NJ Theatre Alliance & NJPAC to Present Eight Special Events at Newark Arts Center as Part of STAGES Festival, 3/21-23

Every March, the New Jersey Theatre Alliance (NJTA), its professional member theatres and partner organizations offer an annual statewide theatre "open-house" with free and discounted tickets to performances, workshops and events. For the second year, the Alliance and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) will offer a "festival-within-the-festival" at NJPAC over the weekend of Friday, March 21 through Sunday, March 23 with eight events.

Designed to give New Jersey residents the opportunity to experience the diversity of New Jersey's professional theatres, the seventeen year old Stages Festival offers affordable, exciting and educational programming at member theatres and non-traditional venues throughout the state such as local libraries, schools, hospitals and senior centers. With similar missions to make the arts accessible to everyone, NJTA and NJPAC teamed up last year to offer a weekend's worth of programming for at the Newark cultural center.

"The response to last year's Stages Festival events at NJPAC was so enthusiastic," says Alliance Executive Director John McEwen, "we knew we had to do it again. We look forward to giving new audiences a chance to experience some of the best of New Jersey's professional theatres at NJPAC."

NJPAC's President and CEO John Schreiber added: "NJPAC is excited to collaborate with the New Jersey Theatre Alliance for a second year of their 17th Annual Stages Festival. In presenting a cross section of the State's best non-profit theater companies, the festival illuminates the ability of the arts to transform lives and offers an unforgettable live theater experience for young people."

Everyone is invited to participate in The Stages Festival at NJPAC with free workshops and discounted performances. Events include the second year of the revived Playwrights Theatre's Newark Young Writers Festival. This Madison-based company has been teaching hands-on writing residencies in schools and community-based programs to thousands of young people statewide, and last year the program culminated in the performance of some of the Newark student's works on Friday, March 21 at 5:00pm at NJPAC.

On Saturday, March 22, The Stages Festival at NJPAC will offer four free workshops including Improvisation, Mask Making, Playwriting, and Stage Combat. Taught by professional theatre artists, these events will begin at 11:00am. The Improvisation, Mask Making and Stage Combat workshops will all be offered again at 1:00pm. Reservations are required for the workshops and can be made by calling and leaving a message at 973-731-6582 extension 11.

Each night, a select number of tickets to a reimagined concert version of The Music Man - produced by Alliance member Two River Theater and NJPAC - will be offered at a discount for Stages Festival participants. Meredith Willson's Broadway classic about a con man who falls for a small-town librarian, will feature an African-American cast.

For an up-to-the-minute schedule of The Stages Festival, please visit the website at www.stagesfestival.org.

Founded in 1981, the New Jersey Theatre Alliance is the first statewide organization for professional, not-for-profit theatre companies in the United States, and is a leader in developing model programs that foster collaboration, cooperation and audience development. The Alliance provides member theatres and arts patrons a wide range of supportive services and programs, assists member theatres in their growth and development - as well as in the promotion of their programs - helping them reach their full potential. For arts patrons, the Alliance provides a variety of services to enhance their theatre-going experience. www.njtheatrealliance.org

Located in downtown Newark, New Jersey, is among the largest performing arts centers in the United States. It is the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey-where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day. As New Jersey's Town Square, NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the State's and the world's best artists, while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Arts Education programs, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts. NJPAC has attracted over seven million visitors (including more than one million children) since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents. Visit www.njpac.org or call 1-888-GO-NJPAC for more information.