A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES Thursday, July 11, 2019 Page 15

THE JAMES WARD MANSION

www.jameswardmansion.com

Have your Sweet 16 Party at The James Ward Mansion!

“Make Our Mansion Your Mansion”

Sweet Sixteen

TO

Contact Jeff Gruman, Sales ManagerPhone: 908-232-4407

email: sales@goleader.com

The Westfield Leader

YOUR

AMPLIFY

We offer a range of services that will help youexpand your business presence in the community.

ADVERTISING

Display Ads • Bulletin Boards • Web Banners • Email Marketing

USE

AND

The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES

Little Shop of Horrors ComesTo Summer Theater Fest

UNION – Music! Laughter! Chillsand thrills abound in the musical com-edy Little Shop of Horrors, Friday, July12 through July 28 at the YMCA inUnion, presented by The Theater Projectand the Bullet Theatre Collaborative.

One of the most beloved and popu-lar Off-Broadway shows of all time,this affectionate spoof on 1950’s sci-fifilms has become a household name,thanks to a highly successful film ad-aptation and a book and score byHoward Ashman and Alan Menken,the superstar team behind the music ofDisney’s The Little Mermaid, Aladdin,and Beauty and the Beast. Charming,tuneful and hilarious, Little Shop ofHorrors never ceases to entertain.

The production features a power-house cast of professional New Yorkand New Jersey talent, includingRachel St. Francis (Audrey), WillDowning (Seymour), Ralph Saro (ThePlant), Richard Urquiza (Orin),Nathan Olmeda (Mushnik), BrittanyLindsey (Ronnette), Brianna Javis(Crystal), and Lena Noel (Chiffon).Produced by an award-winning cre-

ative team, the show is directed byBullet Theatre Collaborative veteranTony Mowatt, who said, “Little Shopof Horrors is a silly, campy, out-of-this-world show that is also full ofhonesty, universality and heart.”

This is the third show in The The-ater Project’s Summer Theater Fest2019, as the company celebrates its25th anniversary by moving to Union.

“We are very grateful to Unity Bankand the YMCA for hosting our showsthis summer,” said Theater ProjectArtistic Director Mark Spina, “whilewe look for a permanent location inUnion.”

Performances will take place onFridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., andSundays at 2 p.m. at 1000 GallopingHill Rd, Union. Tickets and more in-formation are available atwww.thetheaterproject.org/little-shop-of-horrors.html. Please note that LittleShop of Horrors is rated PG-13 forsome language and sexual innuendo.

For questions, please contacttheaterproject@AOL.com or call(908) 809-8865.

Very Special Hairspray, Jr.Thrills at Rahway High

ELIZABETH – Hundreds oftheatergoers were moved by a veryspecial production of Hairspray, Jr.performed this past weekend by theCAU Community Players, a troupeof actors both with and without de-velopmental disabilities, at theRahway High School Center for Per-forming Arts.

Formed in 2012, the CAU Com-munity Players empowers people withdisabilities to engage in the pleasuresof acting, singing and dancing side-by-side with people from the widercommunity and to be judged for theirtalents rather than disabilities. Theproductions also allow individualswithout disabilities to interact withthose with disabilities and build bonds.

The CAU Community Players issponsored by Community Access Un-limited (CAU), a Union County-based,statewide nonprofit that strives to inte-grate people with disabilities and at-risk youth into the general communitythrough comprehensive supports.

Each year, the troupe selects a playthat is representative of CAU’s advo-cacy message of inclusion, acceptanceand believing in oneself, as well aseveryone’s worth regardless of ability,according to Marguerite Modero, thegroup’s director. They also select aplay that allows for a large cast, as noone is turned away from performing.

This year’s production, Hairspray,Jr., was based on the 1988 film andlater Broadway hit. Set in 1962 Balti-more, Maryland, the story revolvesaround self-proclaimed “pleasantlyplump” teenager Tracy Turnblad asshe pursues stardom as a dancer on alocal TV show and fights racial segre-gation, body shaming and discrimina-tion against special education students.

