The Bayonne Parking Authority reminded downtown residents and businesses that applications are available for the new Orange permit parking zone around the 8^th Street Light Rail Station.  Enforcement of permit parking in the Orange Zone will take effect on Monday, May 2, 2011. 

             Different procedures are in effect for obtaining residential and business permits for the Orange Zone.  Downtown residents who live in the zone will receive the new permit stickers (white with blue lettering), plus guest hang-tags for the Orange Zone.  Those entitled to business permits for the Orange Zone will receive non-resident (NR) orange permit stickers, but will not be entitled to the guest hang-tags that are reserved for residents.  The Parking Authority will process Orange Zone applications in March and April, with enforcement to start on Monday, May 2.  The Orange Zone non-resident stickers and permits for Orange Zone residents will be valid through April 30, 2012.

Applicants may file for permits through the mail, and the Parking Authority encourages the public to do so. People do not need to apply for permits in person at City Hall. Permit applications and photocopies of the required documents may be mailed along with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to the Bayonne Parking Authority, 630 Avenue C, Bayonne, NJ 07002.  Anyone who wishes to apply for permits in person may do so in Room 18A, which is in the middle of the back corridor of City Hall.

Permit forms for new applicants may be downloaded from the City’s Internet website at www.bayonnenj.org.

The streets included in the Orange Zone are defined by the following boundaries:

Westerly limit – Kennedy Boulevard from West 5^th Street to West 15^th Street.

Southerly limit -5^th Street from Kennedy Boulevard to Hobart Avenue.

Easterly limit – Hobart Avenue from East 5^th Street to Linnet Street, and Avenue E from East 15^th Street to Linnet Street.

Northerly limit – 15^th Street from Kennedy Boulevard to Avenue E.

 

Streets included in zone are shown in detail on the municipal website.

 

            People who can demonstrate residence within one block of the border of the Orange Zone will be eligible to apply for a courtesy permit.  

 

            For more information, please call the Bayonne Parking Authority at 201-858-6135.

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The post Enforcement of Orange Permit Parking Zone Around 8th Street Light Rail Starts May 2 first appeared on River View Observer.

Sun. Oct. 3rd 11am to 6pm Washington St. -Observer Highway to 7th St.

There was over 300 Artists, Crafters, Photographers, Local Businesses, Restaurants, Food Vendors & more
With 3 Stages of live music Special features include Fine artists are located between 2nd & 3rd St., so if you are an art collector, this is the place to be. Oil paintings, watercolors, acrylics, sculpture, mixed media, etc. 

See more photos

Special features include
Fine artists are located between 2nd & 3rd St., so if you are an art collector, this is the place to be. Oil paintings, watercolors, acrylics, sculpture, mixed media, etc.
Childrenâ€s area on 3rd street with rides, games, creative activities, puppet show, face painting,
clowns, balloons, live performances and much, much more:
Crafters display / sell handmade: pottery, metalwork, wood items, furniture, blown & fused glass, quilts, household items made from recycled materials, cementware, batik clothing, hand painted furniture, candles, jewelry, dried florals, soaps & lotions and much more
Food: Lots of great food throughout the fair. Hoboken restaurants will set up street cafes offering an eclectic variety of international foods such as: Thai, Indian, Greek, French, Mexican, Cajun and Italian
Sponsors
PATH, Port Authority of NY & NJ;
The Hoboken Reporter & The Hudson Current
and Stevens Institute of Technology

Located just 3 blocks from all public transportation:
PATH, NJ Transit Trains & buses, NY Waterway Ferries & the Hudson Bergen Lightrail

The post Events -Hoboken Art and Music Festival October 3rd, 2010 first appeared on River View Observer.

“To Park or not to Park”

Hudson Transportation Management Association’s Joins Salute to World Parks in Newport Waterfront Area in Jersey City, NJ

What’s the saying… “All the worlds a stage.” On Friday September 17th in the Newport  waterfront section in downtown Jersey City, the Hudson Transportation Management Association used two parking spaces to prove that point.

 Joing a world salute to parks, the HTMA , placed the Actors Shakespeare Company of New Jersey City University pictured above between two parking spaces on Town Square Place  and Pavonia area to show that land used for parking is actually valuable real estate that could be used for public theater, parks, community uses and other events.



