East Lynne Collects Items for 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 during the run of "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus." What is needed are boxed spaghetti, canned spaghetti, tomato sauce, bar soap, canned veggies, and canned protein (tuna, chicken, etc.).

There are only five performances remaining: Sunday, December 6, Thursday through Saturday, December 10-12 at 8:00p.m., plus a 2:00p.m. Saturday matinee on December 12. 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 military (active or retired), and as always with ELTC, those ages twelve and under are free. Dinner/Theater packages are still available at Aleathea's Restaurant, The Washington Inn, and The Blue Rose Inn.

Gayle Stahlhuth, who just completed her seventeenth year as ELTC's artistic director, adapted and performs this delightful tale based on L. Frank Baum's 1902 novel about Santa's upbringing to how he became immortal. As Baum lovingly created a unique world in "The Wizard of Oz" (1900), he did so again in "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus."

Not only has Stahlhuth been praised for her solo work, but when she last performed this one-person tour-de-force in 2010, it was designated an "American Masterpiece": part of the National Endowment for the Arts' Masterpieces Series, acknowledging those who introduce Americans to "the best of their cultural and artistic legacy."

Season tickets for the 2016 Mainstage Productions are available and make a great gift. The price is only $88 for 4 shows, 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 for 2016 that include a musical revue, "Rodgers' Romance," with songs by Rodgers & Hart and Rodgers & Hammerstein, "Dracula" (1927) by Deane and Balderston, S. N. Behrman's "Biography" (1932), "Yuletide Tales," and "Detectives Holmes and Carter." Also planned are a silent film series with live organ accompaniment, staged readings, workshops, and "Tales of the Victorians." 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 609-884-5898 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.