“The 60s were a fun time but thesubplot shows how rampant discrimi-nation was, including against specialeducation,” Ms. Modero said beforethe production. “It is perfect for ourtroupe because I want them to learnsomething from every performance.Some of our older members lived

through that period and some of ouryounger members are learning it forthe first time.”

Kim Barry, 32, has been a memberof CAU for five years and has per-formed in the annual production eachyear, playing the lead in Seussical, Jr.in her first.

“I really love it,” she said of per-forming. “I like every aspect of it. Iwas nervous the very first time I wason stage, but now I’m really just ex-cited.”

Ms. Barry said performing in themusicals has given her more confi-dence. “Now I like to meet new andinteresting people,” she said.

One of the new people Ms. Barrymet was Taylor LaFalce, 20, a seniorat Rahway High who is deaf. Ms.LaFalce performed in her high schoolplay this year and decided to join theCAU Community Players and per-form with them, as well.

“I like meeting new people,” shesaid. “And this is better than being inmy high school play. When I was afreshman they told me I could be inthe play because I was deaf.”

Ms. LaFalce said she really en-joyed meeting the CAU members withdisabilities. “They’re friendly, niceand kind,” she said.

Faith Greene, 18, is a member ofCAU’s Transitional opportunitiesProgram for at-risk youth who de-cided she wanted to try acting andjoined the CAU Community Playersfor the first time this year. “I wantedto meet new people, try somethingnew and broaden my horizon,” shesaid. “I want to see what I’m good at.”

Ms. Modero said the annual pro-duction is an emotional and unifyingjourney for the entire cast.

“We shared lots of experiences to-gether,” she said. “We laughed to-gether, we cried together and weworked together. This weekend wecelebrated together.”

To learn more about CAU, visitwww.caunj.org or follow CAU onFacebook, Twitter and Instagram.

UCPAC to Host ‘Jersey Rocks!’Featuring The Springsteen Experience

RAHWAY – Jersey Rocks! is a livemusic festival featuring TheSpringsteen Experience: A Tribute tothe Boss! Bruce Springsteen is one ofthe most prolific song writers andstorytellers of our time, with a largeand eclectic catalog of music span-ning more than four decades. JoshSchreiber and the cast and crew ofThe Springsteen Experience take greatpride in performing this brilliant cata-log of music with the utmost sincer-ity, respect and gratitude.

Mr. Schrieber told Wisconsin’snewspaper The Post Crescent, “I justtake pride in having this be the mostauthentic show that a tribute band forBruce can do. He continued, “I wantpeople to actually think that they sawBruce when they leave and that’s whyI work so hard.”

With the addition of the four-pieceMiami Horn Section, The Experi-ence is a nonstop adrenaline rush…atheatrical concert event like no other

production in the replica-rock genretoday. Featuring Born to Run, DetroitMedley, Hungry Heart, Glory Days,Born In The U.S.A., and many more.The Springsteen Experience is a showfor all ages with something for every-one.

Come early to experience sets fromlocal Jersey bands Sonoa, Powerlines,Bad Blooms, and Experiment 34. Thislineup with Jersey roots is sure torock the stage!

Local bands play 5:30 to 8 p.m.,followed by The Springsteen Experi-ence.

Tickets are $20 each and can bepurchased at www.ucpac.org/events,in person in the box office, or bycalling (732) 499-8226. The box of-fice can be reached via email atboxoffice@ucpac.org.

The Union County Performing ArtsCenter is located at 1601 Irving Streetin Rahway, and is easily accessible tomajor roads and public transportation.

Jewish Women’s Foundation of NJAwards Grants, Appoints Director

AREA — Music for All Seasons ofScotch Plains was among the organi-zations awarded a grant from TheJewish Women’s Foundation of NewJersey. Music for All Seasons received$30,000 for the Voices of Valor Pro-gram focused on specific issues af-fecting women veterans. https://www.musicforallseasons.org.

