Little Firehouse Theatre
298 Kinderkamack Road
Oradell, NJ 07649

  PRESS RELEASE

BERGEN COUNTY PLAYERS PRESENTS
PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE

Oradell, NJ, October 5, 2010

Bergen County Players (BCP) is offering a perfect way to observe the Halloween season by presenting The Haunting of Hill House, a chilling drama by F. Andrew Leslie.  Originally a novel by Shirley Jackson, this psychological thriller was the source for the 1963 film The Haunting. It is a chilling and mystifying study in mounting terror that brings a group of “psychically receptive” individuals to a brooding Victorian mansion known as a place of evil. Under the direction of Jerry Hurley, The Haunting of Hill House will be performed at the Little Firehouse Theatre in Oradell from October 23^rd through November 13^th, 2010, with shows at 8pm on Friday and Saturday and 2pm on Sunday.  Tickets can be purchased online at www.bcplayers.org, by calling 201-261-4200, or by visiting the box office at 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell during regular box office hours.

What could be more appropriate for this time of year than a story about a haunted house?  Dr. John Montague, an investigator of supernatural phenomena, has invited three people to spend a summer delving into the morbid history of this sinister house, attempting to understand the strange forces that have made it uninhabitable for many years.  They are later joined by Dr. Montague’s wife and her assistant, whose own ideas of approaching the supernatural seem to bring on a crisis for all concerned.  This is a subtle tale of psychological horror, where the eighth character in the play is the gloomy old house itself, quite alive and an active participant in the action.

The Haunting of Hill House is directed by BCP Life Member Jerry Hurley of Hackensack.  He has directed or been in every one of the live radio broadcasts presented at BCP, and has directed two children’s shows there (Cinderella and The Story of Hansel and Gretel), as well as You Can’t Take it With You and Angel Street.  Prior to his retirement from teaching, he directed over 70 shows for the Woodington Players at Westwood Jr.-Sr. High School and is currently on the advisory board for Teen Arts Festival, held at Bergen Community College each spring. 

The cerebral Dr. John Montague will be played by Thomas Scott Roberts (Westwood), a long-time member of Bergen County Players who has also spent thirty-five years with the Hillside Players in Ridgewood playing such diverse roles as Homer in Mornings at Seven and Sir Wilfred Robards in Witness for the Prosecution.  

Brittany Myra (New Milford), who will portray the timid and sensitive Eleanor Vance, was last seen on the BCP stage in Cinderella.  She has also appeared on the Antrim Playhouse stage in Dracula and Assassins. 

Theodora (“just Theodora”) will be played by Marjorie Druss Fodor of Westwood.  She was a part of the Perry-nominated cast of Comic Potential at BCP last spring, and has also appeared there in The Sunshine Boys, The Women, Laughter on the 23^rd Floor, and three radio shows.

Making his debut at BCP will be Neil Battinelli (New City, NY) playing Luke Sanderson, the jovial heir to the spooky old mansion.  He was most recently seen at the Antrim Playhouse as Sam Byck in Santa, and has also appeared in Miss Saigon, Godspell and Damn Yankees. 

Marjory Lewis of Ridgewood will appear as Mrs. Dudley, the terrifying and terrified housekeeper of Hill House.  Roles at BCP have been as diverse as Julia Leverett in Lend Me a Tenor, and Gunthe, the Troll in The Story of Hansel and Gretel.  She has also appeared with the Hillside Players, Teaneck New Theater, and extensively with the Ridgewood Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Co.

The formidable Mrs. Montague will be portrayed by Penny Kaspar (Ridgewood) who has appeared in The Heiress, The Octette Bridge Club, and You Can’t Take it with You at BCP, as well as productions at the Radburn Players, the Hillside Players, Teaneck New Theater and Old Library Theater.

Arthur Parker, Mrs. Montague’s wimpy assistant, will be played by Mark Herrmann, who was last seen on the BCP stage as Sidney Bernstein in the musical Curtains.  He has also played a variety of roles with the Antrim Players, Packanack Community Church, and Summer Stage at Leonia. 

The all-important set of The Haunting of Hill House is designed by Michael Smith of Oradell and decorated by Ellyn Essig of River Vale, both of whom have been nominated for the New Jersey Association of Community Theater’s prestigious Perry Award for outstanding set design.  Oradell resident Rhea Smith produces the show; Jennifer Tardibuono (New Milford) is Assistant to the Director as well as Stage Manager; Props will be handled by property master Jason Lewis (Ridgewood), Lisa Dahlborg (Lodi), and Kathleen Ruland (Lodi); and costumes will be created by the team of Pat Bain (Englewood) and Joanne Misha (Montvale).  Tim Larsen of Glen Rock designed the sound, operated by Cliff Dreispan (Fairlawn), while the lighting effects, designed by Ray Poquette of Westwood, will be run by Gregory Thomsen (Ridgefield Park).  Rounding out this capable group will be Dan Siclari of Oradell, working backstage on crew.  Photography and publicity will be handled, respectively, by Michael Smith of Oradell and Marjory Lewis of Ridgewood.

TICKET AND SCHEDULE INFORMATION

• All performances take place at The Little Firehouse Theatre at 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell, home to the Bergen County Players for 59 years.
• Tickets for The Haunting of Hill House are $19 for all Friday and Saturday performances (8 pm), and $16 for Sunday matinees (2 pm), and can be purchased online at www.bcplayers.org, by calling 201-261-4200 or by visiting the box office at 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell during regular box office hours.  Visa, Master Card, and American Express are accepted.
• Those interested in Group Sales can call (201) 262-0515.
• An Audience Q & A (“Questions & Artists”) is scheduled for October 29^th.  Admission is included in the cost of the ticket.
• Student Rush tickets are available for $5 for students age 25 and under with valid ID, 30 minutes prior to curtain. One ticket per ID. Cash only. Students can also guarantee their seats in advance either online or through the box office for the special student price of just $14.
• Parking is free at the Park Avenue municipal lot, across the street, one-half block north of the theater.

The Bergen County Players has grown tremendously from its roots as a small community theater when it was founded in 1932; today, nearly 300 volunteer members, working on and off stage, make possible the nine productions presented each season.

Further information can be found at www.bcplayers.org.

The Bergen County Players, Inc. is a non-Equity, non-profit community theater company dedicated to presenting quality productions for the enrichment of the community and is a member of the New Jersey Association of Community Theaters.