AYCKBOURN AT 75: A THEATICAL BIRTHDAY PARTY Presented at Black River Playhouse, 4/12

On April 12, 2014, Sir Alan Ayckbourn, one of the most produced playwrights in the English language, celebrates his 75th birthday. To mark the event, some of his most loyal New Jersey-based theater artists are presenting AYCKBOURN AT 75: A THEATICAL BIRTHDAY PARTY. The show will trace his remarkable life and career featuring excerpts from such plays as THE NORMAN CONQUESTS, ABSURD PERSON SINGULAR and BEDROOM FARCE as well as songs from BY JEEVES, a collaboration between Ayckbourn and Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. With special permission from Sir Alan, the show will also feature a scene from Ayckbourn's very first play, THE SQUARE CAT, which is unpublished and unavailable for performance. The 1959 comedy has never been seen in the USA and hasn't been performed in more than 50 years. The entire evening is written and directed by Michael T. Mooney, who studied theatre-in-the-round with Ayckbourn at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, England. Mooney has directed ten of the author's plays in the Garden State, including four American premieres.

The cast features: Cody Dalton of Oakhurst NJ, who appeared in the American premieres of Ayckbourn's IMPROBABLE FICTION and SNAKE IN THE GRASS; David C. Neal of Fanwood NJ appeared in THE NORMAN CONQUESTS trilogy and American premiere of IMPROBABLE FICTION; Juliann DiPietro-Renshaw of Maplewood NJ appeared with Dalton and Neal in IMPROBABLE FICTION as well as SNAKE IN THE GRASS; Kelly Maizenaski of Middlesex Borough NJ has appeared in staged readings of Ayckbourn's SISTERLY FEELINGS and HOUSE & GARDEN, which also featured Holmdel NJ resident Volney Stefflre. Accompanist and musical director is Tom Rodgers who also did the same work on BY JEEVES.

The performance will be presented on Ayckbourn's actual birthday, Saturday, April 12 at 8:00pm, by Chester Theatre Group in residence at Black River Playhouse in Chester, NJ. The intimate theatre-in-the-round has previously staged 15 of Ayckbourn's plays as well as an "Unheard Ayckbourn" reading series in 2009. Gloria Lamoureux (also a veteran Ayckbourn performer) serves as producer for the Chester event. Tickets are $15 and may be reserved online at www.chestertheatregroup.org or by calling 908.879.7304.

For Central Jersey theatre-goers, a sneak preview of the show will be presented by Holmdel Theatre Company in residence at the Duncan Smith Theatre in Holmdel on Monday, April 7 at 7:00pm. The Company has previously hosted staged readings of HOUSE & GARDEN and SISTERLY FEELINGS. The Monday reading is free and no reservations are necessary.