WHO IS JAMES K. POLK? Starring Neal Mayer To Perform In New Jersey

WHO IS JAMES K. POLK? - a new play by Kevin J. Alcock - will be performed on Monday, December 3 at 6:15 pm at the Five Corners Library Theatre in Jersey City, NJ. Directed by Anne Connolly and starring Neal Mayer (LES MISERABLES on Broadway, American Premiere of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME), this one-person show focuses on the 11th President of the United States, James K. Polk. This will be the second public performance of the piece, prior to touring various venues on the East Coast.

Alcock's play humorously presents the former President as he attempts to defend his legacy to a modern audience who barely knows his name. The only U.S. President to have first acted as Speaker of the House of Representatives, Polk may have only served for one term, but in those four years, he waged the Mexican-American War, and added Texas, California and the Oregon Territory to the United States. He also indirectly led us into the U.S. Civil War. "Who Is James K. Polk?" explores the many facets of this "dark horse" candidate who unexpectedly went on to become one of the most hands-on executives ever to occupy the White House.

Neal Mayer, who will portray Polk in this one-hour piece, has appeared on television in "Blue Bloods", "All My Children," "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon," and "Late Night". In addition to appearing in the Broadway production of LES MISERABLES, Mayer has toured the country with PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT, starred off-Broadway in MARK FELT, SUPERSTAR and Forbidden Broadway and acted at many of the premiere U.S. regional theaters including La Jolla Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Arena Stage, Ogunquit Playhouse, Goodspeed, and Bay Street Theater. He can be also be heard as St. Aphrodisius on the Studio Cast Recording of Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz's THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME. Neal is appearing courtesy of Actors' Equity Association.

Kevin J. Alcock, Author, has written numerous one acts that have been performed in the New York area. "WHO IS JAMES K. POLK?" is his first biographical play. Kevin is currently working on a full-length play about Theodore "Ted" Kaczynski, known to the world as the Unabomber. Kevin has worked in film, television and theater in every area from acting to production to catering.

Anne Connolly, Director, likes to think she has something in common with Polk in that she too toured throughout Tennessee long ago. However, Anne toured as an actor with the Chamber Theater Ensemble, not as a politician. Since then she has worked in theaters throughout the NY/ NJ area as director, actor and writer. Recently she directed Betsy Newberry's one-woman show "On Becoming a Marine," a finalist in NYC's 2017 Strawberry Festival. At the Aery Theater Company's 20/ 20 Festival up in Garrison, NY earlier this fall, Anne won Best Actress.

Roxanne De Luna (Wig Designer and Builder) has been the Ogunquit Playhouse Company, Wig Shop Supervisor for the 2017 & 2018 seasons. She is currently represented at the Ogunquit Playhouse as the Wig & Makeup Designer for ELF THE MUSICAL. Roxanne was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. She is a traveler to various locations creating art with wigs and makeup.

Admission for the December 3 performance is free, and seats are on a first come, first served basis. WHO IS JAMES K. POLK? will be performed at 6:15 pm at Five Corners Library, 678 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306. For more information, please call (201) 547-4543.