Page 44 • April 2019 • Mt. Olive Life
The Growing Stage Promises A Good Time to Audiences Young and Old Their mission is “to create a professional theatre company at which young people and their families could grow through the performing arts.”
I
By Stefanie Sears n March 2019, The Growing Stage: The Children’s Theatre of New Jersey located in Netcong prepares for its production of “Curious George: The Golden Meatball,” directed by Marketing Director Danny Campos and ran on the main stage from March 15-31. The shows here are all strictly family and child friendly and have been so since its conception. Their mission is “to create a professional theatre company at which young people and their families could grow through the performing arts.” “The Growing Stage is the only professional theatre company solely dedicated to young people and their families that has its own facility,” says The Growing Stage’s Founder/Executive Director Stephen L. Fredericks, “We are a member theatre of the Association of Actor’s Equity, and by being so we strive to produce quality theatrical experiences that can be appreciated and enjoyed by the entire family. Our Main Stage productions are unique in that we have adult artists work alongside young people in age-appropriate roles, providing them with a unique educational opportunity not found anywhere else in our state.” Inspiration hit Fredericks after taking a Theatre for Young Audiences class at Arizona State University and meeting his mentor Don Doyl. Upon graduation, he debated about graduate school but opted to pursue The Growing Stage instead. Thanks to the Chester Theatre Group, The Growing Stage’s history began in 1982 when they first opened with a show called
“Code Breaker” at the Black River Playhouse in Chester. However, “growing” is a key word here, for expansion was eventually crucial. They then took residence in the Williamson School building, which was owned by Chester Township, Chester Borough, and the Chester Board of Education, but realized that they could not keep that as their permanent home. “We couldn’t afford their collective asking price, which started us on our journey to find the Palace,” explains Fredericks. The Growing Stage has resided within the former Palace Theatre’s walls since 1995. The historic Palace Theatre was built in 1919 and served as an entertainment venue such as a silent movie and vaudeville house in its earliest years but had eventually fallen on hard times after the 1960s. From 1981 until 1994, it was a warehouse for a moving company until The Growing Stage purchased it in May 1995. Their first show there was “The Wizard of Oz” for which they received 1,200 audience members for six performances. “At the time, The Growing Stage was in need of a home and the Palace Theatre was in need of a miracle – fortunately the two just came together naturally,” says Fredericks, “As an organization, the renovation and restoration of our home, the Palace Theatre has been a huge project.” The Growing Stage has raised and invested over $3 million dollars back into the facility over the last 24 years. “While this has been a great accomplishment though, providing our region with this unique performing arts resource has been our most rewarding, especially when you see the joy in the faces of our families after seeing one of our productions,” Fredericks adds. In addition to “Curious George,” this year’s season also included “The Wizard of Oz” (a Growing Stage regular), “Babes in Toyland,” “John Henry,” and “A Better Place to Be.” In May they will be presenting “Mr. Popper’s Penguins.” The Growing Stage is always looking for new ways to improve the theater experiences of their patrons. This spring they are planning three-hour Broadway Master Class Workshops for high school students led by Broadway artists. Also, this season they are
1