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!!

Standing on the new stage at Waterfront South Theatre

Thank you to everyone who came out to install the stage at the new Waterfront South Theatre! Over thirty people came out this past Saturday morning to work, inspire and complete the installation of the stage that will launch the dreams of countless artists and children in Camden, NJ. It was emotional, inspiring and proves to all that Camden is rising around us and, with our hands and sweat and effort that we are all bringing it back. Keep an eye out for our painting the theatre day which will be in February. We will all be bringing our brushes and rollers and bringing the theatre to life. Art will save us!

Slave Narratives Revisited

Thank you to everyone who came out this past weekend to see Ed Shockley's great play "Slave Narratives Revisited; a celebration of freedom". Thank you also to world famous filmmaker Euzhan Palcy, who graced our theatre with her presence on Friday evening. Ed and lary moten honored her for her years of work including writing and directing "A Dry White Season" which featured Marlon Brando and Donald Sutherland. We had a World Series and a presidential visit to Camden to contend with but, never the less, many dedicated theatre goers came to SCTC to support this play. After we move into the Waterfront South Theatre we will bring the play back for a weekend. I will announce that as next season comes closer. Also, remember Saturday, November 14th! We will be installing the new stage and would love for you to stop by and help. We will begin at 7:30 AM. All are most welcome.

Visit from NJ Sec of State Wells and Steve Runk, NJ State Council On The Arts

I want to thank NJ Secretary of State Nina Mitchell Wells and Director of the NJ Council On The Arts Steven R. Runk for visiting the Waterfront South Theatre yesterday at the request of Governor Jon Corzine. Secretary Wells and Mr. Runk spent over an hour with us touring the new theatre and walking the streets of Waterfront South to experience the artistic vision and freedom that our neighborhood exhibits. As we get ready for the opening of "Slave Narratives Revisited" at SCTC tomorrow night we can all feel the pride of knowing that the leadership of New Jersey knows and understand the importance of the arts in Waterfront South and how important plays like these are to all of our growth as a people. Please come see the play this weekend. support the arts in Camden and thank you again Secretary Wells and Steve Runk for spending time with us. Come back often!

Brick going up on Waterfront South Theatre!!!

Stop by the corner of 4th and Jasper Street in Camden and see SCTC's new home in its next stage of construction as the brick goes on! This will be the last big change to the exterior of the theatre as work moves inside!

Please join us November 14th as we lay down the stage at 7:30AM. Contact me at joep@southcamdentheatre.org for details. All are welcome. Art will save us!!!!!!

Last Rites now on sale!

Last Rites is officially on sale as of October 1st. You can order your copy online at Amazon, Borders and Barnes and Noble, published by Hansen Publishing. No word yet on which book stores will carry it locally but I encourage you to suggest it to you local store. Thanks to everyone for their ongoing support and I look forward to seeing you at the opening of Last Rites at the new Waterfront South Theatre
in 2010.

Slave Narratives Revisited - Watch the video preview

Watch the video preview for Ed Shockley's wonderful play "Slave Narratives Revisited: a celebration of freedom" that South Camden Theatre Company will be bringing to you for three shows only on October 30, 31 and November 1st. Check out the video preview below and on our YouTube channel at:http://www.youtube.com/user/SouthCamdenTheatre I am sure after seeing it you will want to reserve your seats. remember, there is limited seating for this show. Don't miss it!

News From Tennessee Williams Festival in Provincetown

I'm spending the week in Provincetown, MA at the 4th Annual Tennessee Williams Festival. It is truly an incredible theatre festival and, as we are in it's second day, have already seen a few wonderful Tennessee Williams plays. To quote Tenn from his play "The Last Of My Solid Gold Watches", though, "my pockets are filled with watches that show me I have little time left". That is, the way I feel about this festival. There are, though, many more plays until the festival closes Sunday and I will be seeing as many as time allows. My hope is to bring something from this festival each year to Camden and I am already speaking with Patrick Falco and David Kaplan, the directors of this fine festival about such possibilities. It is also a thrill to see my book and "LAST RITES" on sale here. I wonder what Walt and Sue would think about P'Town!

I will be sharing big Waterfront South Theatre news with you shortly. Our season of transition will begin on October 30th with "Slave Narratives Revisited: a celebration of freedom". Tickets are for sale online. Please don't miss it.

More Theatre Magic From 4th and Jasper

I received a phone call last week from Ms. Jo Ann Simpkins Straub from West Virginia. In the illustrated book of Camden "Camden (NJ) (Images of America)" by Cheryl Baisden, which is available at all bookstores, she saw a picture I had lent Cheryl for her book of Walt's Café from 1935 (the same picture will also be featured in my play and book "Last Rites" which releases on October 1st) In the picture there are men in the bar posing with my grandfather. It turns out the second man at the bar is her father! We had corresponded for the past few days and I forwarded the picture to her online so that she can share it with her family. She told me he was only 21 years old in it and it was a picture no one in her family had ever seen or knew existed. This old picture, which was in the bottom of a drawer has now brought even more happiness and wonderful memories to someone I have yet to meet. Pure magic. This theatre IS magic. Please...be a part of it. Please come to Camden and see the beauty and power of theatre. "Slave Narratives Revisited -A Celebration of Freedom" opens October 30th. See you there!

