Experience Bartholomew Fair, NJ in the Park

For Immediate Release: June 7, 2009

Performance Dates: June 20 and 27 at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Location: Frank Sinatra Park, 5th and Sinatra Drive, Hoboken, NJ (Accessible by PATH & Light Rail); www.hobokennj.org
Tickets: Free for all (donations accepted)

Hoboken, NJ: DeBaun Center for Performing Arts is proud to present The Theater Company's production of Bartholomew Fair, NJ which will run for two consecutive Saturdays on June 20 & 27 at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Frank Sinatra Park, 5th and Sinatra Drive in Hoboken, NJ.

Originally written by Ben Jonson in 1641, Bartholomew Fair took place at one of London's most popular summer fairs and brought together the lower masses and upper classes in a twisting, comedic knot of deceit, disguise, marriage licenses and a puppet show.

Almost 375 years later, this adaptation of Mr. Jonson's great comedy is presented in modern verse in a 70-minute show. Bartholomew Fair, NJ resets the original story from London to north New Jersey during the 1980s and features five performers taking on over 20 characters. This production was originally produced last year in Hoboken parks and is bring brought back due to the big reception it received last year.

The Theater Company's production of Bartholomew Fair, NJ is adapted and directed by Billy Mitchell. Mitchell is at the helm of his ninth production for The Theater Company, the resident performing company at DeBaun Center for Performing Arts. His previous productions include Into the Woods, Schoolhouse Rock Live!, Off the Beaten Path, Seussical, Free to Be…You and Me, Bartholomew Fair, NJ (2008), The Who's Tommy and A Year with Frog and Toad. Mitchell took the original script and changed the setting and the time to north New Jersey during the 1980s. "A writing teacher once taught me that all story-telling is stronger if you 'write what you know.' I know the 80s," explains Mitchell. "Because we are so in tune with the 80s pop culture, it makes for fun references—Rubik's Cube, Madonna, Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Care Bears, Transformers—some of which are funnier because they are dated, or somehow indicative of the 80s mind-set."

Mitchell applauds the cast of five for creating such engaging characters that liberated him in his writing. The exact number of characters the 5-member cast portrays is at 21. But, there is one character played by two actors and there's one actor who plays an engaged couple who are on stage at the same time—so there's still plenty of fun and some lightning-fast changes. The multi-talented, ensemble cast is comprised of Philip Corso, Leticia Diaz, Mark Dunn, Benjamin Holmes, and Courtney Kochuba with Emily Beatty and Kelly Nichols as understudies. For cast and director biographies and pictures, please visit the show's webpage at www.bartholomewfairnj.com.
Bartholomew Fair, NJ is appropriate for all ages and is free for all (donations will be accepted). So, bring your blanket, a lawn chair, and a jug of lemonade and enjoy the park performance of Bartholomew Fair, NJ.