DIVERSION Begins Performances on Premiere Stages This Week

Premiere Stages’ production of Scott Organ’s play Diversion begins its run this week at Kean University’s Bauer Boucher Theatre Center. Diversion is the winner of the 2023 Premiere Play Festival. Directed by Premiere Stages Artistic Director John J. Wooten, Diversion stars Michelle Liu Coughlin, Jeaniene Green, Lucas Iverson, DeAnna Lenhart, Edie Salas Miller, and Dani Nelson.

In this updated new game, a group of dedicated and hardworking nurses working in an intensive care unit find their world turned upside down when they discover that someone has been diverting (stealing) medication from the unit. The nurses become even more unsettled when a consultant arrives to investigate the diversion, effectively putting them under the microscope. When the culprit is eventually revealed, the nurses must fight to save themselves and the integrity of the unit.

The professional design team includes Set Designer Bethanie Wampol Watson, Costume Designer Karen Lee Hart, Lighting Designer Zack Gage, Sound Designer Tyler Sautner, and Props Master Jennifer Bonilla. Dale Smallwood is the Production Stage Manager. Jenna Gregson serves as Assistant Stage Manager.

Diversion will run from September 5–22 at the Bauer Boucher Theatre Center on the main campus of Kean University in Union, New Jersey. Performances are scheduled for Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays, September 7 and 14 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Saturdays, September 21 at 3 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. A performance has been added for Friday, September 20 at 2 p.m.

Audiences are invited to engage more deeply with Mr. Organ’s play at Premiere’s free Community Connections following select matinee (3 p.m.) performances. Patrons can learn more about the creative process with post-play speakers Playwright Scott Organ and Director John J. Wooten (Sunday, September 8) and the cast of Diversion (Saturday, September 21). Nurse Emily Branitz-Lenhart will share her experience working in a NYC hospital during the pandemic in a talk on Sunday, September 15. Dates and speakers are subject to change; please call 908-737-4077 or visit: premierestagesatkean.com For an updated schedule of post-show events and speakers.

Tickets are $35 standard, $25 for seniors and Kean alumni and staff, $20 for patrons with disabilities, and $15 for students. A limited number of $50 tickets are still available for Opening Night on Friday, September 6. Significant discounts are available for groups of ten or more. To make a reservation, please contact the box office at 908-737-7469 or visit Premiere Stages premierestagesatkean.com

All Premiere Stages facilities are fully accessible. Assistive listening devices and large-print programs are always available; alternative formats are available with advance notice. Sign language interpreted and audio-described performances are available with a minimum of two weeks’ notice. To request these services, please call 908-737-4077 or email [email protected]. For more information, please visit Premiere Stages online at: premierestagesatkean.com

Photo credit: Mike Peters

Comments

To write a comment, register And sign in.