Salon Readings

By Jacob Marx Rice
When only three dads show up to the inaugural meeting of the Davis Hills Good Dad Society, a space for sharing the joys and frustrations of fatherhood turns into a battleground for clashing ideologies. As the meeting turns ugly, the three men must confront their conceptions of parenthood, masculinity, and humanity to find a way forward without screwing up their kids.

Location: West End Arts Center, 132 West End Ave, Long Branch

They say, “it only takes one,” but it’s tough to find him in New York City, even in the age of dating apps. Just ask Lucy, a singer-songwriter whose self-imposed mission is to meet every guy with a shred of potential. It seems she’ll have to slog through 999,999 guys to get to her one-in-a-million. At least she has material for her songs.

Christine Lavin (Composer/Lyricist) is a award-winning singer-songwriter and promoter of contemporary folk music. She has won five ASCAP composer awards, and has recorded numerous solo albums, and other female folk artists under the name Four Bitchin’ Babes.  https://christinelavin.com/

Alice Scovell (Book/Show creator), an award-winning playwright, has written sequels to classic comedies (The Rewards of Being Frank, Kindred Spirits, and Love’s Labour’s Won) and musicals (InunDATEd with songs by Christine Lavin, Three Little Maids, In Love With G&S, and The Ho-Ho-Ho-liday Show).  alicescovell.com

Location: West End Arts Center, 132 West End Ave, Long Branch

ROOM 23 by Nicholas Platt – Two lonely people meet unexpectedly in a motel room and get drawn into each other’s fantasy worlds. They become entangled with a third character when the fantasy and real worlds increasingly blur together. 

THE DROP – 1965 by Gino Diiorio – Filomena runs a lucrative numbers operation from her tenement window, and when she’s threatened by a wise guy, she resorts to extreme measures….to protect herself and her neighborhood. 

THE OPEN CURTAIN by John Biguenet – Rising from bed after midnight, a traveling salesman’s wife finds her husband sitting vigil at their kitchen table and implores him to sleep, but he explains that no matter how exhausted he is, he must, must stay awake. 

Location: West End Arts Center, 132 West End Ave, Long Branch

ROCKET CLUB by Ken Weitzman – When a new dean is visited by the former one, she must stomach his advice and condescension. That is, until she provides him with a taste of his own medicine. 

SCREEN SAVIOR by Jim Benner – In the not-too-distant future, at the Hospital for the Digitally Challenged, a neural-implant protester must fight for his release or suffer surgical implantation and a permanent loss of self. 

THE FAMILIAR by Julia Blauvelt – During the early days of the pandemic, estranged siblings gather to plan their father’s virtual funeral, forcing them to examine their grief, their truths, and their past.

Location: West End Arts Center, 132 West End Ave, Long Branch

MARY ASTOR’S PURPLE DIARY (The Musical)

Music and Lyrics by Michael Garin
Book by Mardie Millit
Based on the book by Edward Sorel
Directed by Carl Andress

In 1965, author-illustrator Edward Sorel moved into a rent-controlled, Upper East Side apartment. While ripping up the linoleum floor, he found a pile of old newspapers with tabloid headlines, all about the biggest sex scandal of 1936. It involved a post-custody battle between a sexually liberated movie star, Mary (The Maltese Falcon) Astor, and her controlling ex-husband. Her numerous affairs, as detailed in her ‘purple diary’, rattled the entertainment industry, from Hollywood to Broadway. Sorel became obsessed with the subject, resulting in a best-selling, illustrated book. This musical version is a fizzy little cocktail inspired by his book, bubbling over with love, passion, infatuation, and a bit of magic!

Location: West End Arts Center, 132 West End Ave, Long Branch