East Lynne Acceping Items for the Food Closet

As usual this time of year, the award-winning Equity professional East Lynne Theater Company is accepting nonperishable items for the Cape May Food Closet. What is needed are canned soups, vegetables, and fruit, boxed pasta, paper towels, shampoo, bar soap, toilet paper, dish soap, and detergent. Any canned food items will be graciously accepted, as long as they have current and future expiration dates.

Of course, items will be accepted any time, but patrons attending the final evening performance on Saturday, December 13 at 8:00 p.m. of ELTC's "Christmas in Wisconsin: Tales by Zona Gale" will receive a coupon good for $5.00 off on any ticket for a performance in 2015. Only one coupon per family, and the item for the Food Closet must have a value of at least $2.50.

Earlier this year, ELTC raised $582.00 for The Food Closet through three after-show receptions, hosted by ELTC board member Veronica Scutaro and her husband Gerald DeMenna.

There are only five performances remaining: Sunday, December 7, Thursday through Saturday, December 11-13 at 8:00p.m., plus a 2:00p.m. Saturday matinee on December 13. The location is The First Presbyterian Church of Cape May, 500 Hughes St., where the company is in residence. As usual with ELTC's Christmas shows, the company reduces its regular ticket price as an early holiday gift to its audience. Tickets are $25 for general admission; $15 for full-time students, and as always with ELTC productions, those ages twelve and under are free. Dinner/Theater packages are still available at the following restaurants: Aleathea's Restaurant, The Washington Inn, and The Blue Rose Inn.

Gayle Stahlhuth, who just completed her sixteenth year as ELTC's artistic director, adapted the stories and performs them in "Christmas in Wisconsin: Tales by Zona Gale." She portrays the storyteller, Calliope Marsh, who lived in Friendship Village, Wisconsin her whole life. In "Human," while waiting in line at the post office to mail off her last batch of Christmas presents, along with most of the rest of the town, she discovers that a seven-year-old boy doesn't have the money to visit his mother who's in a hospital in another town. In "The Great Tree," she is determined to see to it that the tree in the center of town is lit with electric lights for Christmas Eve in 1912.

Zona Gale was known for her short stories and her novel, "Miss Lulu Bett," that she adapted for the stage. While on Broadway in 1922, it received the Pulitzer Prize.

Season tickets for the 2015 Mainstage Productions are available and make a great Christmas present! The price is 4 shows for only $80.00, a $40 savings for single-ticket General Admission. They can be used in any way at any time. Use all 4 for one show, or see 4 different shows, and any combination in-between. There are five exciting productions planned for 2014, along with a special silent film series with live organ accompaniment, staged readings, workshops, Tales of the Victorians, and lectures. Season tickets may be purchased at the box office, through the web site, or by mailing a check to the office: 121 Fourth Ave., West Cape May, NJ 08204.

For information and reservations, call East Lynne at 884-5898 or visit the web site at

www.eastlynnetheater.org. East Lynne's season would not be possible without the support of Curran Investment Management, Aleathea's Restaurant, The Henry Sawyer Inn, The Washington Inn, and La Mer Beachfront Inn, the NJ State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts; the NJ Dept. of State, Division of Travel and Tourism; and the generosity of many patrons.

Photo credit: Lee O'Connor