The Growing Stage, Children’s Theatre of NJ Present MOTHER HICKS 1/19-2/5

The Growing Stage, The Children's Theatre of New Jersey, located in the Historic Palace Theatre on Route 183 in Netcong, New Jersey is set to present MOTHER HICKS from January 19th to February 5th with performances Thursday and Friday evenings at 7:30 PM, Saturday and Sunday matinees at 4:00 PM.

The work was created by Suzan Zeder and recognized with Best Original Play Awards by both the American Alliance for Theatre & Education and the TYA/USA, the international service organization for professional theatre for young audiences. John Pietrowski, the Artistic Director of Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey, is the guest director.

MOTHER HICKS is an evocative story of three outsiders that is richly realized through all of the resources of theatre including poetry, character, and story. Set in southern Illinois, during the great Depression, this play is about three outsiders - - a foundling girl known only as Girl; a deaf boy, eloquent in the language of his silence; and an eccentric recluse, Mother Hicks, who is suspected of being a witch. The tale, told with poetry and sign language, chronicles the journeys of these three to find themselves, and each other, in a troubled time.

MOTHER HICKS features the talents of Lori B. Lawrence of Hackettstown in the title role; Emmanuel Nadeau of Westfield, who recently played the role of Scout in the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey's production of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, as Girl, and Eddie Buck of Monroe, PA making his professional debut in the role of Tuc. Also in the cast are Dalton Allison of Byram and Becky Nitka of Long Valley playing Ricky and Izzy Sue Ricks; Steve Graham of Fanwood and Matthew Fralley of Netcong portraying Jake and Howie Hammon; William Ward of Basking Ridge is Clovis P. Eudy, with Jane Keitel of Dumont and Brad Parks of Bloomfield as Alma and Hosiah Ward. All are residents of Ware and help in telling the story Tuc shares with the audience. Scott Cagney of Bloomfield plays Wilson Walker a visiting writer from the WPA who comes to visit the small town in search of local lore.

The Growing Stage is committed to creating and presenting professional theatre for young people and their families. "Mother Hicks represents everything we strive to provide our young audiences – an intelligent, thought-provoking piece that is beautifully written with characters that not only come to life on the stage, but shine bright in our memories long past the lights onstage dimming" states company director, Steve Fredericks. Housed in the historic Palace Theatre on Route 183 in Netcong, the organization currently celebrating its 30th season, strives to provide audiences with the unique and affordable opportunity to share a fun, culturally significant moment in their intimate and very special venue. The company is also showcasing its restoration of their front façade which has recently undergone major changes in keeping with its recognition of being on the National, State and County Registers of Historic Places.

Tickets for MOTHER HICKS are $16 for adults, $14 for children and seniors, with group rates available. Thursday performances will also feature "Talk-Back Thursday" performances with a special opportunity to interact with the cast following the show. Also special dinner packages are available with Rose's, the official restaurant of The Growing Stage! Tickets can be purchased by calling the TGS Box Office at (973) 347-4946 or logging onto their website at www.growingstage.com. The Growing Stage – The Children's Theatre of New Jersey programs are made possible, in part, by funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and contributions from numerous corporations, foundations, and individuals.