit family living on a farm in Florida. There is the smart one (Miriam, played by Dana Benningfield), the dumb one (Jimmy Ray, played by David Van Pelt), and the crazy one (Arletta, played by Maureen Silliman). Together they are trying to get through the 7th anniversary of the day Miriam's daughter died in a drowning accident — a day that would change all of their lives. Surviving the anniversary is one of many storylines in the play, something which restricts the play from reaching its full potential.
A major storyline involves the many craft angels created by Arletta. She does not sell the angels, they are designed to protect the family because they could not protect Miriam's daughter. Some in the town think of her as crazy because she has psychic visions. The main problem is that her visions, like her most recent one, aren't always clear.
Another major storyline involves the health of Miriam. She is supposed to have important medical tests conducted, but keeps putting them off. On several occasions, she reminds her siblings that they should worry about what will happen when she's no longer around. This is a rather unsubtle way of saying that she knows she is dying. She also doesn't care. Without her daughter, she doesn't have much to live for anymore.
Smaller side storylines involve the relationship between Miriam and her ex; who was to blame for the daughter's death; how to get Arletta out of the house and into the real world again; and whether Jimmy Ray can ever find a job.
I understand the playwright's goal of bouncing all of these storylines around the anniversary of the child's death, but the end effect is that none of the storylines are fully realized and they all wide up kind of muddled. The storylines all seem to balance one another out to the point in which the play moves at the exact same speed until the very end when there is a lot of action. You don't need people yelling or throwing things in every scene, but a little variety helps. For example, rather than simply getting a shotgun as a threat, why not have it go off? Break the monotony a bit?
Performance-wise, David Van Pelt steals the show as Jimmy Ray. He's a dead-ringer for some of the good ol' boys I saw while living in the south. His scenes are often funny and actually include some of the most insightful comments in the play.
There are good elements in Angels and Ministers of Grace, but the play would benefit from a choice as to which storyline is the strongest and an application of focus. Having many things happening simultaneously may be real life, but it doesn't always make for good theater.
Angels and Ministers of Grace runs now through November 23 at 179 Broadway, Long Branch, NJ. The production is directed by Marc Geller. For more information or to purchase tickets visit www.NJrep.org
PHOTOS by SuzAnne Barabas. TOP PHOTO: Maureen Silliman and David Van Pelt
BOTTOM PHOTO: David Van Pelt, Dana Benningfield and Maureen Silliman
About the author:
Gary Wien has been covering the arts since 2001 and has had work published with Jersey Arts, Upstage Magazine, Elmore Magazine, Princeton Magazine, Backstreets and other publications. He is a three-time winner of the Asbury Music Award for Top Music Journalist and the author of
Beyond the Palace (the first book on the history of rock and roll in Asbury Park) and
Are You Listening? The Top 100 Albums of 2001-2010 by New Jersey Artists. In addition, he runs New Jersey Stage and the online radio station
The Penguin Rocks. His personal website is at
lightyscorner.com. He can be contacted at
[email protected].
You can have your events appear here,
whenever someone reads an article about
LONG BRANCH
click here for more information
George Street Playhouse Presents Vicki Lawrence & Mama: A Two-woman Show
Friday, November 13, 2026 @ 7:30pm
New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC)
11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJWritten by and starring
Vicki Lawrence Two Performances Only
Vicki Lawrence, the legendary actress, comedian, and singer, brings her signature wit and charm to the stage in Vicki Lawrence and Mama: A Two-Woman Show. Best known for her iconic role as Thelma Harper, or "Mama," from The Carol Burnett Show and Mama’s Family, Lawrence delivers a hilarious and heartfelt performance that takes audiences on a journey through her extraordinary career. From her Emmy-winning years alongside Carol Burnett to her chart-topping hit, “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” she shares behind-the-scenes stories, comedy, and music—all with her trademark humor. Whether reminiscing about her Hollywood adventures or embodying the feisty Mama, Lawrence proves that laughter is timeless.
Kean Department Of Theatre Presents "the Drowsy Chaperone"
Friday, November 13, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Kean Stage - Bauer Boucher Theatre Center
1000 Morris Avenue, Union, NJMusic and lyrics by
Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison
Princeton’s Famous Triangle Show: Roswell That Ends Well
Friday, November 13, 2026 @ 8:00pm
McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theatre)
91 University Place, Princeton, NJIf you’re feeling all alone in the universe – or even if you’re not – Triangle’s newest musical comedy is for you! Join us as Triangle explores what it means to have friends in high – or should we say “sky”? – places. Extraterrestrial visitors, crazy conspiracy theories, and intergalactic shenanigans power this year’s annual laugh-fest of witty jokes, lavish production numbers, and, of course, Triangle’s famous kickline. Can interplanetary goodwill blossom in the dystopian desert of our current times? Get your Triangle tickets now and learn if
Roswell That Ends Well!
