Dreamcatcher's History

Who We Are

Dreamcatcher is a professional yet intimate theatre company in residence at Oakes Center in Summit. Our year-long season includes plays, improv comedy, a holiday special, new play readings, and a summer youth program, along with many outreach and education programs for youth, adults and seniors.

As you attend our performances throughout the season, you’ll get to know our talented Resident Acting Company, a tightly-knit ensemble who embody the uniqueness and excellence of Dreamcatcher.

Why the Name 'Dreamcatcher'?

Back in 1994, the original members of the company were sitting around Melissa and Jeff’s living room eating pizza and searching for a name in anticipation of producing our first show. A suggestion arose that we call ourselves “Dreamcatcher,” which we all quickly agreed captured something important about our goals.

In several Native American cultures, dreamcatchers are hoops that are woven with a web and decorated with feathers. They are traditionally hung over a bed to ensnare bad dreams on their way to the sleeper, where they will be burned off by the next morning’s sunlight. Good dreams, however, will slip through the web and slide down the feathers to reach the dreamer while he or she sleeps.

We knew then (and still feel) that we wanted to focus on telling stories about the essential goodness of all people and that we wanted to send our audiences on their way filled with hope. We decided that Dreamcatcher was a name that embodied the kind of positive filter we hope to be as we pass only the good stories on to our audiences.

Our History

Our company began performing in the summers only for four years, renting Luna Stage and 12 Miles West in Montclair. We were then offered the opportunity to move to Bloomfield College, an exciting proposition that would allow us to produce nine months of the year. After four years there, we were thrilled to relocate in 2003 to the Baird Recreation and Cultural Center in South Orange, an intimate theatre space in the heart of a very supportive town. Nine years later, we had outgrown the space and sought a larger venue that would still allow us to retain the close contact with our audiences that we value. In 2012, we found a new home at the Oakes Center in Summit. We are an Equity Producing Theatre of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, the coalition of the state’s professional theatres. Through our world premiere and New Jersey premiere productions, our dedication to artists and our connection to our community, Dreamcatcher is a significant part of the arts landscape of Northern New Jersey.