Last Rites Published!

I am very happy to announce that my first play, "Last Rites", will be released this coming October published by Hansen Publishing Group. This is an incredible next step in the journey of this play, a journey that started when I wrote the first draft of the play back in 1997. Pre-orders are now being accepted on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com or at http://hansenpublishing.com. We will also be bringing the play back to you onstage this spring in the new Waterfront South Theatre which is rising as I write this. The doors and windows went on this week and next will be the roof and brick facade. If you are in the neighborhood go see it. Walt's Café is rising from the shell of its past.

The new season approaches.......I'll let you know of updates as they occur.

Camden will rise. Art will save us.

OUR NEW SEASON!!!!!

I am so excited to announce our fifth season here in South Camden! Please join us on October 30, 31, and November 1st for Ed Shockley's "Slave Narratives Revisited: a celebration of freedom". Ed is the author of many plays and is a well known Philadelphia based writer. His play will move you as well as make you laugh with a brilliant two man story taking us from slavery to the present day. Joining Ed will be lary moten, who shares the stage as well as directs this exciting piece of theatre. You will only have 3 opportunities to see it and tickets are available now on our website and will be presented at our present home. Don't miss it!

On February 12th, 2010 we will be bringing you the funny and biting "Belmont Avenue Social Club" written by the dean of Philadelphia area playwrights Bruce Graham. I served as Assistant Director for this play back in 1999 at Theatre Exile under the incredible director Joe Canuso and love this play a lot. This is a powerful and indicting story and Ray Croce is the perfect director for it. This will run until February 28th also in our Sacred Heart basement theatre.

We will open the new Waterfront South Theatre with my play "Last Rites", (the play that started all of this) , in the spring of 2010. Much, much more on that later.

All three plays this year are written, directed and acted by Camden/Philadelphia area artists.

Please come out this season and see some great theatre. See you in October for "Slave Narratives Revisited"!

Hope and the 3rd Floor Rising at 4th and Jasper

It was so exciting to ride past the theatre yesterday and see that work on the third floor has begun. This will be our new rehearsal space on the top floor of the new Waterfront South Theatre. For the first time since my grandfather's bar was torn down you can actually see the structure of the new theatre from pavement to rooftop. I am sure that we feel exactly the same excitement as the original builders and owners of the building saw in the 1860's when the bar was built. Seeing the theatre rise from the ground is a true resurrection of the corner...and...the resurrection of a neighborhood. Doug Wallace from Sacred Heart School and I watched together as the frame was going on the roof. We then started planning both of our seasons;SCTC's as well as the dates for the school's annual Shakespeare production. Camden kids in a real Camden theatre. As soon as we know the dates we will announce them so we can all prepare for 2009-10! Please support us in this goal. And...if you need any proof that Camden IS rising and that "art will save us", take a ride to 4th and Jasper, stand on the corner, and be a part of a dream. The dream of a rebuilt Camden!

Thank You For A Great Fourth Season!!!

I wanted to thank every actor, writer, director, and staff person who worked on this past season at SCTC. I really can't believe we have completed four seasons in Waterfront South! My largest thanks , though, is to every audience member who came to Camden this season to see a play. Without you there is no SCTC. We had over 700 people attend plays this season, our largest year yet! We will be announcing our next season very soon. I can tell you it will be full of both new work to us and some old "friends". Please sign up for our email list on the site so we can send out the new season as soon as it is finalized. We will be getting a better idea of when the new Waterfron South Theatre will be able to open soon and we will let you know the shows and dates at that time which should be mid-June. All the best for a wonderful summer and.....when you have time...go see a play. Theatre only lives and breathes by your participation. Thanks again to everyone. Heal Camden!

And Justice For All - Final Weekend!!!

You have three more chances to see our current production AND JUSTICE FOR ALL five one act plays about political and social injustice. Shows are Friday, Saturday at 8PM and Sunday at 1:30 PM. Over the past two weeks writers have come from to Camden from Boston, Chicago and New York to see their shows and each one has told me after that this festival ranks as highly as any they had seen in the country. These festivals give new writers a voice, directors a place to grow and actors a chance to dig into new material and make it their own. The subjects range from the true incident of three nuns arrested in Colorado for defacing a nuclear missile silo to my own play about the current police shootings in Philadelphia and how they are tearing the justice and police system wide open. Please take the time to see the plays this weekend. After Sunday, we will be taking the summer off and will be letting you know when our next season will open when a schedule is finalized. We will have a better idea next month as the new, exciting Waterfront South Theatre is now under construction. Please email or call us if you would like to help bring a new theatre to Camden! Thank you for all of your continued support for our 4th season. Without you there would be no SCTC.

Waterfront South Theatre, Camden New Jersey