Never Too Late: Writer, 81, Sees Play About Aging Performed In Maplewood

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Local playwright Mary Jane Walsh's "Finishing it Off!" has been produced internationally and is coming to New Jersey for the first time in July.

Critics call "Finishing it Off!," which is about issues confronting the aging and their caretakers, "a bittersweet gem."

The Theater Project will present Walsh's play as part of its "Three Plays in Three Months" summer season, according to a news release. It's running from July 7-17 at Maplewood's Burgdorff Cultural Center, 10 Durand Road.

“I am thrilled to have ‘Finishing it Off!’ make its New Jersey debut so near Basking Ridge,” Walsh said in the news release. “The intimate setting at the Burgdorff Cultural Center is perfect for this play.”

The Theater Project has been doing Zoom performances for the past two years because of COVID-19, so Walsh's play marks their return to the stage.

Walsh is a member of Dramatists Guild of America and has had plays produced in N.J., New York, and Virginia as well as in Uruguay, the news release said.

This summer's other plays are: "A Jersey Cantina" by Bill Mesce Jr., which is " about four life-long friends from the old Italian neighborhood" and runs Aug. 18-28; and "5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche," which runs Sept. 8-18 and is "an interactive satire about Cold War panic and paranoia."

Show times for all three shows are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Masks and proof of vaccination are required at all performances.

Single ticket prices are $25 for general admission, $20 for seniors and $15 for students. Senior Sunday (July 7, August 21 and September 11) prices are $15 for seniors. FlexPasses are $50 for a three-play pass and $40 for a two-play pass.

Tickets are available online at TheTheaterProject.org or by calling the box office at (908) 809-8865.

The Theater Project is a 501 (c)3 non-profit professional theater, producing Off-Broadway quality shows for NJ audiences.