 

Dressed in their Elizabethan costumes members of the troupe entertained workers, and residents passing by from 11am to 4pm.

Our River View photographer Newsboi sat a while and watched saying ” “Very interesting to watch Shakespeare being performed in a small  outside open space, it’s how they watched his plays performed hundreds of years ago.” I enjoyed the performance.

Jersey City was among 140 other cities and 21 countries  who took part in the event:”Sixth  Annual International Park(ing) Day by converting into parks everyday metered spaces.

Other Hudson County cities to participate were Hoboken and  another location in Jersey City.

The post Shakespeare and the Sixth Annual International Park(ing) Day on Jersey City Waterfront first appeared on River View Observer.

Customers on the Port Authority’s PATH rail system now can simply “Tap and Go” with their credit cards, under a regional six-month program that began on Tuesday June 1st.

Eleven of PATH’s 13 stations (except the Christopher and 9th street stations) have been equipped with special payment readers, allowing riders to tap a contacltess credit card or other device like a key fob to pay fares.

 

The Port Authority is partnering with NJ Transit, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), along with MasterCard Worldwide, to help test seamless travel using one card on the three agencies’ trains and buses in New York and New Jersey. PATH riders can switch to three NJ Transit bus lines (6, 80,87) and the Lexington Avenue subway lines (4, 5, 6), as well as eight MTA bus routes (M14, M23, M79,M86, M 101, M102, M103, and BXM7 via MasterCard’s  PayPass Card.

Goals include improving convenience and speed for transit riders and helping to ultimately determine whether such as system is feasible through each agency’s transit system. Participating customers will not have to use cash for fare cards from multiple agencies and will not have to wait in line at ticket machines.

“MasterCard PayPass will have an exclusive two-month window to test the system, which then also will be opened to other contactless bank card customers for the pilot’s final four months.

PATH is a natural fit for testing innovations such as MasterCard PayPass that can help customers travel seamlessly between mass-transit systems in New York and New Jersey,” said Port Authority Chairman Anthony Coscia. This Program aligns with our interest in simplifying fare payment, increasing capacity and ultimately attracting more customers to the region’s mass-transit systems.”

“Customer convenience is a top Port Authority priority and this pilot program will give out PATH customers more flexibility,” said Chris Ward, the Port Authority executive director. “We look forward to successful pilot that can help make this payment method permanent.”

“PATH riders deserve the latest service innovations,” said Bill Baroni, the Port Authority’s deputy executive director.” This pilot program will help ease our riders’ travels not only on PATH, but also when connection to other transit systems.”

Contactless cards already have proven popular on PATH, which offers its own, state -of -the -art SmartLink Card featuring an embedded computer chip that tracks the number of PATH trips available or travel days remaining for a customer. Sales of SmartLink Cards for travel on PATH has hit a record, jumping to more that 50-percent of market share on the rail line.

Under the pilot program with MasterCard, customers may select from pre -funding or pay-as-you-go options.

Last year alone, PATH handled nearly 73 million customers. The rail system, which the Port Authority acquir3ed in 1962, is in the midst of a multi-billion dollar modernization that  will result in an entirely new 340-car fleet of rail cars, a computerized signal system and upgraded station.

The post Port Authority Joins With NJ Transit, MTA and Mastercard to Offer Contactless Bank Cards for Area Transit Riders first appeared on River View Observer.

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (March 26, 2010) – Though cabin fever might have been a problem for some during the recent winter storms, Shawn and Mayura Norville, residents at CANCOlofts in Jersey City, N.J., dealt with their need to get out by simply going downstairs, where they could take advantage of CANCO’s wealth of amenities, including a basketball court, billiard room and media center.

And even when they were at home in their two-bedroom condominium, the soaring 14-foot ceilings, 8-foot entry and interior doors, dramatic mushroom-capped columns and abundant light from the 9-foot window walls conveyed a sense of openness and space that helped counteract the winter blues, as well as reminding the Norvilles that they are living in a piece of history.

The expansive sense of space at CANCOlofts at 50 Dey St., an industrial-to-residential conversion of the historic American Can Company factory and one of the few true residential loft buildings in Jersey City, was a definite appeal of the building for the couple, who moved from Queens three months ago after searching for a home throughout the New York metropolitan region.

