Stone Church Players (aka SCP) will present The Crucible opening Friday, September 15th and running for two weekends with performances at 7:00 pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 pm on Sundays. This is the first installment of what is being dubbed ‘Classics on the Campus,’ riding on the coattails of the very successful ‘Shakespeare in the Sheds” series that has run for the last three summers. SCP board member Liz Carlin of Belmar is taking the reins as Director with Allie Cohen of Jackson as Assistant Director, and John Leslie of Oceanport as Stage Manager. The crew also includes Darren DeAngelo of Keansburg as Set Designer and Justin Giachetti of Staten Island as Costumer. In the words of Ms. Carlin, “The Crucible offers us a mirror into our humanity, but also acts as a bit of a cautionary tale - a reminder that so much harm can be done fighting in the name of moral superiority.” This exciting production sets the action outside on the grounds of the All Saints’ Memorial Church and will feature a real bonfire, transporting audiences back in time with SCP’s signature immersive experience.
Aaron Jackson of Ewing leads the cast as the stern and upright John Proctor, a local farmer who becomes entrenched in scandal and forced to fight for his reputation. Mr. Jackson was featured in our staged reading of Crimes of the Heart as Doc Porter and was last seen on the SCP mainstage as Claudius in last summer’s Hamlet. Bella Ashton, entering her senior year at Pace University as an Acting for Film & Television Major, plays the smart and vindictive Abigail Williams. A former graduate of the FPAC program at Howell High School, Ms. Ashton is making her SCP debut. John Paul Durazzo of Atlantic Highlands returns to the SCP stage as Reverend John Hale, a committed Christian and expert on witchcraft. Mr. Durazzo was nominated for a Perry for his work as Bud in last Fall’s The Bridges of Madison County at SCP.
Elizabeth Proctor, John Proctor’s virtuous but cold wife, is played by Rach Phelan of Edison. Ms. Phelan is an AMDA Conservatory graduate who was last seen as the Sour Kangaroo in the MAC Players’ production of Seussical. She is making her SCP debut. Also making his SCP debut, Jim Watson of Toms River plays the paranoid and power hungry Reverend Parris. A veteran of the stage, Mr. Watson’s credits include The Laramie Project and Play it Again, Sam. Mary Warren, a servant in the Proctor’s household, is played by Talia Strauss of Freehold, a student at Actors Playground School of Theatre and an aspiring film and television actress. Lorraine Stone of Eatontown plays Tituba, Reverend Parris’ slave from Barbados. An actor and performance artist, Ms. Stone is bringing the role of Tituba to life for the second time. Both Ms. Strauss and Ms. Stone are making their SCP debuts.
Rounding out the principal cast are Greg Brooks of Eatontown and Rod Belle of Westfield as Judge Danforth and Giles Corey. This is Mr. Brooks’ second SCP production having previously appeared as Prince Dauntless in the 2017 production of Once Upon a Mattress. Mr. Belle is making his SCP debut. His past credits include The Wedding Singer, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Ragtime. Also featured are Lindsay Abbot of Rumson and Jacob Turchi of Old Bridge as Ann and Thomas Putnam (doubled with Judge Hathorne), Leslie Patient of Highlands and Howard Smith of Oceanport as Rebecca and Francis Nurse, Ellie Sheehan of Hazlet as Willard/Hopkins, and a very talented group of young actors from Middletown - Vivian Oliver as Betty Parris, Jordyn Javaruski as Mercy Lewis, Daniella DeDonno as Susanna Walcott and Antonio Fagliarone as Ezekial Cheever.
Show synopsis (from Sharnbrook Mill Theatre): Salem, Massachusetts, 1692. A small group of girls 'cry out' against other people in the town, accusing them of witchcraft, in an attempt to cover up their own dabblings in the occult. Led by Abigail Williams, the girls' accusations cause a court to be formed to investigate the alleged crimes.
Running time: 2 hours, 50 minutes with a fifteen minute intermission. Street parking is available on Oakdale Run. You may enter the parking lot by the path next to the mailbox. A limited number of parking spots will be available in the main parking lot on a first come, first served basis. If you require accessible parking please email us at stonechurchplayersnj@gmail.com and we can reserve a parking spot for you. Restrooms are available in the Parish House and refreshments will be available for purchase on the patio. Seating is first come, first served. Tickets can be purchased in advance online at scp.booktix.com (includes a small service fee) or reserved by emailing us. Limited tickets will be available for purchase at the door (cash preferred). For more information visit our website, stonechurchplayers.org.
