New Play ‘Something To Remember Me By’ Takes Dinner-Table Drama to Extremes
By Summer Dawn Hortillosa • Jun 12th, 2012 • Category: Arts, Blog
Jersey City-based arts organization Art House Productions will premiere an original play written by Founder Christine Goodman, Something to Remember Me By.
Like last year’s original production, comedy Murder on Ice, this show has been largely shrouded in secrecy. The basic premise, however, has attracted attention for its move to break audience boundaries — guests will sit around a gigantic dining table and literally attend the dinner party that drives the action.
“We wanted to change the perspective for the audience, how they view the play,” says Goodman, who notes that Murder on Ice was staged in the round like an ice skating rink. “We like to make the audience feel a little more active in the play without being pulled into action themselves…(it’s) about taking theater to new level of perspective and immersion.”
“Invitations” to perspective audience members read:
You Are Cordially Invited
Please join us at the Morris estate where your hostess,
Ms. Abigail Morris, will welcome her closest family and friends
for an evening of celebration and forgiveness.
ON THE MENU
An assortment of sweet memories, bitter grudges, and dark secrets.
In the show, which is directed by AHP Artistic Director Jack Halpin, Abigail Morris (played by AHP’s “Acting for Adults” teacher Anna Nugent), clashes with her sister Lucille (played by AHP’s STAGES! youth theater program teacher Kit Vogelsang).
“It’s about what drives us apart as family and what brings us back together,” says Goodman. “I think recently I’ve been really fascinated by idea of how far family bonds can be pushed…A lot of the development is centered around that connection and I’ve always been interested in this topic.
“Part of it is their discovery of how far they could be pushed; it takes the dramatic structure to an extreme. The stakes become incredibly high and the lengths to which people will go to keep their family or pull their family are tested,” she says.
Something to Remember Me By also stars Paul Bauer, Daniela Dragomir, Paul Nugent, Megan Wagner and Todd Woodard as various cousins, relatives and family friends.
The play will open Thursday at 8 pm at Art House Productions, located at 1 McWilliams Pl, and runs through June 23. For all performance dates and times, see the play’s Facebook event page. The Friday show will feature a post-show talk with the cast and creators, June 22 will have a late-night show in addition to the regular performance and June 23 will have a special 7 pm show followed by the company’s annual Summer Blowout end-of-season party with live music, food, raffles and more.
Tickets are $18, $15 for students and seniors. A limited number of VIP tickets with complimentary table service are available for $25. For more information, visit Art House Productions’ website or call 201-915-9911.
Photo by Gabby Creery
See the listing for this event on JCI‘s Cultural Calendar.
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Summer Dawn Hortillosa is a Staff Writer for the Jersey City Independent. She is also a freelance arts and entertainment writer whose work has appeared in the Jersey Journal, the International and other publications; creative writer and theatrical director.
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