Dance Fest, Women Playwrights Series and More Set for Centenary Stage, April 2014

The excitement doesn't stop at Centenary Stage Company (CSC) this April and there is no fooling anyone with this great entertainment. From the continuation of the ever popular Dance Fest to the annual Women Playwrights Series to adventures in magic and mayhem, CSC has it all.

Dance Fest

CSC will be hosting its annual Dance Fest March 30th through April 11th. This year's Dance Fest will feature the talents of Lustig Dance Theatre, The Art of Motion Dance Theatre and moe-tion dance theater all on the Sitnik Stage in the Lackland Center.

The virtuosic and dynamic Lustig Dance Theatre performs on March 30th at 2 pm. Lustig kicks off the festival with two shows in Artistic Director Graham Lustig's true style, weaving storytelling and ballet into dynamic dance theatre pieces. This performance will feature two of Lustig's popular repertory shows, "Jangala" and "Torch." "Jangala" mixes classical Indian dance and ballet in an urban jungle to re-tell the familiar stories found in Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book". "Torch" is an exploration of modern torch songs by contemporary song writers reflecting the urban experience of seeking, finding, and sometimes losing loving relationships. The songs are performed live by a vocalist and guitarist.

The Art of Motion Dance Theatre (AOM) performs on Saturday, April 5th at 8 pm. AOM is a repertory company performing original works by Artistic Directors, Olivia Galgano and Lynn Needle and Guest Artists. Dancers study regularly at AOM and join the company by invitation. AOM has toured theaters throughout the country. A special project using local high school and college dancers will be featured in a segment about Breast Cancer Awareness entitled "BRCA1/Genome," named after the gene mutation that has been found to lead to some forms of breast cancer. Ruth Grauert, a 1935 graduate of Centenary College and a recent Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters recipient, will be the lighting designer for this project. Breast cancer survivors in the audience will also be acknowledged on the April 5th performance.

moe-tion dance theater returns to close out CSC's Dance Fest on Friday, April 11th at 8pm. moe-tion is a contemporary modern dance company under the artistic direction of Maureen Glennon, the company is dedicated to experimenting and creating new forms of expression.moe-tion dance theater's mission is to present a wide range of programs that educate, enrich and entertain. It seeks to promote an inclusive vision of the arts through the language of modern dance, painting, sculpture, photography, literature and live music. It strives to include people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. It wishes to create productions that expose the community to multiple art forms in one event. Other benefits of moe-tion dance theater are the exposure of new artists of contemporary arts mediums to diverse audiences also providing them with additional employment opportunities.moe-tion dance theater's mission is to present a wide range of programs that educate, enrich and entertain. It seeks to promote an inclusive vision of the arts through the language of modern dance, painting, sculpture, photography, literature and live music. It strives to include people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. It wishes to create productions that expose the community to multiple art forms in one event. Other benefits of moe-tion dance theater are the exposure of new artists of contemporary arts mediums to diverse audiences also providing them with additional employment opportunities. moe-tion dance theater's mission is to present a wide range of programs that educate, enrich and entertain including people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. To further this mission, Glennon will also be hosting a Day of Dance including free workshops focusing on modern dance, improvisation, and musical theatre dance from 9 am-1 pm on Friday, April 11th. Day of Dance participants may purchase tickets for that evening's performance for $10.

All Dance Fest tickets are $20 for adults, $17.50 for seniors/students, and $10 for children under 12. A Flex Pass to attend all three performances is available for $37.50. Dance Fest is sponsored in part by the North Jersey School of Dance Arts and with the support of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation.

Women Playwrights Series

Initiated in 1992 to provide a working platform for the underserved voices of women writing for the theatre, CSC's Women Playwrights Series (WPS) has now featured and helped to develop the new work of over 50 playwrights from around the country, and produced fifteen World Premieres in as many years, from works developed in the playwright series. Plays selected for the WPS receive rehearsal with a professional cast and director, providing an opportunity for the playwright to collaborate with other professionals during the development process. They are presented script-in-hand in staged readings for audiences, which affords the playwright further opportunity to develop the work, in the presence of an audience, a critical element. The three staged readings will be presented for free on April 9th, 16th, and 23rd in The Lackland Center with finalists being announced and posted soon. Reservations are recommended.

Other April Events

Renowned actors and directors Randall Duk Kim and Anne Occhiogrosso will conclude the popular Great Authors Out Loud Series this season with The Merchant of Venice on Sunday, April 6th at 3 PM in The Kutz Black Box Theatre. Winner of the New York Obie Award for "Sustained Excellence in Performance", Kim has performed leading roles at regional theatres throughout the country, including his own American Players Theatre, which he founded with Occhiogrosso in 1981. The Great Authors Out Loud Series is sponsored by Fulton Bank and is free to the public, with reservations recommended.

CSC's Young Audience Series (YAS) is expanding with a new adaptation entitled Shake It Up Shakespeare: Magic, Mystery, and Mayhem incorporating scenes from three of Shakespeare's most popular works; A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet. Audiences can go on a journey through some of the bard's greatest works and characters in this interactive performance, engaging young audiences and introducing a new way to look at Shakespeare. This show's world premiere will take place on Saturday, April 12th at 11 am in the Little Theatre, recommended for middle school and high school aged youth. Tickets for this performance are $12.50 for adults and $10 for children under 12.

After a sold out performance last year, the Merlin Award WINNER for "Best International Family Entertainer" returns to the Centenary Stage. The Illusionary Magic of Brad Ross is back with some brand new tricks on Sunday, April 13 2pm in the Lackland Center. Brad Ross is an award winning, International Star Illusionist combining magic, illusion, theatricality, comedy and fun into a totally family friendly experience that kids, parents and grandparents can all enjoy together. Brad takes his audiences on an inspirational journey into a world of fun & magic, where anything is possible. Tickets for this performance are $20 for adults and $17.50 for children under 12. There will be an optional workshop with the artist after the show for $18.50 per participant.

Tickets may be purchased online at www.centenarystageco.org, at the CSC Box Office in The Lackland Center at 715 Grand Ave in Hackettstown, or by calling 908-979-0900. The Box Office is open Monday through Friday 1-5 p.m. and 2 hours prior to performances. Ticket prices for concerts and special events increase $5 on the day of.