The Chef at Middletown Arts Center

The Middletown Arts Center celebrates Black History Month for the world premiere production of the "The Chef", a Romantic Novel Play, produced by Dunbar Repertory Company. Written by Larry Americ Allen and directed by Darrell Lawrence Willis, Sr.

SHOWTIMES: Feb 17 at 8 pm | Feb 18 at 3 + 8 pm | Feb 19 at 4 pm Feb 24 at 8 pm | Feb 25 at 3 + 8 pm | Feb 26 at 4 pm

The Chef of “Romagical Relealism” delves into the premise of “inner and outer” beauty through shy and introverted Halo, a man so unappealing to the eye that the world rejects him. However, he has a magical gift for baking and cooking where his food is so profound that it has the power to heal people and so delicious that people levitate and experience immense pleasure while consuming his food.

The Chef’s cast includes Arthur Gregory Pugh (Edmund), Craig Coleman, Sr. (Halo), Damien Berger (Gabriel), Larry Calhoun (Morris), Lauren Christy (Symphonie), Jolé Antoinette (Dorissa) and Kristina McKinney (Rebecca).

Meet the Playwright and “Talk Back” Q&A Session Join us directly after the Sun, Feb 19th Performance at 4 pm for a meet and greet and Q&A with Larry Americ Allen.

ABOUT LARRY AMERIC ALLEN Americ Allen, author of more than 40 plays, is known for writing thought-provoking and controversial dramas. Center Players produced his explosive, Shakespeare’s Lost Masterpiece, which won the Perry Award for Best Original Drama. Colors of Vision Entertainment produced his controversial drama, The Expulsion of Malcolm X which won the Ebony Passages Award for Best Drama. Recovery Theatre mounted his intense psychological drama, Paradise Revisited/Gravity Is My Fate, which became their longest-running play. The Lorraine Hansberry Theatre staged his provocative play, Checkmate. The National Black Theatre Festival has selected several of his plays for its prestigious play-reading series. The Long Beach Playhouse Festival of New Works selected his play, Hitler in New York, as One of the Best New Plays of 2010. The Actors’ Theatre of Santa Cruz selected his play The Obama Effect as a 2010 Festival Finalist. His plays have been performed at the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, the Buriel Clay Theatre, Laney College, the New Zephyr Theatre, the San Francisco Recovery Theatre and the Promenade Playhouse in Santa Monica. Americ has a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. He is a native San Franciscan and has lived all his life in the San Francisco Bay Area.

ABOUT THE DUNBAR REPERTORY COMPANY Known to residents of Central New Jersey as “Monmouth County’s African American Theater Company”, Dunbar Repertory Company is committed to its mission of perpetuating an appreciation of cultural diversity and celebrating African American culture through LIVE literary readings, main stage theatrical productions, education programs and services.