On stage down the shore: Your summer guide to New Jersey theater

Like many Philadelphians in the summer, I spend as much time down the Jersey Shore as I possibly can. But even on vacation, I can’t seem to escape the theater’s reach — and why would I want to, when first-rate entertainment options abound up and down the coast?

An LBI institution

I grew up in Beach Haven, on the southern tip of Long Beach Island (LBI), and many of my earliest theater experiences occurred at Surflight Theatre on Engleside Avenue.

Surflight was founded in 1950 and has been an LBI institution ever since, but the theater has not been immune from hard times. Shareholders filed for bankruptcy protection in 2015, resulting in several dark summers. The theater reopened last year, under the artistic leadership of actor and producer Steve Steiner.

The 2018 summer season opened with the Gershwin pastiche Nice Work If You Can Get It, on stage through June 24. Other offerings include Jesus Christ Superstar (June 26 through July 15), The Wedding Singer (July 17 through August 5), Saturday Night Fever (August 7 through 26), and the New Jersey regional premiere of Steve Martin and Edie Brickell’s Bright Star (August 28 through September 9).

Steiner, who previously ran Surflight from 1998 to 2010, is passionate about the unique experience of professional summer theater. “Our theater is large enough to be able to produce high-quality productions and small enough that even if you are in the last row, you are no more than 40 feet from the stage,” he says.

Erma Bombeck, Henry II, and more in Cape May

Farther down the coast, Cape May has emerged as a mecca for first-rate theater. Cape May Stage’s (CMS) popularity has grown so much that its season now extends well into the winter.

“Each season we aspire to include new works, diversity, award-winning playwrights, and plays that resonate with our audience,” said CMS artistic producing director Roy Steinberg. “Our casts are almost always from New York, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia, with Broadway credits.”

Beachgoers can currently catch Kate McCauley Hathaway — Oscar winner Anne’s mom — in Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End through June 22. Neil Simon’s Chapter Two follows (June 27 through August 3), along with James Goldman’s evergreen The Lion in Winter (August 8 through September 14). September brings the world premiere of Shawn Fisher’s The Shuck, starring Emmy Award winner and soap-opera favorite Kim Zimmer.

Several blocks away from CMS, East Lynne Theater Company hosts a season dedicated to “the American spirit on stage.” Through July 21, it’s treating audiences to the world-premiere revue On the Sunny Side of the Street (June 13-July 21), featuring the songs of legendary lyricist Dorothy Fields. Comedy lovers will delight in Arsenic and Old Lace (July 25 through September 1), and winter dwellers can take in Silent Sky by Lauren Gunderson, America’s most produced living playwright (September 19-October 13).

World premieres at NJ Rep

In Monmouth County, New Jersey Repertory Company (NJ Rep) sits a block behind the beach in Long Branch. Dedicated to new work, the company has produced more than 100 world premieres since its 1997 founding.

“We are the anchor arts organization in Long Branch,” said artistic director SuzAnne Barabas, who calls the theater “a catalyst in the cultural revitalization of our community.”

NJ Rep is currently refurbishing a 28,000-square-foot schoolhouse into a state-of-the-art cultural center, which will include two theatrical stages, a movie theater, a visual arts gallery, and residential housing for visiting artists. In the meantime, they will host two new works this summer at their current home on Long Branch’s main thoroughfare.

Adam Szymkowicz’s Mercy (June 14 through July 15) explores grief and loss in the aftermath of a loved one’s death. Michael Tucker’s Fern Hill (August 9 through September 9) is a meditation on aging and friendship, told from the perspective of three Baby Boomer couples approaching their twilight years.

Fern Hill draws a starry cast to Long Branch, including Tony Award winner John Glover and television legend Jill Eikenberry, Tucker’s wife and frequent collaborator. The ensemble includes Dee Hoty, David Rasche, Tom McGowan, and Jodi Long.

The plethora of Jersey Shore theater offers something to fit all tastes. Consider skipping the beach for a few hours and seeing what these talented companies have in store.

Above: Jacob A. Ware and Christopher Daftsios in the premiere of Adam Szymkowicz's Mercy, running at NJ Rep through July 15. (Photo by SuzAnne Barabas.)