In addition to the high ceilings (a favorite of Shawn Norville, 30, who is 6 feet 4 inches tall) and tall windows, CANCO features an astonishing 10,000 square feet of amenities, including CANCOchill, (resident’s lounge), CANCOparty, CANCOfun, CANCOflicks, CANCObiz, CANCOkids, CANCOsweat, CANCOstretch, CANCOpow (boxing), CANCOhoops, CANCOgreen, CANCOrays and CANCOpooch.

“The building really conveys a sense of space, whether you are walking down the spacious hallways, taking advantage of the amenities or hanging out at home,” said Mayura Norville, 28. “We have a two-bedroom loft, but even in the studios and one-bedrooms, the high ceilings give the impression of more space. We are in love with it here. So far, we can’t find one thing that we don’t like.”

Like other residents, the Norvilles were attracted by the CANCOlofts lifestyle, which not only includes more space for the money than they could find anywhere else, but also a sense of fun inspired by the wealth of amenities and the hip design elements, including a lobby designed by the award-winning, Manhattan-based architect LOT-EK, which features rows of TVs displaying video art.

“The CANCO lifestyle is a big draw,” said Jodi Stasse, director of marketing and sales for CANCOlofts. “Today, more and more prospective buyers consider their neighborhood to be inside the building. At CANCOlofts, we have taken all of that into consideration by creating the ultimate amenities package.”

With every detail of the amenities well thought out, CANCOlofts provides 24/7 concierge service; morning and evening shuttle service to and from the Journal Square PATH station; and more than 10,000 square feet of luxury amenities including a fitness center, a resident’s lounge with billiard tables, a screening room with theater seating and a half basketball court.

“With the addition of Zeytina Gourmet Market in April, residents will have all that they need right here at CANCOlofts,” Stasse added.

The building has been converted into 202 loft condominiums, of which more than half are sold. One-bedroom homes start in the low $300,000s, while the most popular design, the one bedroom plus homes, start in the low $400,000s. CANCOlofts also has a limited number of two-bedroom homes available starting in the mid- $400,000s.

In addition, the building features 44 spectacular one-, two- and three-bedroom duplex penthouses. The penthouses feature ceilings that soar to a heavenly 27 feet and views of Manhattan skyline to the east and amazing sunsets to the west through 14-foot-high windows. Each penthouse is so special that no two are alike. Penthouse pricing starts in the high $400,000s.

All of the CANCOlofts have at least one column structure; many of them feature the large mushroom-capped columns whose 10-foot circumferences add architectural interest to the residences as well as to the public spaces. The lofts also feature wide-plank, white oak flooring, glass tile accents in the kitchens and bathrooms, engineered stone countertops and gleaming white-lacquered custom cabinetry.

The building has been approved by the FHA (Federal Housing Administration) and Fannie Mae, which means that qualified buyers can obtain mortgages with lower down payments and lower interest rates than are available through conventional mortgages.

For the Norvilles, as well as for many other CANCO residents, another attraction of CANCOlofts is its close proximity to Manhattan. Shawn Norville’s commute to the financial district is now only 10 minutes from the Journal Square PATH station, compared to an hour or more from Queens. Though the walk to the station is only 10 minutes, the Norvilles also like the convenience of the shuttle bus service.

Though she still travels into the city frequently for entertainment or to visit friends and relatives, Mayura Norville is no longer commuting, having left her downtown job at JPMorgan, a financial services firm, to be involved in the launch of a pet concierge service, Marching Mutts (www.marchingmutts.com), that provides pet services including dog-walking, pet-sitting and veterinary transportation services.

Now that commuting is no longer an issue, the CANCOlofts amenity that this animal lover most appreciates is the CANCOpooch dog-walking area, which is also a favorite of her English bulldog “Meatball.”

Although the Norvilles have been married for nearly two years, CANCOlofts is the first residence in which they have truly felt at home. They have hung their wedding photo, decorated their column with a painting (CANCOlofts residents tend to be smitten with their columns) and have embarked on a decorating scheme — all of which they never felt settled enough to do at their previous residences.

“By choosing CANCO, we are able to have our own wonderful place,” said Mayura Norville. “We never would have been able to afford the quality of lifestyle that we have here anywhere else in the metropolitan area — even in Williamsburg [Brooklyn] or Astoria [Queens]. We would have been able to buy something, but we would have gotten nothing for what we paid.”

