Nutley Little Theatre Presents FAMILY DRAMA

On December 17th at 8:00 p.m., Nutley Little Theatre will present "Family Drama," the next installment of its series of staged readings of original shows by up-and-coming playwrights. This presentation consists of two one acts that explore family dynamics in a time of changing perceptions of relationships, gender, and identity.

The first one act is "Obituary" by John Kiely, a short piece about estranged siblings, a brother and his transgender sister, who come back together when their mother passes and are each surprised by the change in the other. Directed by Jessalyn Gerbholtz of Brooklyn, NY, the cast features Cayla Lawrence of Kansas City, MO as Roberta and Frank Pagliaro of Harwich, MA as Richard.

In "Choices," written by Constance G. J. Wagner and directed by Beatriz Esteban-Messina of Union City, a mother is dating her daughter's ex-boyfriend. The cast includes Leslie Dixon Silverman of West Milford as Deirdre and Amanda Jean of Teaneck as Suzanna.

The show will be streamed via Nutley Little Theatre's Facebook page and YouTube channel.

The presentation is free, but the theatre is gratefully accepting donations through PayPal, GoFundMe Venmo at @nutleylittletheatre or by mailing a check to NLT.

For over fifteen years, NLT's Readers' Theatre has presented free events where actors read from a variety of classic and contemporary works. "In the midst of the COVID 19 pandemic, in order to protect the health and safety of our members and audiences, this year we are presenting our productions virtually on Facebook and YouTube, while still maintaining the integrity and quality for which NLT is well known, " says NLT President Nick Pascarella.

George Seylaz, chair of NLT's Readers Theatre, says, "This year we are aiming to increase our outreach to diverse communities and provide space for voices that have been underrepresented in community theater for far too long. Our 2020-2021 Reader's Theatre presentations will focus on original works that explore, navigate, and elevate the diversity that is all around us. We are also delighted that technology allows us to work with and perform for people all over the country!"

The theatre is taking every precaution to maintain the health and safety of its patrons and participants, including abiding by all government closure and distancing recommendations. For more information go to www.nutleylittletheatre.com.