Passage Theatre, Trenton's premiere professional theater company, has announced the full cast for Trenton Lights, a new play with music, directed by Adam Immerwahr. The production runs May 20 through June 6 at the Mill Hill Playhouse in Trenton. (Press Opening: Saturday, May 22 at 8pm).
The ensemble theater piece is created by Passage Artistic Directors June Ballinger and David Lee White based on interviews with over 40 people from all corners of Trenton. Interviewees include members of Shiloh Baptist Church, the Jewish Community Center, The Guatemalan Civic Association, the Ecuadorian Civic Association, Leadership Trenton, the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, St. Michael's Episcopal Church and numerous individuals.
The professional Actors' Equity acting ensemble includes June Ballinger, from Trenton; Kala Moses Baxter and Ross Beschler, from Philadelphia; Devon Jordan, from Princeton and Rodney Gilbert, from Newark.
June Ballinger was last seen on the Passage stage in Blood: A Comedy by David Lee White. Ms. Ballinger has performed on Broadway in Pack of Lies with RoseMary Harris and off-Broadway in productions at The Chelsea Theatre Center, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Primary Stages. Favorite regional theater experiences have been at The Actors Theatre of Louisville; The New Jersey Theatre Festival; The Great Lakes Theatre Festival and The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Ms. Ballinger is in her 13th season as Producing Artistic Director of the Passage Theatre.
Kala Moses Baxter counts among some of her favorite roles on Philadelphia stages Bernice in The Piano Lesson at Arden Theatre, Doreen Baker in Sparkle at Freedom Theatre, Nella Pettaway in Gee's Bend at Arden Theatre(Barrymore Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress), Kenyatta in While the Getting Gets Good at the Philadelphia Black Theatre Festival. She has also performed with The
Wilma Theatre and
Philadelphia Theatre Company. She is a two time Barrymore Finalist for the F. Otto Haas Award and can be heard on Praise 103.9fm on Saturdays from 10 to 2pm.
Ross Beschler is a frequent collaborator with Brooklyn-based performance group Object Collection, and has performed with The Flea, Vital Theater, Polybe & Seats, Verse Theater Manhattan, and many others in New York. Philadelphia: Theatre Exile, EgoPo, Gas & Electric Arts, People's Light & Theatre, and The Lantern Theatre. He got his Equity card at New Jersey's own Garage Theatre, in Teaneck. Ross studied theatre at Columbia University, and is a graduate of the MFA acting program at Temple University, where he currently teaches acting.
Rodney Gilbert recently appeared in his one man show Flat Black at Passage Theatre as part of their Solo Flight Series and has performed in a number of the State Street Project shows at Passage. Currently, he is directing one of Passage's State Street Project plays in Newark, NJ. He has appeared on the New York stage in A Not So Quiet Nocturne at the
Vineyard Theatre, The Little Tommy Parker Minstrel Show at Henry Street Settlement, Jamaica at the
Paul Robeson (AUDELCO Nomination), Diss Diss, Diss Dat at the New Federal Theater, Salt Chocolate at Duke on 42nd. Other credits include Dreamgirls at Arkansas Rep, Mississippi Gulag at Freedom Theatre, directed by
Ntozake Shange, State of Siege at the Merriam Theatre, directed by
Walter Dallas.
Devon Jordan has performed in regional theatre and Off-Broadway, as well as in film, television, commercials and print. Recently, Devon played the role of the fiery and contentious Caryn in the world premiere of Evanston: A Rare Comedy at P.S. 122 and
HERE Arts Center. Other New York theater credits: The Taming of the Shrew at
Classic Stage Company, Another Country, adapted and directed by
Diane Paulus at Columbia Stages, Fetes de la Nuit at Columbia Stages, and Gypsy Moth at The Kraine/The Tank. Regional theater: Anna in the Tropics at Capital Rep and Crazy, Crazy on You for Passage Theatre's Playwrights' Lab. Other credits:
Stephen Belber's Tape and
Athol Fugard's Valley Song.
The creative team includes composer Vince di Mura; production designer Matt Campbell; lighting designer Paul Kilsdonk; musical director Cris Frisco; with production stage manager Jackie Robinson and producer Kacy O'Brien.
Passage Theatre performs in the historic Mill Hill Playhouse an intimate 100-seat theater in the heart of downtown Trenton adjacent to the beautiful Mill Hill district (205 E. Front St., Trenton). Security-guarded on-street parking is available along the park (regardless of signage) directly in front of the theatre. To reserve tickets, please call (609) 392-0766 or visit online at
www.passagetheatre.org.
Tickets can also be purchased at the Passage
Theatre Office: 219 East Hanover Street in Trenton, Monday through Friday from 12:00 pm - 5:30 pm or at the box office, one hour before each performance at the Mill Hill Playhouse.
Trenton Lights has been made possible by the generosity of the Princeton Area Community Foundation with additional support from Ann and Barry Ridings of Princeton, the Rose and Louis H. Linowitz Foundation and I Am Trenton Community Foundation.
Season supporters include the Geraldine R Dodge Foundation; The National Endowment for the Arts; The NJ State Council on the Arts; The City of Trenton Dept. of Recreation, Natural Resources and Culture; WIMG 1300, The Times of Trenton; The Curtis McGraw Foundation, PNC Bank and The Trenton Marriott at Lafayette Yard, The James Kerney Foundation, the Garfield Foundation, and the Bunbury Company.
For over 20 years, Passage Theatre has developed and showcased new work by emerging and established playwrights. As a key participant in the revitalization of urban Trenton, Passage presents outstanding plays that celebrate experiences common to all and transcend culture and race.
Accessibility
Passage Theatre is committed to ensuring that all individuals have access to the joy of the performing arts. Passage is dedicated to being a leader in the education and assistance of all organizations, working towards making our programs and services accessible to people with disabilities. For more information, please call (609) 392-0766.
Passage Theatre Company is a member of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, ArtPride New Jersey, Theatre Communications Group, GMCCC (Greater Mercer County Chamber of Commerce), and the newly formed Arts and Business Council of Greater Trenton.
