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Raritan Valley Community College’s Visual and Performing Arts Department will present a student theatre production of Jim Leonard’s Anatomy of Gray, April 19-22, at 7 p.m. All performances will be held in the Welpe Theatre at the College’s Branchburg campus.

Award-winning playwright Leonard crafted this “children’s story for adults” after the death of a friend. Although the play, first staged in early 1990s, had seen six productions, Leonard could not seem to “fix” it, eventually shelving it for 10 years. This delicate and allegoric coming-of-age story only reached its final form after Leonard, still grieving, literally dreamed how to “fix” the earlier versions. The eight inhabitants of Gray, Indiana in 1870 use words and music to tell us their story that starts with a real “Wizard of Oz” event. We live the story through the eyes, ears, heart, passions of the unforgettable 15-year-old Junie Muldoon as she navigates loss, love, weather, sex, ambition, death and life’s greatest mysteries. Poignancy and humor abound as the play poses the question tragedy always seems to provoke: “Who’s to blame for this?” It’s a question too often followed by violence.  

The play is being directed by Danielle Barry of Somerville, RVCC Adjunct Associate Professor. Technical direction and design is by David Porter (Clinton Township) and Kenny Savoy (Piscataway), with Laura Ryan (Oxford) acting as stage manager. Additional technical crew includes Cristian Ayala-Castillo (Somerset), Matt Binkowitz (Westfield), Kamali Davis (Franklin Park), Grace Lamport (Califon), Colleen Preston (Milford), Mary Puleo (Pittstown), Christian Ramos-Salazar (Somerville), Brandon Roche (Manville), Hugo Veliz (North Plainfield), and Shawn Wallace (Bound Brook).
 
The cast includes Anna Logan (Berkeley Heights), Fred Lopatosky (North Plainfield), Joe Petrella (Basking Ridge), Hayley Pellis (Glen Gardner), Renae Raymond (Washington Township), Matt Rooney (Somerville), Ashley Tirado (Bound Brook), James Van Patten (Whitehouse Station), and Theresa Vitovitch (Annandale).

General admission tickets cost $12 per person, $8 for students and seniors. Tickets are available at the RVCC Theatre Box Office, Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., or call 908-725-3420. For further information, contact the Visual and Performing Arts Department, 908-218-8876.

Raritan Valley Community College’s main campus is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 27, 2017

Media contact: Donna Stolzer, 908-526-1200, ext. 8383

PR #138