THEATER TO PRESENT A STAGED READING

The Theater Project will present a staged reading of Our Brother of Saint Mary’s Ave by Tylie Shider on Saturday, September 9, at 2:00 p.m. in the Cranford Community Center. The Cranford Community Center is located at 220 Walnut Avenue.
Our Brother of Saint Mary’s Ave examines a community’s dysfunction in the wake of a mysterious murder. The community includes: Mephibosheth and Sheba, the son and quasiwidow of the deceased; Ishmael and Isaac, estranged adult children of an addict; Michal and David, a dead-end couple with differing ideas about their relationship; Hagar, a superstitious liturgical dancer who makes it her business to rid the sanctuary of evil after witnessing a black cat run in; Uriah, a police officer looking to solve the murder mystery and maybe even the mystery of his past; and Nathan, a prophet/messenger.
Tylie Shider is an award winning dramatist from Plainfield. He studied theater at Delaware State University, where he was awarded the Drama Desk Award for student Playwright and Producer. Post- graduation, he founded the New Generation Theater Company to write plays and create opportunities for student actors to exercise their gifts. In 2010, he was commissioned to write for Plainfield High School’s Advanced Acting class. His short play “Josiah’s Kidd” won Best Play and Audience Favorite at the Theater Project’s 2015 Think Fast Short Play competition and was selected for the New York New Works theater festival. He is an active member of the Theater Project’s Playwrights’ Group. He premiered his Web series, The Miseducation of a First Generation College Student, on his YouTube channel in 2016. Mr. Shider’s most recent play, Encore, has been selected for inclusion in the New Moon Short Play Festival, Luna Stage. Following the reading, the audience will have the opportunity to discuss the play with the Mr. Shider. The Theater Project, is an acclaimed professional theater group and the winner of two New Jersey Tony Awards. The program is sponsored by the Friends. Admission is free and all are welcome.