Waterfront South Theatre on the rise

Thank you to Margie Silvante, Director of the Theatre Alliance of Philadelphia and Karen Delossi, Assistant Director who visited the theatre last week for a tour. This week we are welcoming John McEwen, head of the NJ Theatre Alliance who we will be showing off our new theatre this coming Wednesday. Waterfront South Theatre needs to be a centerpiece for the redevelopment in our neighborhood and we appreciate the interest of these theatre leaders in continuing our development. Please purchase a season pass online and come see what all of the excitement is about in Camden. Camden will rise...art will save us!!!!

Season Passes on Sale today!

For the first time, SCTC is offering a season pass. For only $48 dollars you can but a seat to all FOUR productions this year. Please go on our website and purchase your pass. We have such an exciting season for you as "The past, in the present, is our future" comes to life at the brand new Waterfront South Theatre. There are many options for you to select and you can pick the dates you want to attend online. We look forward to our biggest season ever with your help. And, if you haven't done so as of yet, please become our friend on FACEBOOK. We will keep you constantly updated on all of the exciting things to come. Heal Camden!

Brian Dennehy Visits Waterfront South Theatre and South Camden Theatre Company

This past Tuesday Tony Award and Golden Globe Award winning actor and film star Brian Dennehy came to the new Waterfront South Theatre for a personal tour. He was truly impressed by the new space as well as Heart Of Camden's ability to get it built in such trying times. He is a true gentleman and incredible actor and he shared stories with us of his friend the late William Hickey (his long

time friend, great actor and acting coach)as they did theatre together in New York in the 1970's and 80's as well as stories of his success in the plays of Eugene O'Neill over the years. Having Brian visit us was an incredible honor and thanks tare due to our board member Tom Erhardt as well as Msgr. Mike Mannion who made it possible. Come out this fall and see what all of the excitement is about. A theatre is about to rise in Waterfront South. Heal Camden!!

Patco Meeting This Thursday - Light rail for Waterfront South!

There will be a new light rail line connecting Camden to Glassboro, NJ. The line will cross Ferry Avenue three blocks above Broadway and four blocks from the theatre. A new stop at that location would allow people to take a train to Waterfront South and leave you just blocks from our new theatre meaning a person in New York who wanted to come to a play in Camden can board at Penn Station and arrive in our own neighborhood for just a few dollars. This Thursday, May 6th, you have a chance to tell DRPA -PATCO that we need to be a destination on the new line in Waterfront South. Please come to the meeting at:

Place: Camden County College
Broadway and Cooper Street
Time: 5:30PM.

Your voice CAN be heard! If enough people come we will definitely make an impact. If you need transportation to the meeting you can call Clarence Bagwell at 609-315-2565 or Marianna at 856-614-1052

Please come. Waterfront South is rising and a train stop on the new line is vital. See you there.

Interior Painting Starts This Saturday! Volunteers needed!

We will be starting the painting of the new theatre this Saturday, May 1st at 8:30AM We will meet at the corner of 4th and Jasper and work on all three floors of the theatre [inside only...the outside has been done]. You don't need to be a great painter. We ask that you bring your own materials [brush, roller, disposable pan, roller covers, paper towels] . The drywall will be complete this Thursday and it is time to start painting our new home on Saturday. Please come if you can. Please bring friends, neighbors or students [painting the inside of the first theatre built just for theatre in Camden's history is great for earning high school service hours]. We can't have too many people! The more the merrier. Please come out. The primer will be waiting and all we need is you! It's also a great time to see the theatre from all three floors! Email me at joep@southcamdentheatre.org with any questions or to let me know you can join us. This is how Camden changes....people working together towards changing a neighborhood. Heal Camden!

Michael McAteer

I received a call this afternoon from my long time friend Ron Chiumento that Michael McAteer had been found dead in LA this morning, having died in his sleep. Michael had produced Howard Zinn's great play "Marx In Soho" directed by my friend John Doyle and featuring my friend Bob Weick this past February in Santa Monica where I was privileged to be invited. A couple weeks before the show, we were stunned by the sad death of Howard Zinn, a death I learned about from Michael via a phone call. It is a sad irony that I found out at noon today of Michael's passing in the same way. Michael had a true passion for right and wrong, Howard Zinn and Camden. He and I were both "Camden kids" and our friendship was quickly a deep one. I cannot attempt to describe the grief his wife Barbara and children feel at this time. I am deeply saddened, as we all are who knew him. We just spoke Friday and had drinks together on Good Friday. There is a seat in the new theatre named after him, a gift of his great friend John Finn. I had planned on sitting next to him in it.

He will always be remembered as a compassionate friend and a true native son of Camden. He will be sorely missed.

Walls go up today!

I was in the theatre for a while yesterday afternoon and was happy to see the insulation was installed preparing for the drywall to start going up today. For the first time, one could really feel the size and warmth of the new theatre. I went room to room imagining what was about to be with such hope for our future. Theatre has the power to transform. It changed me forever and, hopefully, this new space will do the same for people who may have never seen the type of plays we produce. This season we will take you everywhere from Camden in the late 1960's to Harlem in the 40's to New York in the 30's and end the season in Eugene O'Neill's heart.

This year will be all of our transformations...both internally as well externally as a neighborhood comes to blossom. Please join us on the ride we are about to take. We need you to be a part of it. Heal Camden!