The Growing Stage Hosts the 8th Annual New Play-Reading Festival

The Growing Stage - The Children's Theatre of New Jersey, located in the Historic Palace Theatre on Route 183 in Netcong, New Jersey is proud to announce four plays selected for their 8th Annual New Play-Reading Festival happening January 25th through 27th. In the New Play-Reading Festival, four brand-new plays for young audiences, chosen from 100 submitted works, will be read by professional and community artists in a casual setting. Following each reading, the entire family can participate in discussion of the work with the professional team. One of the four plays will be selected to become a fully mounted Main Stage production in 2020! The four plays selected for the festival are: Back Cover by Emily Hageman, Bunnyboy by Philip Kaplan, Resonance, MT by Dara Silverman & Jaren Feeley and Dear Anne, From Nina by Claudia Haas. Funding for the New Play-Reading Festival is provided by the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation.

BACK COVER (Friday, January 25th at 7:30PM) by Emily Hageman

The unexpected divorce of Madison's parents relocated her to New York City-a place that she has vowed to loathe. Through incredible coincidence, Madison finds a shoebox full of letters belonging to a young woman named Jessica. A connection is formed that will forever change the course of Madison's life. Narrated by Madison's older self, Back Cover is a story of loss, courage, humanity, and the painful-but wonderful-experience of growing up.

BUNNYBOY (Saturday, January 26th at 4:00PM) by Philip Kaplan

Through a series of accidents, Peter, a sixth grader, develops superpowers and becomes Bunnyboy. Now what? Peter and his friends, Skip and Karen, discover it's complicated being a superhero - there's no manual. And when Bunnyboy has to face an actual super villain, the Animal Master, is he up for the task? And will he get his homework in on time?

RESONANCE, MT (Saturday, January 26th at 7:00PM) by Dara Silverman & Jaren Feeley

This musical tells the story of a small town in Montana that mines for a resource called "resonance" - the raw material that makes sound - and what happens when they begin to run low on their resource. It's a parable for climate change and resource extraction - but for kids! - with a wacky premise, music, and lots of opportunities for physical shenanigans.

The final selection is DEAR ANNE, FROM NINA (Sunday, January 27th at 2:00PM) by Claudia Haas

In February 1940, a young girl in Iowa pulled the name of a pen pal out of a hat. The name was Anne Frank. They had a brief correspondence before the Nazis invaded The Netherlands. The play chronicles the coming of age of four girls during 1940-1942 as the world comes crashing in around them. In Iowa, Nina and Jeannie strive to become "citizens of the world." In Amsterdam, Anne and Margot try to navigate a world that doesn't want them. The play is based on newspaper accounts and memories of the Iowa family.

$5 Suggested donation per reading. For further information, you can call the Box Office at (973) 347-4946, e-mail at boxoffice@growingstage.com or visit our website at www.growingstage.com

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