By Mary Ann Bourbeau
FREEHOLD – The Center Playhouse may not be as big as other community theaters, but that doesn’t make its shows any less impressive. It just means they have to work a little harder.
“It’s amazing what we can do with a 14-by-18-foot stage,” said Sheldon Fallon, president of Center Players.
Director Dave McGrath enjoys the challenge of staging a show in such a small space.
“Having a big theater with set pieces that fly around, that’s almost too easy,” he said. “We have the challenge of figuring out how to make everything work. We have to use our imagination. It’s amazing how functional they make every inch here.”
When the Center Players acting troupe was formed in 1996, the members set their sights on establishing a home base in Freehold. The nonprofit organization performed in various locations throughout town while they raised money to convert a warehouse on Main Street into a 300-seat theater. Changes in property ownership and a shortage of funding forced them to downsize their vision. They leased a storefront property on South Street and, with the help of New York City designer Nelson Kuperberg, created an intimate 49-seat theater. The Center Playhouse opened in March 2001 with a gala celebration and a sold-out run of the romantic comedy, “Crossing Delancey.”
Dave McGrath of Long Branch is directing the theater’s upcoming show, “Dial M for Murder,” beginning May 17. The play, written by Frederick Knott, was the inspiration for the 1954 Alfred Hitchcock film of the same name, starring Ray Milland, Grace Kelly and Robert Cummings. The story involves a retired tennis pro who plots the murder of his wife. When she turns the tables on her assailant, she is convicted of murder. Can the police detective who brought her to trial now decipher the clues that will save her life?
“I like the intrigue in this show,” said McGrath. “You know who committed the crime; the mystery is in how they unravel it. The story has so many twists to it. To me, that’s the best part.”
“Dial M for Murder” has a cast of six – June Ribas of Freehold, Kevin Gable of Linden, Joe Zedeny of East Windsor, Vince Fay of Matawan, Bob Gaydos of Woodbridge and Blake Taylor of Freehold. Roberta Fallon is the producer and Jane Barricelli serves as stage manager. Everyone associated with the theater is a volunteer.
With a background in art, McGrath started volunteering at community theaters, helping create and paint the set pieces before he tried his hand at directing.
“I like the whole creative process – working with actors, designing things and assembling sets. I approach it with an artist’s eye and enjoy putting it all together.”
Closing out the Center Playhouse season will be Josefina López’s “Real Women Have Curves,” from July 26 to Aug. 18, directed by Bernice Garfield-Szita. The play is set 1987 in a tiny sewing factory in East Los Angeles. It explores the issues of gender politics and the Latina immigrant experience.
Center Playhouse offers dessert to patrons during intermission. The theater also sponsors free play reading events and offers dinner and theater packages with several area restaurants.
Performances of “Dial M for Murder” run Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., from May 17 to June 16, with no performances Memorial Day weekend. Tickets are $25 – 27 and are available at 732-462-9093 or centerplayers.org.
Arts and entertainment reporter Mary Ann Bourbeau can be reached at mbourbeau@tworivertimes.com.
