Staged Readings of Finalists from the Ninth Annual NJ Playwrights Contest, Musical Series, at William Paterson University from December 4 to 6

Staged readings from the three finalists of the Ninth Annual New Jersey Playwrights Contest, Musical Series, will be performed December 4 to 6 at William Paterson University in Wayne. All performances are free and take place at 8 p.m. in the University’s Hunziker Black Box Theater.

The first musical reading will be “Lovers” by Christopher Massimine on Tuesday, December 4. The musical is directed by Samara Grossman, William Paterson alumna, with musical direction by Kristen Dziuba. “Lovers” is a musical about sacrifice and its cost. It addresses how people often forget that success and happiness come from compromise, understanding, and sometimes letting go.

On Wednesday, December 5, director Rosie Gunther-McCooe and musical director Ilya Maslov will present “Mother Eve’s Secret Garden of Sensual Sisterhood” by Uma Incrocci, Erica Jensen, Kirk McGee, and Christian Pedersen. This new rock musical about self-discovery and girl-power follows a self-help guru who transforms women’s lives at her exclusive boot camp.

A reading from “Vaudeville Reunion” by John and Tony Tomaine, William Paterson alumni, will be performed on Thursday, December 6. Directed by Phillip Sprayberry, an adjunct professor, with musical direction by Charles Santoro, a William Paterson student, this old-fashioned musical takes the audience back to 1966 and the reunion of the fictitious vaudeville act “Fitch and Dandy” on the Ed Sullivan Show.

For additional information, please call the University’s Shea Center Box Office at 973.720.2371 or visit www.wp-presents.org.

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