Centenary Performance to 'Light Up The Sky'

Centenary College in Hackettstown boasts one of the area's largest and most-visited stage companies, and to open the 2011 season, is offering "Light Up The Sky" by Moss Hart.

The following information is from a press release provided by Centenary Stage Company.

Award-winning set designer Bob Phillips will transform the David and Carol Lackland Center’s Sitnik Theatre into one of Boston’s grand hotels for Centenary Stage Company’s (CSC) season premiere production of the comedy "Light Up The Sky" by Moss Hart, running through Oct. 16 in Hackettstown.   

Phillips made his CSC debut this past spring as designer of Theresa Rebeck’s hit comedy, Bad Dates. He has designed over 75 sets for Orlando Shakespeare Festival, where he has been Resident Designer for the past 17 years. He also regularly works with Pennsylvania Shakespeare, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, Alpine Theatre Project, Florida Studio Theatre, and many New York theatre companies and regional theatres. 

Phillips’ television designs include Come on Over, Another World, Search for Tomorrow, and Sesame Street, where he has designed for 21 seasons. He has received the Outer Critics Circle, Madison, Village and Lillian Stoates awards for his theatre work, and six Emmy’s for his television designs.

From the author who penned The Man Who Came To Dinner, Moss Hart’s classic comedy Light Up The Sky revolves around a group of New York theatre-folk who attend the opening of their new play in Boston. The inspired young playwright, the dramatic diva, the emotionally involved director, and short tempered producer gather in star’s hotel room to toast the pending their pending triumph: a moving new play destined to change the hearts and minds of audiences everywhere. However, by the end of the night, everyone is wishing they had performed Oklahoma.

Directed by CSC Artistic Director Carl Wallnau, the "Light Up The Sky" cast will feature Equity actors David Edwards, Liz Zazzi, Michael Irvin Pollard, Kirsten Hopkins and John Little,  as well as Mikaela Kafka, Eli Ganias, Johnathan Turner, David Scheffler,  Kathleen O’Mara (Bernardsville), Emilio Tirri, Kyle Parham and Kyle Conner. Set design is by Bob Phillips, lighting design by Ed Matthews, and sound design by Colin Whitely. 

Tickets for Light up the Sky range in price from $20 to $25 and can be purchased online at www.centenarystageco.org, by calling 908-979-0900 or in person at the Lackland Center.  Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m., Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. (Family night, with special “rush” seat pricing of Two-for-One available at the door), with additional matinee performances on Wed, Oct 12 at 2 p.m. CSC also offers a buffet matinee series which includes lunch and a matinee performance for $37.50 per person in groups of 20 or more.  

The Centenary Stage Company is a not-for-profit professional equity theatre, in residence at Centenary College, dedicated to serving as a cultural resource for audiences of the Skylands Region with professional music, theatre and dance events and arts education programs throughout the year. Programs at the Centenary Stage Company are made possible in part through the visionary support of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the NJ State Council on the Arts and The Blanche and Irving  Laurie Foundation, as well as CSC Premium sponsors Heath Village, Skylands Community Bank, Marriot Residence Inn and Hackettstown Regional Medical Center and CSC members and sponsors.