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DREAMCATCHER ANNOUNCES 2012-2013 SEASON IN NEW HOME

Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre is announcing its first season in its new home at The Oakes Center at 120 Morris Avenue in Summit. Entering its eighteenth year, this professional company will bring two world premieres and one New Jersey premiere to the stage in addition to improvisational comedy, new play readings, a holiday variety show and many programs for seniors and students. As always, the Dreamcatcher Resident Acting Company and their guests will tell stories that reflect our shared experience of being human with heart and humor.

Dreamcatcher’s fall mainstage production is the world premiere of THE NEIGHBORHOOD, a new musical with book and lyrics by Laura Ekstrand and music by Joe Zawila. This musical—written for and with Dreamcatcher’s Resident Acting Company—looks at how we deal with our daily proximity to people who are sometimes strangers, sometimes friends, and most often something in between. This frank and funny evening of vignettes, monologues and songs will strike a chord with everyone in the audience. THE NEIGHBORHOOD will open on September 28 and will play until October 14.

On Saturday, October 27, Dreamcatcher’s improv comedy group Multiple Personality Disorder will bring its own brand of silliness and spontaneity to life for the first of two evenings during the season. The second MPD show will be Saturday, May 4.

On December 7 and 8, Dreamcatcher will present A VERY SPECIAL (HOLIDAY) SPECIAL, a unique and affectionate send-up of traditional television holiday variety shows. This Very Special Special will include holiday songs, comic sketches and improv, and lots of good old-fashioned fun.

Dreamcatcher will present its second mainstage production in January, the New Jersey premiere of Julia Cho’s hit THE LANGUAGE ARCHIVE, which recently played at both the Roundabout in New York and South Coast Rep in California. This comedy of the heart explores the mysterious language of love, which often fails when it is needed most. This winner of the 2010 Blackburn Prize weaves together the stories of five people in the throes of love, from the durable to the disappointing to the unrequited. “A quirky but ravishingly well-written piece that is smart, funny, deep and tender,” wrote OC Weekly. THE LANGUAGE ARCHIVE plays January 25 through February 10.

The third mainstage production of the season will be the World Premiere of Suzanne Bradbeer’s comedy SHAKESPEARE IN VEGAS. A co-production with the Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey, SHAKESPEARE IN VEGAS tells the story of a disheartened actress from New York and a wise guy with a dream who go to Sin City to create a legit Shakespeare theatre. Will generations-old family secrets and a cast of I.Q.-challenged showgirls derail their plans? Bradbeer is an award-winning playwright whose plays FULL BLOOM and YOU MISS THEM WHEN THEY’RE NOT AROUND have appeared on the Dreamcatcher stage in past seasons. SHAKESPEARE IN VEGAS runs from April 4 through 21.

In the spring, two “Meet the Artist” free new play readings will be held on May 15 and 22, thought-provoking experiences which include the opportunity for audience discussion with the writer, director and actors after the performance.

After its month-long Summer Theatre Conservatory for students aged 10-17, Dreamcatcher will present its annual DREAMCATCHER JUNIOR production on Friday, August 2, an original family show that always draws on the creativity of its young actors to shape the piece. Each year, the youth company creates a one-of-a-kind piece that ranges from fairy tale quest to Shakespeare adaptation to musical revue.

Throughout the year, Dreamcatcher offers internships for high school and college students, classes for teens and adults, and many volunteer opportunities. In addition, the theatre provides a menu of outreach programs for students and seniors that travel to other venues. All of Dreamcatcher’s activities center on the collaborative nature of theatre and creating a comfortable environment for artists and audiences of all ages to explore and grow together. The company’s work is supported by grants from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, and several other corporate and individual donors that believe in the power of the arts to bring people together and promote understanding between them.

Season passes may be purchased that provide substantial discounts to all events, and special rates for groups are also available. The theatre at The Oakes Center is wheelchair accessible, and such access services as large print scripts, assistive listening devices, and audio description will be available by prior arrangement throughout the season. Performances will be held at the Oakes Center, 120 Morris Avenue, Summit, NJ 07901. For more information and tickets for any of Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre’s programs, please call 973-378-7754, ext. 2228, and visit www.DreamcatcherRep.org.

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Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) corporation, incorporated under the laws of the State of New Jersey.