STNJ Presents FLORENCE and MOJO

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (STNJ) is excited to bring two very different but superb one-act plays, Florence and Mojo, by Alice Childress to its Main Stage. Alice Childress, often acknowledged as the only 20th-century African-American woman to have written, produced, and published plays for four decades, was at the height of her powers in the 1950s and 60s. Her broad literary universe spanned over 40 years and earned her a Pulitzer Prize nomination for her novel A Short Walk. Florence and Mojo will be on the Main Stage October 26 - November 13. Patrons can purchase tickets by calling the Box Office at 973-408-5600 or by visiting ShakespeareNJ.org.

In early 2020, while searching for one-acts to produce for the company's Pandemic Playhouse Entertainment online productions, Artistic Director Bonnie J. Monte read Florence and fell in love with the script. Part of STNJ's mission is to bring rarely-seen classics to life and though Childress's full-length play Trouble in Mind recently finished a long-overdue run on Broadway, her work is still largely unknown. Veteran company actor Lindsay Smiling who is making his directorial debut with STNJ said, "I'm thrilled to drive into Alice Childress' work. While putting the ordinary lives of Black people in America on stage, she writes characters that demand their full humanity to be seen. It's not just a political argument that she presents. She shows the fullness of a life. This insistence of humanity feels radical in many ways." STNJ is proud to be among the many theatres welcoming the works of Alice Childress into the classical canon and introducing audiences to plays that are vital to the progress and future of American theatre.

Florence Cast:

Newcomer April Armstrong will be making her STNJ debut as Mama. Carey Van Driest, previously seen in Enchanted April (2022), will be playing Mrs. Carter. Billie Wyatt, last seen in The Metromaniacs (2022), will play the role of Marge. Eric Mills will play the role of the Porter.

Mojo Cast:

Darlene Hope is returning after being a part of STNJ's 2007 Shakespeare LIVE! company and is playing the role of Irene. Chris White, last seen in Titus Andronicus (2018), will be playing opposite Ms. Hope in the role of Teddy.

The Director:

Lindsay Smiling is in his seventh season with STNJ. He was last seen on the Main Stage in the 2019 production of A Christmas Carol and is now making his directorial debut with the company. He is based out of Philadelphia where he is a member of the Wilma Theater's HotHouse Company, an Adjunct Professor at Temple University, and a founding member of the Black Theatre Alliance of Philadelphia.

The Creative Team:

The design team for Florence and Mojo includes the creative talents of Set Designer Harlan D. Penn, Lighting Designer Brian Sidney Bembridge, Sound Designer Steven Beckel, and Patrice N. Trower is designing the costumes. The Production Stage Manager is Jackie Mariani.

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