SUMMIT, NJ — Vivid Stage, in residence at Oakes Center at 120 Morris Ave., Summit, is announcing its 30th anniversary season, celebrating three decades of bringing contemporary theater to audiences in the state of New Jersey. This season, the company will present 30 performances of different kinds, in locations throughout the region. Shows will include productions, a live series, a film, showings of a work in progress, improv, variety and more.
Through the years, Vivid has presented 75 mainstage productions, many of them new works, countless new play readings, musical and variety performances, and dozens of improv comedy shows. Educational and outreach programs have reached thousands of students and audiences from the ages of 6 to almost 100.
Two outstanding features of Vivid Stage are its resident acting ensemble and its improv comedy team, The Flip Side. Vivid Stage is the only professional theater in the state to boast either of these programs, and they have been integral to their spirit of collaboration, creativity and trust over the years. Artistic Director Laura Ekstrand said, “When we were talking about how to celebrate our 30th birthday, we all agreed we wanted to look forward, rather than back. And we decided the way to do that is to experiment and to invite the audience into a really fresh creative experience throughout the year.”
The season ahead lifts up the company’s values and utilizes the skills of the acting ensemble in four major projects:
• the company’s first feature film, “Jacqueline Remembers All of This,” which will be shot in July/August 2024;
• the original series “Gemstones,” which will be a structured long-form improvisation created by writer Phoebe Farber, and which will appear in monthly episodes;
• an original work commissioned by the Webb Center in Wickenburg, Ariz., which will be devised by the company during a residency with the writer Barbara Blumenthal-Ehrlich and director Betsy True; and
• “In the Mix,” an original evening of short plays written by our favorite playwrights that address the zeitgeist of our current world.
In addition to its resident acting ensemble, guest artists from the area will fill out the casts, as Vivid reaches out to a younger and more diverse audience by providing an exciting variety of content and forms. At the same time, a full season of improv classes for adults is offered all year long. Vivid also offers improv training for corporations and non-profit organizations in such subjects as teambuilding, creativity and communication.
Vivid Stage 2024-2205 season
• The Flip Side @ the Madison Community Center, improv comedy, Sept. 6, 2024, March 14 and June 6, 2025 – Based on improv techniques created by The Groundlings, Upright Citizens’ Brigade and The Magnet, The Flip Side offers a unique spin on short-form improv, taking audience input to create instant scenes that are both unexpected and hilarious. No two shows are alike, and the most important ingredient in every show is the audience.
• Gemstones by Phoebe Farber @ Oakes Center, a Vivid Stage original series in seven episodes, monthly live episodes, September through June – An original series that can be viewed in its entirety or singly. Each performance will begin with a recap of previous episodes!
A family jewelry business is in crisis. Estelle, the matriarch, is trying to maintain the company’s aesthetic of “elegant, not fancy” in the wake of her husband’s recent death and despite her children’s bickering over the future path of Estelle Jewelry. Meanwhile, a documentary filmmaker has been invited to create content and promote the business on social media, so the family’s dirty laundry is now embarrassingly on view. Which skeletons in whose closets will come to light? What romantic and financial shenanigans are brewing? And what will the personal and financial fallout be from the rapid transformation of the family business?
• A Very Spooky Special @ Oakes Center, Halloween variety show, Oct. 12 – Join for this fun and unexpected evening where together everyone will discover a new way to celebrate the best of this fall holiday with songs, sketches and stories. Oh, and if you wore a costume, we wouldn’t be mad about it.
• A Very Special Special @ Oakes Center, Holiday variety show, Dec. 7 – The least serious – but most special – way to celebrate the holidays is back and better than ever. The Vivid Company and their friends will entertain with holiday songs, comic sketches and improv, and lots of good old-fashioned fun.
• Arizona Project Showing @ Oakes Center, passholder special event, Jan. 28 and May 18, 2025 – Vivid Stage has been commissioned by the Webb Center Theatre in Wickenburg, Ariz., to create a new ensemble piece, written by Barbara Blumenthal-Ehrlich and directed by Betsy True. Only season pass holders can attend two work-in-progress showings of the new play as it develops.
• Love Songs & Laments @ Oakes Center, 30th year anniversary gala, Feb. 14, 2025 – Vivid Stage’s 30th anniversary fundraising party, where it takes a look back at how far it has come and celebrates what’s next. Gather to share good food, fellowship and entertainment.
• In The Mix: An Evening Of Short Plays @ Oakes Center, MainStage Production, April 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12 and 13, 2025 – The Vivid ensemble celebrates its 30th anniversary by commissioning short plays by its favorite playwrights. The topics may be eclectic, but the mood is 100% festive. See the core of talented actors, joined by special guests, tell the stories that are a part of the zeitgeist – the spirit of the times – in the spring of 2025.
• Meet The Artist @ Summit Community Center, new play readings, May 7, 14, 21 and 28, 2025 – The new play reading series is a chance for the audience to participate in the development of new works, both to hear the plays read by professional actors and also to discuss the projects with the playwright, director and actors afterward. There will be an opportunity for the audience to provide feedback to the team after every performance.
• Summer Solos @ Visual Arts Center Of New Jersey, weekly play readings, July 9, 14, 16 and 23, 2025 – Performances in the series will take place on the lawn of the Arts Center. Patrons are invited to bring chairs or blankets and a picnic dinner. In its 12th year, the series provides audiences with an opportunity for entertainment at an affordable price, while also introducing them to highly personal works performed by professional actors.
Other programs
• Vivid Dreamers, the three-week summer program for students entering grades 5-12, will culminate in its annual production on Friday, July 25, an original family show that always draws on the creativity of its young actors to shape the piece. Each year, the youth company creates a one-of-a-kind piece that has ranged from fairytale quest to Shakespeare adaptation to musical revue.
• Vivid’s podcast, LOCAL with Laura Ekstrand, runs throughout the season featuring conversations with guests in the creative community of New Jersey and beyond. LOCAL can be found on itunes and through the Vivid Stage website.
• Throughout the year, Vivid Stage offers internships for high school and college students and many volunteer opportunities. In addition, the theater provides a menu of outreach programs for students and seniors that travel to other venues. All of Vivid’s activities center on the collaborative nature of theater and creating a comfortable environment for artists and audiences of all ages to explore and grow together.
• The company’s work is supported by grants from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the Summit Foundation, The Shubert Foundation and several other private, corporate and individual donors that believe in the power of the arts to bring people together and promote understanding between them.
Ticket information
Season passes may be purchased that provide substantial discounts to all events, and special rates for groups are also available. The theater at Oakes Center is wheelchair accessible and such access services as large print scripts, assistive listening devices and audio description will be available by prior arrangement throughout the season. Unless otherwise specified, performances will be at Oakes Center, 120 Morris Ave., Summit 07901. For more information and tickets for any of Vivid Stage’s programs, call 908-514-9654 and visit www.vividstage.org.