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Will open July 24 with ‘On the Town'
BY COREY O'CONNELL
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
It may not be Broadway, but sixty miles south of the Great White Way, the theater arts are thriving in Toms River, New Jersey. This past spring, four young men and women launched a new theater company called Exit 82, named after Toms River's Garden State Parkway exit, in an effort to encourage the talents of local thespians and provide quality entertainment for the community.
The four founders — Billy Cardone, Keely Davenport, Greg Johnson, and Kristen Johnson — are all graduates of Toms River High School East, and all were active members in the school's theater program. Cardone, Davenport, and Kristen Johnson's performance credits extend to other programs across New Jersey and New York, while Greg Johnson has lent his artistic talents and backstage experience to numerous productions in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. All of their work in other theaters made the four realize that outside of the public school programs, Toms River lacked any kind of local theater arts community.
That's when Exit 82 was born.
"We're all passionate about theater and there was no outlet for it in our hometown," said Keely, 19. "Our best memories growing up were from experiences doing community theater, and we wanted to share that with the community in Toms River."
Last summer, the four started to throw around ideas for Exit 82, and this spring, it became a reality. They hosted a kick-off party at the Toms River branch of the Ocean County Library in March, and they just recently were officially approved as a non-profit organization. In the past few months, they have been hard at work fundraising, searching for sponsorship, and promoting Exit 82.
"[We've gone] door to door to all the local businesses to ask if they'd be willing to sponsor us," said Kristen Johnson, 20. Sponsors are featured on the Exit 82 website, www.exit82theatre.com, as "Friends of the Theatre," and advertising space is available in their printed programs. They also have a page on Facebook to help generate more buzz.
Outside of their Internet efforts, Exit 82 was featured at the Downtown Toms River Music & Arts Festival in May, where they received a warm welcome. Additionally, they have participated in numerous promotions with local radio stations and restaurants.
Now with summer under way, the folks at Exit 82 are working on their premiere production, the classic musical comedy "On the Town." Thanks to their various networking efforts, the founders received over a dozen applications for production positions such as director and stage manager, and they auditioned upwards of seventy-five people.
Exit 82's production team has assembled a strong, professional cast with an age range from thirteen to mid-fifties, welcoming anyone with an interest in theater. The company has attracted performers from all backgrounds: many of the young actors are not theater students, but merely theater lovers. "[For example], we have culinary students, kids studying medicine, some who are still in high school, and many local teachers," said Keely.
"It's not all familiar faces, which is good," added director Katie Gallagher, 23, of Toms River. Though many of the performers live in town, others hail from as far away as Point Pleasant and Manasquan. They have all generously volunteered their time for the past six weeks, dedicating themselves to hours of readings, costume fittings, and rehearsals.
The final result of their labors will be four performances of "On the Town" on July 24, 25, and 26, at Toms River Intermediate School East's auditorium. Discounted tickets for senior citizens and children under twelve are available, as well as handicap seating, and a sign language interpreter will be at the July 25 matinee.
Anyone interested in getting involved can still volunteer for a number of stage crew and ushering jobs for this season, and aspiring performers can look forward to the next season: Exit 82 hopes to produce two shows in the summer of 2010.
To purchase tickets, volunteer, become a sponsor, or learn more about Exit 82, check out their website at www.Exit82Theatre.com or email them at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