For more information, visit the Web site at www.cancolofts.com, call the sales center at 201-876-8686 or e-mail info@cancolofts.com. The on-site sales center is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 6 p. m. Morning and evening hours are available by appointment.

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The post REAL ESTATE-Jersey City’s CANCOlofts Features True Loft Living With Fabulous Amenities first appeared on River View Observer.

Jersey City, N.J. (Mar. 3, 2010) – Trump Plaza Residences has been able to place many buyers into their dream homes at the 55-story Jersey City luxury condominium tower due in large part to the property’s FHA (Federal Housing Administration) loan-compliant status under which the federal government insures private loans to qualifying borrowers.

FHA mortgage terms for New Jersey, differentiating from county to county, allow for loans up to $729,000. The majority of prospective buyers at Trump Plaza Residences are first-time homebuyers seeking homes in the $450,000 to $600,000 price range, therefore qualifying for FHA financing. FHA loans have no income limits, allow for less-than-perfect credit histories and allow buyers to put down as little as 3.5 percent, compared to 10 to 20 percent for a conventional mortgage.
“Being able to tell prospective buyers that the property is FHA-qualified makes all the difference to those who didn’t think a luxury home at Trump Plaza Residences was within their reach,” said Jodi Stasse, director of marketing and sales at Trump Plaza Residences. “However, prospective buyers should be aware that the FHA guidelines are changing and that they should act now to take maximum advantage of the program.”

The FHA guideline changes, which go into effect this spring, could prevent a portion of borrowers from meeting the new, stricter requirements, said Ray Lamberti Jr., Trump Plaza Residences’ on-site Wells Fargo Home Mortgage representative. These changes, combined with the upcoming April 30 expiration of the $8,000 first-time homebuyer federal tax credit, have created a sense of urgency among buyers that has stimulated a surge in sales.

“The best thing first-time homebuyers can do for themselves is come in and talk to us today,” Lamberti said. “If there’s a chance the new guidelines could even slightly prevent a prospective buyer from obtaining a home here, then we need to work with that individual or family as soon as possible.”

Trump Plaza Residences Jersey City has already sold out over half of their 443 homes. The sales team takes pride in the care and attention they show to prospective buyers, offering them comprehensive financial guidance and consultation so they can find homes that will fit their budgets and fulfill their lifestyle needs. In addition, they help prospective buyers understand all components of their financial obligations, from monthly mortgage payments to maintenance fees.

A major appeal of Trump Plaza Residences is the incredible 40,000 square feet of lavish, Trump-managed amenities, including a screening room; a dining room with a catering kitchen; an outdoor landscaped lawn area; a game room; sitting areas and lounges; an aqua grotto; a heated outdoor pool with cabanas; an in-house spa including massage facilities, locker rooms and saunas; a business facility and a fitness center.

As the tallest residential tower in Jersey City, the building also features panoramic views from the George Washington to the Verrazzano Narrows bridges, and a convenient location near the PATH station, the waterfront ferry and the Bergen-Hudson Light Rail that puts all of Manhattan and the Gold Coast at residents’ doorsteps.

The homes at Trump Plaza Residences include one- and two-bedroom homes ranging in size up to 1,450 square feet. Prices for the one-bedrooms start in the mid $400,000s, while the two-bedrooms start in the mid-$600,000s. Three-bedroom homes and penthouses are available but are in limited supply, with pricing available upon request. The city has granted the building 20-year tax abatement, which translates into reduced property taxes for buyers.

“With the new FHA guidelines taking effect in the spring, the federal tax credit expiring in April and the 20-year tax abatement, I can’t imagine a better time to buy than right now,” Stasse said. “Plus, interest rates remain at or near historic lows. The fact that this fortuitous confluence of circumstances is unlikely to come again provides an incredible incentive for first-time homebuyers who are still on the fence to realize their dream of owning a home at Trump Plaza Residences.”

The details of the new FHA guidelines were announced last month, Lamberti said. The changes were initiated as a means of addressing the increased risk in the housing market and strengthening the FHA’s capital reserves, thus improving their financial position and ensuring their long-term ability to guarantee affordable mortgages.

