Judson Theatre Company's Summer Theatre Festival 2025

Blink an eye and it’s time for the fourth annual Judson Theatre Company Summer Theatre Festival. That first season where we cautiously tried Gutenberg! The Musical, Buyer & Cellar, and tick, tick…BOOM! and essentially sold out every performance seems like ancient history, but it was only 2022.

From July 11-August 10, we’ve got two great shows that are perfect for summertime. And this year, we’ve added reserved seating–so the sooner you get your tickets, the more choice you’ll have of the exact seats you want.

The festival opens July 11 with I Do! I Do! Tom Jones & Harvey Schmidt’s melodic hit musical about marriage. Then on August 1, a new romantic comedy, Ken Ludwig’s Dear Jack, Dear Louise opens for a two week run.

The casts include beloved Judson Theatre Company returnees as well as new faces, and I Do! I Do! stars real life couple Stephen Shore (from Judson’s Butterflies are Free and Murder on the Nile) and Grace Experience.

This touching story of two soulmates navigating the perils of life is set to a tuneful, charming score, including “My Cup Runneth Over” and the title song. The story spans 50 years as it focuses on the ups and downs experienced by Agnes and Michael throughout their marriage.

Based on Jan de Hartog’s play The Fourposter, I Do! I Do! features a book by Tom Jones, with music by Harvey Schmidt and lyrics by Tom Jones. Along with the record-breaking The Fantasticks and 110 in the Shade, I Do! I Do! is one of the three most successful Schmidt and Jones collaborations.

The original Broadway production starred Mary Martin and Robert Preston, opened at the Forty-Sixth Street Theatre in December 1966, and closed after 560 performances in June 1968. It received 7 Tony Award Nominations, and Preston won for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. Singer Ed Ames had a major hit with his recording of the song “My Cup Runneth Over.” Covered by dozens of artists, it is the most well-known song in the show.

The Judson Theatre Company Summer Theatre Festival production of I Do! I Do! runs from Friday, July 11 to Sunday, July 20, 2025.

Hang on to your heart! Dear Jack, Dear Louise is a letter-perfect love story about two strangers – a military doctor in Oregon and an aspiring actress in New York City – who meet by letter during World War II. They dream of being together someday, but the war keeps them apart for years. Will letters be enough to spark a love story?

Tony Award-winning playwright Ken Ludwig (Lend Me a Tenor, Crazy for You) tells the true story of his parents’ courtship during World War II in this new play, signed, sealed, and delivered straight from the heart.

The Judson Theatre Company Summer Theatre Festival production of Dear Jack, Dear Louise runs from Friday, August 1 to Sunday, August 10, 2025.

Note too that we’re starting the festival earlier this year, and ending earlier than in previous years. The first weekend of each show, there’s the usual Friday night opening, and then performances on Saturday and Sunday. The second week there are performances Thursday through Sunday, including three matinees.

Hope to see you at JTC’s fourth annual Summer Theatre Festival!

A Third Season at BPAC (2024-25)

My third season of booking programming at Bradshaw Performing Arts Center (BPAC) in Pinehurst, NC has come to a close. This year, we had three series: the Mainstage Series, the Comedy Series, and the Family Fun Series, totaling eleven events. We also had BPAC’s 5th Anniversary, our first Holiday event in December, a special concert for Friends of BPAC, and a Master Class.

 Booking a broad-appeal set of shows always has its challenges, and BPAC strives to offer a little something for everyone. Some people want marquee pop culture names, some want high culture events, some want to rock out, some want to laugh, some folks just want something to do—and if they can bring their kids, that’s even better.

For my third season of booking, measurable progress across multiple KPIs was achieved.

The Comedy Series kicked off with a bang: Becky Robinson’s show sold out as fast as any show we’ve ever had at BPAC. Mike Goodwin also drew a crowd and did a special talkback afterward with SCC’s on-campus organization BASE. Joe DeVito from Fox News Channel’s Gutfeld! returned for his second BPAC appearance to a full house and a delighted crowd. We tried something new with comedy hypnosis from David Anthony as the Comedy Series finale (and the BPAC season finale) and the audience absolutely ate it up. Also, it can’t be overstated what a pleasure it was to work with all four of these artists: professional, affable, ready to work, and they all delivered excellent shows.

The Mainstage Series also began with an event that quickly sold out: Arrival from Sweden bringing us all the ABBA hits. For BPAC’s 5th Anniversary Concert, An Evening with Jimmy Webb was unforgettable as he sang his hit songs for a capacity crowd and told us the stories behind them. In January, Jim Caruso & Billy Stritch brought their legendary Cast Party to our stage, with their own dynamic performances side-by-side with some talented locals. Finally, Garrison Keillor delivered his patented wit and vivid storytelling, closing out the Mainstage Series with another sold out show.

