(SUMMIT, NJ) -- Vivid Stage, formerly Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre, in residence at Oakes Center at 120 Morris Avenue in Summit, will present a world premiere production of Life’s Work by Laura Ekstrand from April 21 through May 1. To complement the production, Joan Speare’s paintings will be displayed in the lobby at the Oakes Center. The exhibit, entitled “A promise made, a promise kept,” includes works that the artist created in her deferred career.
Speare says, “I knew I wanted to try oil painting, but life got in the way - marriage, divorce, raising children alone. I promised myself that I would paint when I retired. Cancer forced me to leave the corporate world. So I started painting. Ten years later I am happily creating art with oils and have won several awards including First Prize in the Essex County Senior Art Show 2020. I am at last doing what I have wanted to do for so many years. But I can’t help wondering what life would have been like had I been able to begin painting earlier in life.”
“A promise made, a promise kept” will run concurrently with the show from April 21 through May 1, and may also be viewed by appointment.
Life’s Work is a new play by Vivid’s Artistic Director, written with the ensemble members in mind. Every intimate relationship is based on a web of understanding, whether implicit or explicit. In this comic drama, two couples discover what happens when their agreements around work and money shift and evolve. Chip suddenly decides to quit his corporate job, blindsiding his wife Lynn, who is just returning to her career after years as a primary caregiver. Shelly, a photographer who earns her living as a barista, navigates her relationship with the practical Eduardo, a restaurant manager. This world premiere production asks, ‘Is it possible for a partnership to survive when the ground rules change?’
Vivid Stage will require all visitors to show proof of vaccination and a photo ID for all events, and to mask throughout their time in the facility. Proof of vaccination may include a valid paper vaccination record, a photo of a valid vaccination record, the NJ Docket App, or equivalent app from your state.
Life’s Work will appear at Vivid Stage at 120 Morris Avenue in Summit from April 21 through May 1. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00pm, and Sundays at 2:00pm. Special dates: Thursday, April 21, is a preview performance; all tickets are $25. Sunday, April 24, is Senior Sunday; seniors age 65+ pay $25. Talkbacks follow the April 24 and May 1 matinees. Tickets are available for purchase online. The theatre at Oakes Center is wheelchair accessible. 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 and a variety 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 Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and many other corporations, foundations and individuals. Vivid Stage is an Equity Producing member of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.
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