Under the new guidelines, mortgage insurance premiums (MIP) will increase from 1.75 percent to 2.25 percent of the loan amount. In addition, there is a reduction of the allowable amount of seller concessions to the buyer from 6 percent to 3 percent. In the past, sellers could offer up to 6 percent of the home’s closing cost to the buyer as an incentive if the buyer used an FHA mortgage; now, the allowable concession is only 3 percent of the closing cost.

Other advantages of an FHA-insured loan include little or no adjustment to the mortgage interest rate during the life of the loan, a mortgage insurance premium (MIP) that is funded into the loan instead of being paid for out-of-pocket and the fact that the mortgage can be assumed by a qualified buyer, which means that if the seller’s mortgage carries a lower rate than the current market rate, the buyer can take over the seller’s mortgage. This is a great option for the buyer to have if they sell their unit five or six years later and the rates are higher at that time.

Yet another big advantage of a FHA-insured loan in today’s climate of widespread job displacement and workforce reduction is that, unlike with a conventional mortgage, friends or relatives can gift the down payment to the borrower.

For more information on Trump Plaza Residences Jersey City, please contact the on-site sales and marketing team by calling (888) 263-7003, e-mailing info@trumpplazaresidences.com or visiting the Web site at www.trumpplazaresidences.com

About Trump Organization

The Trump Organization is the world’s only global luxury real estate super-brand, and is responsible for many of the world’s most recognized developments. Trump is renowned for its leadership in real estate development, sales and marketing and property management, representing the highest level of excellence and luxury in residential, office and retail properties. The experience of owning a Trump property and living the Trump lifestyle is unparalleled. With each of its properties, Trump continues to consistently raise the bar for super luxury living.

The post REAL ESTATE- FHA Financing Brings Sales Success to Trump Plaza Residences Jersey City first appeared on River View Observer.

To better accommodate the needs of students who work and may be unable to attend classes at other times of the day, Hudson County Community College will begin offering “Sunrise Sessions” in January 2010.

The “Sunrise Sessions” include a variety of studies in English, Math, Business, Computers, Humanities, Spanish and Culinary Arts.  They will be held in the College’s 25 Journal Square building, which is directly adjacent to the Journal Square PATH Station in Jersey City. Classes begin at 6:50 or 7:00 a.m. and conclude between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m., allowing for workers to be at their desks by – or shortly after – 9:00 a.m.

“We realized there is a very real need to make provisions for our students who, because of work or personal demands, simply cannot take classes any time but early morning,” said Hudson County Community College President Dr. Glen Gabert. “We added staff, created more classrooms, extended registration, and arranged for easier access to the bookstore as well as negotiated reduced parking fees,” he concluded.

In all, the College will have 15 for-credit classes in its early morning sessions, including: Principles of Management, College Algebra, Introduction to Computers & Computing, Introduction to Psychology, Basic Spanish I, English Foundations, Basic Writing II, College Composition I/College Composition Workshop, Speech, Cultures & Values, Food Service Sanitation and Storeroom & Purchasing Operations. All of these classes are scheduled for two days a week and will begin meeting the last week of January.

Registration for the “Sunrise Sessions” and the full roster of courses that will be available in the College’s Spring 2010 term is open now through January 22 at both the Journal Square (Jersey City) and West New York campuses.

There are more than 400 degree, non-degree, and certificate courses being offered in the Spring 2010 term that may lead to – or may strengthen- employment in the key sectors. HCCC offers RN and LPN nursing programs as well as those in the paramedic sciences, health sciences, early childhood education, education, and global trade. The College is acclaimed for its nationally recognized Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management programs, and additionally offers classes in several mainstay business, computer science and information technology, home economics, law, mathematics, humanities, social sciences and multidisciplinary studies. HCCC also offers the “New Pathways to Teaching in New Jersey” program that enables individuals who already hold a bachelor’s degree or higher to become licensed teachers within one year.

Hudson County Community College Board of Trustees Chairman William J. Netchert said that the College offers great value for students. “Hudson County Community College is one of the best educational values around. In addition to top-notch faculty and curriculum, we have safe, newly built or newly renovated facilities that are adjacent to public transporation,” Mr. Netchert stated. He added that the College’s financial aid staff has helped 75% of students secure financial aid. “No wonder our enrollment has increased more than any other county college in the State,” he said.