The Jewish Women’s Foundationof New Jersey (JWFNJ), a donor-advised fund of the Jewish Commu-nity Foundation of Greater MetroWestNJ, has awarded $152,246 in com-petitive grants to seven local non-profit organizations that work to trans-form the lives of women and girls.

The Trustees of JWFNJ are alsopleased to announce the appointmentof Cheryl Rosario, a resident ofWestfield, as the Foundation’s newDirector.

The 2019-2020 grants awarded areas follows:

Disability: ECLC Foundation,Chatham, $9,000 for programs thatlessen the vulnerability of womenwith developmental disabilities andhelp them make informed decisionsabout their sexual health http://www.eclcofnj.org.

Employment: Oasis: A Haven forWomen and Children, Paterson,$20,000 for Oasis Works which pro-vides impoverished women with theemployability skills and training theyneed to enter the workforce https://oasisnj.org.

Gender-Based Violence:Ironbound Community Corporation,Newark, $30,000 for Breaking theCycle program that educates girls ages10-14 on healthy relationships andmaking positive choices to help breakthe cycle of abuse https://www.ironboundcc.org.

Health: College of American Pa-thologists Foundation, Newark,$12,640 for the See, Test & Treatprogram providing preventativescreening to individuals who facebarriers to traditional screening pro-

grams, https://foundation.cap.org.Community Food Bank of New

Jersey, Hillside, $30,000 for Com-munity Food Bank Period Initiative,a menstrual equity program ensuringmonthly period supplies for girls andwomen in need https://www.cfbnj.org.

Israel: Jewish Women’s Collabo-rative International Fund, $10,000over two years to support economicparity for women who are contractworkers in Israel. This collaborativeproject is funded by Jewish Women’sFoundations/Funds of North Americaand Israel. https://www.jwfnetwork.org/articles-1.

Legal: Partners for Women andJustice, Bloomfield, $20,000 to ad-vocate for domestic violence victimsby creating a more risk-informed ap-proach with courts and establishingequitable child support for victimshttp://pfwj.org.

“JWFNJ is a great example of theimpact you can have on communitieswhen you pool together the financialresources of strong women who haveauthentic passion for the work and thelives they impact,” said Ms. Rosario,who has an extensive career in corpo-rate social responsibility, foundations,and nonprofits, owns her own busi-ness in the philanthropic and diversityspace. She will aid JWF in combiningits resources and energy to ensure ameaningful and lasting impact in com-munities throughout New Jersey.

“Women in philanthropy is a veryhot topic right now, however JWFNJhas been doing it for more than a de-cade. This grant cycle impacts issueswe often do not talk enough about, likeperiod poverty and the sexuality andvulnerability of women with develop-mental disabilities. I’m very impressedwith JWFNJ’s desire to fund visionaryprograms and take some risks to makea real sustainable difference all througha gender lens,” said Ms. Rosario.

For more information about JWFNJand the programs it’s supported, visitwww.jwfnj.org.

Creative Summit PresentsCollide at NJ Dance TheatreSUMMIT — Creative Summit, a

collective of arts organizations andartists in the Summit area, will presentits first event on Saturday, July 27from 5 to 7 p.m. at The New JerseyDance Theatre Ensemble, 315bSpringfield Avenue, Summit. Collideis a one-night-only arts experiencethat combines the work ofDreamcatcher Repertory Theatre, TheMusic Moment, the New Jersey DanceTheatre Ensemble (NJDTE), the Vi-sual Arts Center of New Jersey(VACNJ), and local musicians andartists. The evening, with participa-tion from Civic Story, will includesamples of all of these genres as theaudience moves from studio to studioof the NJDTE.