George Street Playhouse Presents Vicki Lawrence & Mama: A Two-woman Show
Saturday, November 14, 2026 @ 2:00pm
New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC)
11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJWritten by and starring
Vicki Lawrence Two Performances Only
Vicki Lawrence, the legendary actress, comedian, and singer, brings her signature wit and charm to the stage in Vicki Lawrence and Mama: A Two-Woman Show. Best known for her iconic role as Thelma Harper, or "Mama," from The Carol Burnett Show and Mama’s Family, Lawrence delivers a hilarious and heartfelt performance that takes audiences on a journey through her extraordinary career. From her Emmy-winning years alongside Carol Burnett to her chart-topping hit, “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” she shares behind-the-scenes stories, comedy, and music—all with her trademark humor. Whether reminiscing about her Hollywood adventures or embodying the feisty Mama, Lawrence proves that laughter is timeless.
Kean Department Of Theatre Presents "the Drowsy Chaperone"
Saturday, November 14, 2026 @ 2:00pm
Kean Stage - Bauer Boucher Theatre Center
1000 Morris Avenue, Union, NJMusic and lyrics by
Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison
EVENT PREVIEWS
Theater League of Clifton presents "1776" in November
(WAYNE, NJ) -- Two hundred and fifty years ago, a group of opinionated, stubborn and deeply divided delegates gathered in Philadelphia and somehow managed to create a new nation. This November, the Theater League of Clifton brings their story to the stage with 1776, the Tony Award-winning musical about the tumultuous days leading to the Declaration of Independence. Directed by Maren Sugarman, the production will be presented November 13–15, 2026, at the Wayne Community Center.
Lomotion Live presents "Etiquette" by David Lee White
(BOONTON, NJ) -- Lomotion Live presents Etiquette, a timely and biting comedy by playwright David Lee White, directed by Lauren Moran. The production will run November 13–15, 2026 at Lomotion Live at Parsippany Arts Center in Boonton.
NJ Rep presents Theatre Brut Short Play Festival 2026: "Through The Window"
(LONG BRANCH, NJ) -- What happens when we look through a window? Do we see the world as it really is, the world as we wish it could be, or something we never expected? New Jersey Repertory Company (NJ Rep) invites audiences to discover the unexpected with NJ Rep presents Theatre Brut Short Play Festival 2026: "Through The Window" a festival of eight original short plays presented over two weekends, November 13–15 and November 20–22, 2026 at the West End Arts Center in Long Branch.
Bridge Players Theatre Company presents "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical"
(BURLINGTON, NJ) -- Bridge Players Theatre Company presents The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical weekends from November 13-28, 2026. In this musical adaptation of the funny and touching holiday classic, The Herdmans – widely known as the "worst kids in the history of the world" – crash Sunday School lured by the promise of free snacks and end up hijacking the annual church Christmas pageant!
For the Whim Productions presents William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
(BRIDGETON, NJ) -- For the Whim Productions presents William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream from November 13-20, 2026 at the Ashley McCormick Theatre in the Hopeloft in Bridgeton. A whimsical comedy where fairies, lovers, actors, and our audience collide in an enchanted forest, blending magic, romance, and mischief. The production is directed by Heidi Dugan.
The Maplewood Strollers presents "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"
(MAPLEWOOD, NJ) -- The Maplewood Strollers present Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street weekends from November 13-22, 2026. Attend the dark, witty and Tony Award-winning tale of love, murder and revenge set against the backdrop of 19th century London.
Readington Community Theatre presents "Anatomy of a Murder"
(WHITEHOUSE STATION, NJ) -- Readington Community Theatre presents Anatomy of a Murder by Elihu Winer across two weekends from November 13-22, 2026 at Rockaway Reformed Church. In a quiet town in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, a small-time lawyer is pulled into a sensational case that quickly grips the entire community.
The Barn Theatre presents Roald Dahl's "Matilda, the Musical"
(MONTVILLE, NJ) -- The Barn Theatre presents Roald Dahl's Matilda, the Musical weekends from November 13 to December 5, 2026. The story of an extraordinary girl who dares to take a stand and change her own destiny.
Villagers Theatre presents "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot"
(SOMERSET, NJ) -- Villagers Theatre presents The Last Days of Judas Iscariot in The Andrew Russoniello Black Box weekends from November 13-21, 2026. Set in a time-bending, darkly comic world between heaven and hell, the play reexamines the plight and fate of the New Testament’s most infamous and unexplained sinner.
Holmdel Theatre Company presents "Love, Loss, and What I Wore"
(HOLMDEL, NJ) -- Holmdel Theatre Company presents Love, Loss, and What I Wore from November 13-15, 2026. Told through a series of personal stories and monologues, Love, Loss, and What I Wore reveals how the clothes we wear often become intertwined with who we are and the moments we never forget. The show celebrates the humor and heartbreak of everyday life, reminding audiences that while fashion trends may come and go, the experiences that connect us are timeless.
