JCRegister

I’ve read good reviews about J CITY Theater’s PASSION (by Peter Nichols), so if you have time, tomorrow night is your last chance to see it. Although PASSION sounds like a religious play (not to mention the location at St. Michael’s Church!), Executive Producer Clay Cockrell said that it is not an adaptation of the Christian play/movie (The Passion of Christ). “It’s the story of a marriage under attack – a great mix of comedy and drama.” He said .

The acting is excellent, and the script is well-written according to some reviews I gathered from JCList and I admit getting tempted to watch. Unfortunately, time and work do not permit me. Hopefully, I’ll be be able to go to the next production.

J CITY Theater’s PASSION (by Peter Nichols)
Description: Play (Tix: $20, contact 800-838-3006 or visit website)
When: Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009 8PM
Where: Underground Theater at St. Michael’s Church
Address: 252 Ninth Street, Jersey City, NJ 07303 (Hamilton Park)
Web & Contact: Clay Cockrell, J CITY Theater, 917-685-8461 / clay@jcity.org / www.jcity.org

What is PASSION?

(from the Press Release)

“What would happen if your most private and innermost thoughts were known to the world?” This is the question that famed playwright Peter Nichols explores in his masterwork, Passion. Eleanor (Sandy Cockrell) and James (Tony Cormier) enjoy a quiet and comfortable marriage until Kate (Rocio Mendez), “the ultimate sexual threat” comes into their lives and disrupts their safety. Not satisfied with this traditional relationship triangle, the playwright creates a pentagon by bringing Jim (Kellis Carroll) and Nell (Rachel Kerbs) on stage – who serve as the couples alter egos – allowing the audience to view a rich texture of subterfuge and deception. Rounding out the cast is Eleanor’s fiery friend Agnes (Camille Mazurek) who is a cautionary tale against bitterness and revenge. The result is a play with wonderful complexity that never seems complicated – only very dangerous.

It’s a comedy on the outside, but screaming on the inside. A bitterly funny, savagely honest play that unfolds like a symphony, keeping the audience on the edge of their seat. “It’s the most dangerous script I’ve ever read”, says Executive Producer Clay Cockrell. “I went from laughing out loud to cringing with shock that people could actually say some of these things out loud. It’s like nothing we’ve ever done.”

About J CITY Theater

J CITY Theater (www.jcity.org) is a not-for-profit professional theater company based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It is a founding company of the Hudson County Theatre Alliance (www.hudsonall.org) and has been producing locally since 2006. Recent productions include Archibald MacLeish’s J.B., Douglas Carter Beane’s As Bees In Honey Drown, and this spring’s smash hit: The God Committee. They are also known for their engaging one act plays (Compression of a Casualty and The Spot) during HCTA’s annual One Acts Festival. J CITY Theater’s mission is to create quality, high energy theater that is told with sophisticated simplicity.