More information on “Sunrise Sessions” and all of the College’s Spring 2010 offerings is available at www.hccc.edu/sunrise or by phoning the Office of Enrollment Services at (201) 714-7200.

The post “SUNRISE SESSIONS” Hudson County Community College to Offer Early Morning Classes Beginning January 2010 first appeared on River View Observer.

by Sally Deering

 

Back in the 1970s, alumni from the Argos Eyes Drama Society at Saint Peterâ€s College met one night in a tiny Jersey City attic and talked about starting a theater where they could put on plays that challenged them artistically and attracted local audiences. By the end of the meeting, that group of aspiring playmakers became the Attic Ensemble.

     Several theaters and more than a hundred plays later, the Attic Ensemble has settled into the Barrow Mansion on Wayne Street in Jersey City, a block from the Grove Street PATH in a hip neighborhood where the company continues to stretch and grow. And while hundreds of actors and volunteers have entered and exited the Atticâ€s doors, the company has stayed true to the mission that was drafted all those years ago in that musty old attic.

 

This marks the 39^th year for the Attic Ensemble and theyâ€ve planned an interesting season that includes a couple of old chestnuts and some new and daring plays. Neil Simonâ€s Come Blow Your Horn opens September 18^th, followed by productions of Rabbit Hole by David Lindsay-Abaire, The Pillow Man by Martin McDonough and Working- the musical,  an early collaboration between Wicked composer Stephen Swartz and other writers. Pretty ambitious stuff for a non-equity troupe that doesnâ€t have much in their bank account and relies on its volunteer members to keep the curtain from coming down for good.

 

Art Delo, the companyâ€s artistic director has been with the Attic Ensemble almost from the beginning.  He joined the troupe after heâ€d been bitten by the acting bug.

 

“I did Promises, Promises with the Attic at Roddyâ€s Beef and Ale House on West Side and Glenwood in a building that doesnâ€t exist anymore,” Delo says during a break from Come Blow Your Horn rehearsals. “I think shortly after that, they were looking for a space and my father was a minister at St. Stephenâ€s (church) on Union Street. I was so desperate to act I had to get them a theater.”

 

The company moved into St. Stephenâ€s little theater attached to the back of the parish and from 1976 to 1997, the Attic presented a mix of musicals, comedies and dramas, even Shakespeare. That first year they did The Sound of Music, Twelfth Night, A Celebration of Life, East Lynne, The Roar of the Greasepaint and Alice in Wonderland. Their last year at St. Stephenâ€s they presented Jake’s Women, A Streetcar Named Desire, Fences and the Sondheim musical, Company.

 

“We lost St. Stephenâ€s ‘cause the church closed and it looked like it was finally over for the Attic,” Delo says. “Then one of our members, Wanda Suszka found this space at the Barrow Mansion and we lucked out. We caught the wave and once we were here, we got some great volunteers and actors coming in from New York City.  I like to think we have a reputation for doing pretty good stuff and the fact we lasted this long means something.”

.

 

Through the years, the Attic has had its share of tough times. Like when audience attendance was so small, there were more people in the shows than in the seats. And there were calamities, too, like when Draculaâ€s cape set fire during a Halloween show (the actor survived unharmed,) and a prop gun was lost during the performance of a murder mystery. (It was later recovered in a laundry bag.) Delo remembers that night because he was onstage with Ken Jennings, a founding member of Attic, who went on to perform on Broadway in the original cast of Sweeney Todd  and other big musicals.

 

“Ken comes back now and then to see the shows,” Delo says. “He even volunteers and gives programs out at the door.”

 

There were big surprises, too, like the time during The Heidi Chronicles, when Suszka came out for her curtain call and actor Al Maragni jumped on the stage, got down on his knee and proposed. Suszka accepted and now the couple has two children.

During their ten years at the Barrow Mansion, the Attic has stayed afloat with the money they receive from ticket sales and a small grant. And with the help of volunteers like the companyâ€s new Board President Billy Mitchell, who hopes to attract corporate sponsors who understand the importance of having a successful theater company in their community.  

 

Building corporate relationships and receiving financial backing from sponsors would help subsidize future productions, special childrenâ€s theater programs like “Attic Junior,” and support opportunities for Attic to expand.

