Dreamcatcher collaborated with our friends at The Theater Project to present a new adaptation of Maplewood resident Jan Slepian’s book ASTONISHMENT: Life in the Slow Lane. Slepian has had a long celebrated career as the author of books for children and young adults. Most recently she has been writing a column in her retirement community’s newsletter. It is these columns, previously collected into a book, that we debuted as a theatrical presentation.

The cast of Astonishment

The show is a cornucopia of reflections on aging with humor and grace. Presented in honor of Slepian’s 90th birthday, the hour-long performance comments on the astonishment of being old, the heartbreak and comfort of companionship in later years, and the ridiculous moments in everyday life. It is at once bittersweet and insightful, and laugh-out-loud funny.

Jan Slepian is the author of 28 children’s books and novels for young-adult readers. Her picture book The Hungry Thing is now a classic; her young-adult novel The Alfred Summer was honored by a National Book Award nomination and inclusion on the School Library Journal’s list of 100 books that shaped the century.

Cast & Creative Team

Cast:	Noreen Farley	member of the Dreamcatcher ensemble
	Terri Sturtevant
	Daaimah Talley	member of The Theater Project
	Angela Della Ventura	(understudy)
	Nancy Lee Ryan	(understudy)
Director:	Mark Spina	artistic director of The Theater Project
Stage Manager:	Paula Clarkson
Music:	Don Slepian
Illustrations:	Laura Schreiber
Playwright:	Jan Slepian
Adapted by:	Laura Ekstrand	artistic director of Dreamcatcher Rep

“You look in the mirror and say to yourself, ‘Who’s that?’ Somebody slipped an old person over your head while you were asleep!”   - Jan Slepian, Astonishment

Booking Info

“Astonishment” is available for booking through our Open Theatre outreach program.   Contact Us

• LOCATION: most outreach events take place at your venue, typically an event room or small theatre. If you have access to a bus or other transportation for your patrons, we can also perform “Astonishment” in our wheelchair accessible theatre at the Baird Center in South Orange.
• TICKETING: outreach events are usually closed to the general public. In these cases you would control invitations and access to the performance. Dreamcatcher will handle ticketing for performances that are open to the public at which admission will be charged; talk to us about income sharing arrangements.
• RUN TIME: Astonishment runs about 1 hour with no intermission

Contact Us about booking the show      •      Call 908-514-9654

Read the Review!