The VACNJ will show several videopieces by artist Dana Levy. Ms. Levy’svideos fuse life and death. She con-fronts the natural world within mu-seum exhibits, reminding us that acollection is a living thing and a mu-seum is not a graveyard. Flying birdsspin around the museum ceiling fan inSilent Among Us as their taxidermycounterparts stand in silence. The still-ness of the museum is transformedinto unpredictable chaos in The Wake,where Monarch butterflies escape theirglass displays one-by-one, as ifreawakening from an eternal slumber.In Dead World Order, the curator ofMaison de l’Armateur in Le Havre,France, walks around and rearrangesthe display in the museum, crampedwith artifacts of French colonialism.

NJDTE will perform excerpts fromWarriors by Elizabeth Keoppen-Kaloseih, Former Associate Directorof Parsons Dance Company and fromSpheres by Nancy Turano, ArtisticDirector, NJDTE.

The Music Moment will host com-poser and performer Amish Darr,whose music is the sound of his sadsoul that cries out for true love. It is theamalgamation of everything he hasexperienced in life. From heartbreakto spiritual ecstasy, thought-provok-ing powerful poetry decorated witheastern ragas and western melodies.

Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatrewill present Moment of Truth, a short

play by Laura Ekstrand featuringDaria M. Sullivan and StephanieWindland. Two best friends, seniorsin high school who are receiving theircollege admissions responses, con-front the role of race in the processand in their relationship.

At the culmination of the evening, allguests will move to a common space fora spontaneous drum circle whereeveryone’s creativity will be celebrated.

Tickets are $15 for students, $30for seniors and $35 for general ad-mission. Tickets are limited and areavailable online at https://collide.brownpapertickets.com or byphone at (800) 838-3006.

For more information, please call(908) 514-9654, and visitwww.DreamcatcherRep.org.

NEW BLOOM...On June 18, at Echo Lake Country Club, Rosemary Shire acceptsflowers from Merrilyn Cran, outgoing president, as she undertakes the job ofPresident of the Garden Club of Westfield. Both Ms. Cran and Ms. Shire are devotedgardeners and highly valued members of the Club. Congratulations to both.

Dancers to Perform inReeves-Reed Arboretum

SUMMIT – INKUBATE® is a site-specific Dance Installation Series inSummit founded by New JerseyDance Theatre Ensemble (NJDTE)Artistic Director, Nancy Turano incollaboration with Reeves-Reed Ar-boretum Executive Director FrankJuliano.

In this second of three INKUBATE®installation series, Ms. Turano willbring 17 dancers from her MIP2®program at New York Live Arts inNew York City to the Reeves-ReedGardens, located at 165 Hobart Av-enue, Summit. The dancers will per-form a site-specific installation workdirectly related to the gardens curatedby celebrated MIP2® Artists.

“INKUBATE® is a phenomenalopportunity to bridge our forward-thinking programs. MIP2® focuseson Contemporary and Improvisationskills for advanced dancers. They willbe able to step out of the New YorkCity studio and into 360 degrees of

pure nature, infiltrating the gardenswith directed and structured improvi-sational tools that create a unique,spontaneous moment related to a natu-ral environment,” said NJDTE Artis-tic Director Nancy Turano.

DANCE + NATURE =INKUBATE®: The sculptural three-dimension energy of a dancer plus thebeauty and energetic flow of nature isa cross-pollination of two Summit-based organizations. In 2018, over500 nature and arts enthusiasts im-mersed themselves in theINKUBATE® site-specific perfor-mance experience.

The remaining 2019 INKUBATE®performances are held on Wednesdayevenings from 7 to 8 p.m. at Reeves-Reed Arboretum on Wednesday, July31. Grounds open at 6 p.m. for audi-ence members to picnic. Tickets arefree for Arboretum members, $15donation for non-members, and $5for students.

Photo courtesy of New Jersey Dance Theatre EnsembleCOLLIDE...Collide, taking place Saturday, July 27, from 5 to 7 p.m. at The NewJersey Dance Theatre Ensemble, is one-night-only arts experience that combinesthe work of Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre, The Music Moment, the NewJersey Dance Theatre Ensemble, the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, and localmusicians and artists.