 

“Weâ€re a Jersey City tradition,” Mitchell says. “Corporate sponsorship would help us continue our goal to present shows that are artistic and challenging like The Pillowman, a recent Broadway offering and one of the shows weâ€re doing this season. Itâ€s a very dark, very funny play.”

Plays are chosen through a group consensus, sort of. Members share ideas and the season comes from that input with a final decision from the Board of Directors. Sometimes, the pieces are controversial as was the case a few seasons back when they did a production that had a nude scene. Some people made a big deal about it, Mitchell says, and the controversy even made the news. But the nudity was inherent to the piece and not meant to shock people.

“Weâ€re not doing Oh Calcutta for the sake of nudity,” Mitchell says. “But we did do Six Degrees of Separation, which is a great play that has nudity.”

Gutsy writing and good storytelling also attract good actors and Mitchell suggests that actors who want to play interesting parts should attend Atticâ€s auditions, which are posted on the companyâ€s website. (www.atticensemble.org)This season thereâ€s something for every type of actor, Mitchell says. Come Blow Your Horn has several older characters for actors of a certain age and Rabbit Hole will appeal to young serious actors who want to gain experience and build their resumes. The Pillow Man will also attract the serious thespian because itâ€s a challenging piece and the musical Working has parts for both singing and non-singing performers.

The Attic supports non-traditional casting, too, giving actors opportunities to play roles they wouldnâ€t necessarily be cast in at more traditional theater companies. Judith Moss who joined the Attic 23 years ago when they needed someone to play piano for a Christmas show has done several non-traditional roles including Joanne in Company and the witch in Into the Woods. But there are certain limitations. When asked if she got cast in Come Blow Your Horn, Moss laughed: “Iâ€m not a Jewish mother.”

As opening night for Come Blow Your Horn draws near, actors rehearse, scenery gets painted and the companyâ€s overall energy becomes focused on putting on the show. A few years back, the New Jersey Association of Community Theaters gave the Attic Ensemble an award for outstanding community theater, an award they received for the body of work theyâ€ve done over the years. But itâ€s easy to see that the Attic Ensemble could never have made it this long without their core members who exhibit a dedication almost unheard of in local theater today. Which makes you wonder why volunteers like Delo, Suszka, Mitchell and Moss do it year after year without pay or any of the benefits Equity theaters offer?

“We do really good work and itâ€s quite fulfilling,” Moss says. “We donâ€t make any money, any profit. Itâ€s all for the love of the art – theater for theaterâ€s sake.”

 

The Attic Ensemble

83 Wayne St

Jersey City, NJ

201-413-9200

www.AtticEnsemble.org

 

 

2009-2010 Season

Performance times for all shows:

 

 

Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 3 pm

Early Riser Thursday at 7pm

Tickets are $20 General Admission / $15 Students & Seniors

 

All shows: Saturdays at 1pm
Tickets: $5 Kids / FREE Parents & Guardians

Each play will be 40-45 min.,
followed by a 25 min. hands-on educational talk-back.

September 19 & 26

Anonymous, Unknown & Grimm
an eccentric collection of 19th century stories & lessons

Compiled from 19th century primers intended for young children, and from classic tales of the Brothers Grimm, this series of vignettes addresses “old school” behavior and etiquette as well as actions and consequences.

October 14 & 21

The Athlete, Princess, Pirate, Fairy, Welder, Deep-sea Diver Club
a play for people with friends

Oh, the problems of starting an ‘exclusive†club but wanting to get friends involved! As each friend expresses their dreams, the clubâ€s exclusivity grows more and more inclusive.

February 20 & 27

Jack, and the Beans, Talk.
Or, Was the Cow Worth the Weight?
a timeless story for our time

 

A talk show style re-telling of Jackâ€s journey from rags to riches, with surprise guests and unpredictable responses from otherwise neglected characters whose points-of-view donâ€t always support Jackâ€s story.  

 

April 24, May 1 & 8

Villain: DeBlanks
a fill-in-the-blanks mystery

 

A classic, comic, heist adventure with a twist. The first ten minutes are Mad-Libs® style, where the audience provides key nouns, verbs and adjectives — all of which the cast then incorporates in the telling of the tale.

 

The post THE SECRETS IN THE ATTIC first appeared on River View Observer.