Centenary Stage Company’s Next Stage Repertory kicks off their season with Soul Samurai
HACKETTSTOWN, NJ (Warren County) — Centenary Stage Company’s NEXTStage Repertory will kick off its 2024-2025 season with a production of Soul Samurai by Qui Nguyen.
Performances are set to take place in the Kutz Theatre of the Lackland Performing Arts Center on the Centenary University campus at 715 Grand Ave., Hackettstown, NJ. Tickets are priced at $17.50 for all seats.
In Soul Samurai, audiences will follow Dewdrop, a young samurai girl who seeks vengeance for her lover’s death. Joined by her loyal sidekick Cert, Dewdrop must navigate a vampire-infested Brooklyn on her journey home. The play is described as a unique blend of spaghetti western and comic book camp, infused with martial arts and puppetry.
Critics have praised the production, with Time Out New York calling it a “Critic’s Pick.” Helen Shaw described the script as having the complexity of a graphic novel while maintaining its “homemade sweetness.”
The cast features Centenary University students, including Viviana Mendez, Danny Paternina, Erin Clark, Jacoby Stewart, Kai Vialva, Maximus Klevence, Evan Flick, Taylor Albrecht, and Nastasja Roman. These students also play significant roles in the creative and stage management team, contributing to the NEXTstage Repertory, CSC’s all-student performance division. This initiative allows students to gain valuable experience and networking opportunities within a professional theatre environment.
Directing the production is Christopher Young, who also serves as the General Manager for Centenary Stage Company and teaches Stage Combat and Acting for the Camera at the university. He is joined by Assistant Director Emily Young, who teaches Acting II.
Performances of Soul Samurai are scheduled for the following dates:
- Thursdays, October 24 & 31 at 7:00 PM
- Fridays, October 25 & November 1 at 8:00 PM
- Saturdays, October 26 & November 2 at 8:00 PM
- Sundays, October 27 & November 3 at 2:00 PM
For more information or to purchase 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 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and two hours prior to performances.
