The American Theater Group (ATG) in partnership with the Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC), will present The Unwitting Magician, unique work in development by Maplewood resident Jeremy Dobrish, as part of its free Play Reading Series on Mon. Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. at UCPAC’s Hamilton Stage in Rahway, New Jersey.
The Unwitting Magician is a one-night-only theatrical experience in which a lone actor steps onto a bare stage — with little more than a music stand and a sealed manila envelope. Inside: a script they have truly never seen, its contents a complete mystery. The actor has no idea what sort of play or theatrical experience may unfold. As the actor reads the script to the audience he (or she) is swept into a whirlwind of impossible feats and playful surprises, becoming an unwitting magician and inviting the audience to question who is truly in control — the performer, the script or something more magical still? The event is free but registration is required.
This piece is an opportunity to experience a work currently in development. Dobrish is a director, playwright, artistic leader, creative director and teacher whose focus has been developing and directing new plays and musicals. He has directed at Second Stage, MCC, Joe’s Pub, The Promenade, The Variety Arts, The Century, Actor’s Playhouse, etc. His productions have received several Lortel and Drama Desk nominations. Regionally, he has directed at The Old Globe, Barrington Stage, North Shore, The O’Neill, New York Stage and Film, Goodspeed and The Village Theatre. He is a 9-time published playwright who founded adobe theatre company as well as co-founded Midtown Direct Rep, in Maplewood, NJ. He has taught at NYU, Juilliard, The National Theatre Institute, The New York Film Academy and Fordham. He is currently a Senior Creative Director at Proscenium where he writes and directs creative elements for some of the world’s biggest brands.
This performance will feature Stacey Linnartz, a professional actor, director and teaching artist most recently seen in ATG’s production of Our Town. Her award-winning solo show, LABOR, had its premiere at The NYC Fringe Festival in April. She was in the off-Broadway productions of Life Sucks, Enemy of the People, God of Vengeance and Lost In Light and was in Sirocco at the Royal Court in London. She was also in the films The Last 48, The Weekend and Life To The Lees and on television in Gossip Girl, As The World Turns and Rescue Me. She is Founder and Artistic Director of Kids Creative Collective, a non-profit providing tuition-free theatre arts education throughout NYC.
A Q&A discussion with Dobrish and Linnartz will follow the reading. While the event is free, donations are gratefully accepted. Register here. Hamilton Stage is located at 360 Hamilton Street in Rahway and is independently operated under the governance of Union County Performing Arts Center.