The Family Fun Series continues to draw a grateful crowd. Puppy Pals Live! drew a large audience for their return to our stage. Our first circus, the charming and eccentric The Colorful Hat, was next, and we closed the Family Fun Series with The All New Wizard of Oz on Ice. Circus shows and ice shows test the versatility of Owens Auditorium, our flagship venue, and that’s part of why we do them: to show all the things we really can do at BPAC.

But wait, there’s more: Irish Christmas in America was a lovely, authentic, and very special evening that was perfect as BPAC’s first holiday attraction. Jim Caruso & Billy Stritch did a special concert in the intimate McPherson Theater for Friends of BPAC, our first time setting up that venue in a cabaret configuration…and BPAC will definitely be doing that again, it was enthusiastically received. They also taught a master class to local students, many of whom were singers from Sandhills Community College, as well as local high schools and nearby universities.

My work with BPAC includes serving on the Ruth Pauley Lecture Series (RPLS) Board of Directors, and I suggested and helped them book two attractions in this past season’s series: TimeOut New York theatre critic Adam Feldman, and a multi-year arrangement bringing National Geographic Live events to BPAC as part of the RPLS season.

And that’s just what BPAC booked. These are only a few of the nearly 200 attractions presented each year in BPAC’s five venues: professionals, amateurs, students, plus anything and everything in-between. Theatre, music, dance, lectures, comedy, lectures, visual arts exhibits, rite of passage ceremonies, and more…BPAC continues to be in constant demand, fulfilling its cultural, community, and educational functions.

Next season’s series programming will be announced soon. The Mainstage, Comedy, and Family Fun Series will all return…and we’re going to try out a Tribute Series. There’s so much to look forward to, so many memories yet to be made.

Happiness and Work

What to say in this brief post other than that Herman Wouk’s The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial at Judson Theatre Company was one of the happiest and most artistically rewarding work experiences of my professional life? I rarely write posts like this, but it’s true.

The cast was talented, easy to work with, and professional. They arrived prepared and proceeded to work conscientiously and diligently to make the show the best it could be given the time and resources we had. Sometimes you get one or the other, but a cast that’s both happy and hardworking is a true blessing. Everything flows from that, and we were fortunate to have leaders in the acting company like John Wesley Shipp and David A. Gregory to set the tone. There was also the blessing of our Judson returnees—at this point if there’s a part in a show that fits them, we just offer it to them because they always deliver: Jacob Pressley, Matthew Tyler, and Rick McDermott. And our newbies fit right in, bringing their A game: Rutgers grad Colton Liberatore, who connected us to classmates Jasper Newell and Hamlin Raith, and Thomas Nash Tetterton, who also came highly recommended.

Similarly, our ever-reliable, all-returnee crew was on the job, making sure everything ran smoothly and looked and sounded great. The tone they set as they do their work with little fanfare or fuss contributes to the harmony in the workplace. The extra funds JTC spent getting the costumes and the sound just so were worth it.

The design for the show was simple, almost sparse, but when you’ve got a well-written script and an excellent acting company, you’ve got a great show that doesn’t need tricks or special effects. The play itself is a bit of a masterpiece: as an example of how to adapt something, as a unique combo of the military-courtroom-thriller play, and as a standalone work that will always be relevant and engaging.

Why isn’t this play performed more often? The audiences we had responded to it on a deep level.

I’m usually just fine at goodbye time on the day the company leaves, but this time it was tough. My emotions came to the surface a little more, because collectively we had all just had something wonderful happen, and then it was over. But is it ever over, when it comes to doing good work with people you like and respect?

The cast of Judson Theatre Company’s 2025 production of The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial.

(Photo: David Sinclair Photography)

THE CAINE MUTINY COURT-MARTIAL at Judson Theatre Company in April

Judson Theatre Company’s spring production (April 24-27, 2025) will be Herman Wouk’s The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial. Directed by JTC’s artistic director Daniel Haley, it marks the return of Emmy Award winner John Wesley Shipp (The Flash, Dawson’s Creek) to the Judson stage in the iconic role of Captain Queeg. He was last on our stage in 2016(!) in Twelve Angry Men. Joining him will be David A. Gregory (One Life to Live, The Good Fight) as Greenwald.

Logo design for Judson Theatre Company by Jacob Rivera-Sanchez

We’re also happy to welcome back some JTC favorites: Jacob Pressley in his first mainstage show; he’s previously been our leading man in the Summer Theatre Festival productions of They’re Playing Our Song, The Last Five Years, and Gutenberg! The Musical. Matthew Tyler will be back for his fifth mainstage show, having been seen in And Then There Were None, Witness for the Prosecution, The Mousetrap, and Gaslight. After a multi-year absence from our stage, we will also welcome Rick McDermott back; he’s appeared in more shows at JTC than any other actor: Twelve Angry Men, And Then There Were None, The Sunshine Boys, The Miracle Worker, and Witness for the Prosecution.

Making their JTC debuts are Collin Conway, Colton Liberatore, and Thomas Nash Tetterton. Additional casting to be announced at a later date.

