World Premiere of 'Midnight at the New Dawn' Comes to MCCC’s Kelsey Theatre, October 16-18

WEST WINDSOR, NJ —Maurer Productions OnStage and the newly formed Maurer TheaterWorks have announced a special co-production partnership for the world premiere of Midnight at the New Dawn. The ensemble comedy, written and directed by Dan Maurer, opens at Kelsey Theatre October 16, 2026, reuniting an NJACT Perry Award–winning creative team for the first time in more than a decade. Tickets are available at www.kelseytheatre.org.

Midnight at the New Dawn is a wickedly funny, warm-hearted comedy set in a New Jersey diner on New Year's Eve. Four couples arrive at different crossroads in their relationships, with only two hours until midnight to figure out what comes next. Things get even more interesting when they find themselves part of a live-streaming web series called "Truth Be Told," putting each couple and their relationships in the hot seat. It's funny, modern, meaningful, and has been described as Neil Simon with a Wi-Fi connection.

"This is the show I've been writing toward for a long time," said playwright and director Dan Maurer. "It's funny — genuinely funny — but it earns its laughs from real human drama. These are people you know. One of them may even be you."

Maurer is a director, playwright, and member of the Dramatists Guild. He has co-produced more than twenty productions and directed acclaimed runs of Driving Miss Daisy, Hollywood Arms, and Elton John & TimRice's AIDA at Kelsey Theatre. Along the way, he won multiple NJACT Perry Awards and earned induction into the NJACT Hall of Fame. His short plays have received staged readings at theaters around the state. He recently founded Maurer TheaterWorks to develop original works; Midnight at the New Dawn is his company's inaugural full-length production.

Subscribe

Maurer Productions OnStage has called Kelsey Theatre their home for more than twenty years. Founded by John and Diana Maurer, the company has mounted some of the venue's most popular productions, including Monty Python's Spamalot, Avenue Q, Shrek the Musical, and Young Frankenstein the Musical.

The cast of Midnight at the New Dawn includes Bob Abrahamson of Newtown, PA; Emma J. Allison of Somerset; Lauren Aponte of Belle Mead; Jessica Braynor of Lawrenceville; Emre Celik of Princeton; Tonia Del Priore of East Windsor; Chris Guear of Hamilton; Laurie Hardy of Hamilton; Ainsley Hardt of Yardley, PA; J.R. Hazelton of Belle Mead; Justin Mancini of Hamilton; Ava Mattson of Plainsboro; Tina Michel of Neptune; Nigel Rogers of Bordentown; Elizabeth Rzasa of Ewing; Joe Violi and Mark Violi of Hamilton; Brian Wurtz of Levittown, PA; and Joe Zedeny of East Windsor.

Maurer Productions OnStage and Maurer TheaterWorks will present Midnight at the New Dawn at Kelsey Theatre on Friday, October 16 at 8pm, Saturday, October 17 at 2pm and 8pm, and Sunday October 18 at 2pm. Kelsey Theatre is located on the West Windsor Campus of Mercer County Community College at 1200 Old Trenton Road. Free parking is available next to the theatre. To order tickets, go online at www.kelseytheatre.org, call 609-570-3333, or stop by the Kelsey Theatre Box Office. Tickets are $24 for adults, $22 for students and seniors.