HACKETTSTOWN, NJ (Warren County) – Centenary Stage Company will kick off its Professional Theatre Series for 2024-2025 with a production of Conor McPherson’s The Weir, running from Oct. 4 to Oct. 20 in the Sitnik Theatre.
Set in a bar in Sligo, Ireland, The Weir follows local men who share spooky tales to impress a young woman from Dublin who has moved into a nearby “haunted” house. Just in time for the Halloween season, performances will take place at the Lackland Performing Arts Center, located at 715 Grand Ave., Hackettstown.
Tickets for the production range from $25 to $30 for adults, with discounts available for students, seniors (65+), and children (12 and under) on select performances. A special $10 ticket offer for Hackettstown residents will be available at the box office for the opening Friday preview on Oct. 4 at 2:00 PM. Additionally, Thursday evening performances will feature Buy One Get One (BOGO) ticket deals available starting at 5:00 PM on the day of the show.
This production features some new faces to CSC and company veterans. The small cast features: Derek Egidio as Jim, Mark Byrne as Brendan, Campbell Symes as Valerie, Pat Cogan as Finbar, and John Little as Jack. The Weir will be Derek Egidio’s Centenary Stage Company debut, but he most recently has been seen in Macbeth (Macbeth) at Pax Amicus Castle Theatre and Peter and the Star Catcher (Boy) at Studio Players. Mark Byrne is appearing at CSC for the second time having previously been seen on the CSC mainstage in 2013 in The Cripple of Inishmaan (Babybobby).
Campbell Symes is returning to the Sitnik stage, after having previously appeared in CSC’s 2019 production of Ghost Train (Elsie Winthrop). Pat Cogan also makes his return to Centenary Stage Company, having most recently been seen as King Triton in CSC’s Holiday production of Disney’s: The little Mermaid last year, and as Fezziwig/Ghost of Christmas Present in Stephen Temperley’s Adaptation of A Christmas Carol in 2020. John Little was last seen on the CSC stage in Harvey (William R. Chumley, M.D) in 2014 and Light up the Sky (Tyler Rayburn) in 2012.
Directing the production is Centenary Stage Company’s own Artistic Director, Carl Wallnau. Wallnau has directed and starred in countless productions regionally and at Centenary Stage, most recently seen on stage as the titular character in Tartuffe, and before that directing and appearing in The Ladykillers. He has worked at numerous regional theatres including Paper Mill Playhouse, Second Stage in NYC, York Theatre in NYC, People’s Light, The Lark Theatre, The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Hartford Stage, Forum Theatre, Bristol Riverside Premiere Stages, Orlando Shakespeare Company, Theatre 1812, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, Foothills Playhouse and 14 months on the road with the First National Tour of TITANIC.
He has directed over sixty productions including The English Bride, which had its NY premiere at 59e59 and the world premieres of Poetry of Pizza, Inventing Montana and The Tillie Project and New Jersey premieres of Below the Belt, Square One and Marvin’s Room. He has been cited for outstanding direction in productions of Springtime for Henry, Engaged, The Ladies Man, Deathtrap and Pygmalion and has directed in numerous regional theatres including Hartford Theatre Works and Musical Theatre Works. He received his MFA from Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Arts and is married to his favorite actress Colleen Smith Wallnau for who he wrote the play MARY TODD A WOMAN APART that had a successful off Broadway run in 2004.
Performance dates and times for The Weir are as follows:
- Thursdays, Oct. 10 and 17 at 7:00 PM
- Fridays, Oct. 4, 11, and 18 at 8:00 PM
- Saturdays, Oct. 5, 12, and 19 at 8:00 PM
- Sundays, Oct. 6 and 13 at 2:00 PM
For more information or to reserve tickets, visit centenarystageco.org or call the Centenary Stage Company box office at 908-979-0900. The box office is open Monday through Friday from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM and two hours prior to performances.