The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial is Judson Theatre Company’s first military play—we’ve long wanted to do one, we keep a spreadsheet of them, and JTC is now prepared to meet the unique challenges of doing one well. What’s interesting is that the piece has had at least one major iteration in every generation:

Original novel jacket

1951 - the Pulitzer Prize winning novel, at the time, the biggest bestseller since Gone With the Wind, spending 122 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, with 33 weeks at #1

Flyer for Broadway production, this theatre is now named the Schoenfeld Theatre.

1953 - the play opens in LA and tours, and then debuts on Broadway in 1954…months before the release of the Columbia film version of the novel. The play is an immediate hit, running a year (415 performances). Starring Henry Fonda, Lloyd Nolan, and John Hodiak, and directed by Charles Laughton on Broadway, the play continued to tour in 1955 with other stars including Paul Douglas, Wendell Corey, and Barry Sullivan.

Poster from 1954 film version of the novel

1954 - the first film version of the story (a film version of the novel) starring Humphrey Bogart (Oscar nominated for his performance as Queeg), Jose Ferrer, Van Johnson, and Fred MacMurray

1955 - the Ford Star Jubilee television spectacular presentation of the play, with members of the cast of the first Broadway production: Lloyd Nolan won an Emmy for reprising his Broadway performance as Queeg.

1956 - Lloyd Nolan directed and starred in the original London production

1959 - Australian tv version

Joe Namath and Michael Moriarty in the 1983 Broadway revival

1983 - the first Broadway revival, at Circle in the Square ran from May-November, starring John Rubinstein and Michael Moriarty. Later in the run, Joe Namath played Maryk (his only Broadway credit).

London revival window card

1984 - Charlton Heston directed and starred in a production that played Los Angeles, London, and the Kennedy Center.

Advertisement for Robert Altman made-for-tv film of the play

1988 - the Robert Altman made-for-tv version, starring Eric Bogosian, Jeff Daniels, Brad Davis, and Peter Gallagher

2nd Playbill cover of the 2006 Broadway revival

2006 - the second Broadway revival, starring David Schwimmer and Tim Daly and directed by Jerry Zaks

Advertisement and key art for 2023 David Friedkin film version of the play

2023 - the David Friedkin film version of the play (his final film) starring Kiefer Sutherland and Lance Reddick, which moves the time period to post-9/11

Join us at BPAC’s Owens Auditorium in Pinehurst, NC to see this classic military play brought to life! Click here for tickets.

MURDER ON THE NILE begins rehearsal

I realized at the read through of Judson Theatre Company’s Murder on the Nile that I’ve produced and/or directed eight mystery/suspense plays over the past nine years (2015-24). The five I produced were at Judson Theatre Company: And Then There Were None, Witness for the Prosecution, The Mousetrap, Gaslight, and Murder on the Nile. The three I directed were at Millbrook Playhouse: Dial ‘M’ for Murder, Wait Until Dark, and Deathtrap.

What’s so special about that? Well…it’s this odd dichotomy: regional and stock audiences are still glad to get a regular diet of these shows, though they’ve all but disappeared from Broadway, and no one’s writing new ones that get produced on a Broadway scale. Off the top of my head, the only two I can recall attending on Broadway in over two decades as a New Yorker are revivals of Night Must Fall (with Matthew Broderick) and Wait Until Dark (with Marisa Tomei and Quentin Tarentino). And that’s a shame, because they satisfy an audience like no other genre. Would a modern audience pay Broadway prices to see a thriller done properly?

When I’m in the director’s chair for one of these plays, I nearly always use the old maxim “the actor must know everything so the character can know nothing.” While one must always work from the inside —> out on the emotional aspect of a role, it’s very often worthwhile to take one good pass at the script of a mystery/suspense play from the outside —> in, to be sure the audience gets the rollercoaster ride the author intends. At what points in the script do these values occur?

—Mystery: literally, “whodunit”, or some other unknown piece of major information that turns the plot once revealed.

—Suspense: a quality of withholding and foreboding. Something’s about to happen…but when? A “haunted house” feeling.

—Suspicion: this is particular to a multiple-suspect whodunit. Did they do it? The character knows whether or not they committed the crime at hand; but does the author intend for the audience to suspect them (whether they did it or not) at any moment in the play? It’s the actor’s job to make sure the Red Herrings register but still ring true and make sense in the end.

—Tension: happens between characters, or can be the result of an external force like a ticking clock or being trapped, like the characters in And Then There Were None when they start to turn on each other.

—Surprise: Boo! A jump scare, a plot twist that comes quickly with no foreshadowing. The rapid unreeling of the quadruple twist at the end of Witness for the Prosecution is one of the most thrilling examples (though some of them are foreshadowed if you listen to the dialogue carefully). And Wait Until Dark has two very famous jump scares.

—Pursuit: Though more common in television, this quality happens onstage too, usually when it’s been made clear who the villain/murderer is and we watch the detective/hero hone in on their capture. This quality can also happen for the audience when they watch the detective/hero formulating their plan.