New Director Cuts Teeth With Moorestown Theater Company's 'Willy Wonka Jr.'

MOORESTOWN, NJ — The Moorestown Theater Company (MTC) is looking to build on its award-winning resume. MTC, which has won three awards in four years at the Junior Theater Festival in Atlanta, Georgia, is looking to double its chances of winning when it returns to the festival in January.

When MTC won a Freddie G “Excellence In Acting” award at the festival this year, it did so with an older group of kids in a category known as Academy B. At the festival, MTC Artistic Director Mark Morgan met the director who won the same award in Academy A, which is for K-8.

That director is now with MTC, and is making her MTC directorial debut with “Willy Wonka Jr.,” which opened at Hope Community Church, 235 West Main Street in Moorestown Wednesday night.

There was another performance set for Thursday night, 7 p.m., and two more performances scheduled for Friday, Aug. 4, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Erica graduated from Rowan University when it was known as Glassboro State College. She was an elementary school teacher for 20 years, and she is no stranger to the director’s chair.

She directed about a dozen shows before coming to MTC. Her specialty was working with the younger group, but when her previous company cut the Academy A program, she came to MTC.

With her on board, MTC is working on two performances for the next festival, with the goal of winning two awards, in Academy A and Academy B. Morgan said MTC will try it this year, and as long as it works, will continue to put together two performances as long as it is feasible. For the moment, Erica is excited to cut her teeth with her first MTC musical.

The Roald Dahl musical features such beloved characters as Augustus Gloop, Veruca Salt, Violet Beauregard, Mike Teevee, Charlie Bucket, the Oompa-Loompas, and, of course, the title character. The six-to-17-year-old cast will sing such favorites as “The Candy Man,” “Cheer Up, Charlie,” “Think Positive,” “(I’ve Got A) Golden Ticket,” “I Want It Now,” and “Pure Imagination.”

Tickets are reserved, and can be purchased online at MoorestownTheaterCompany.org , or in the lobby 60 minutes before curtain time. Tickets are $12.

The theater will open 30 minutes before curtain time. Call the Moorestown Theater Company at 856-778-8357 with any questions or to get group rates.

The attached images were provided by the Moorestown Theater Company