Troupe is preparing for first season at new theater

Playhouse 22 is back. Nearly four years after performing its final show in its former home on Dunhams Corner Road, the local theater troupe will begin a full season of productions this fall. Its shows will be performed at the theater inside the township's new Community Arts Center, located at Heavenly Farms, Dunhams Corner and Cranbury roads.

"It's exciting," said Ray Dobrovolsky, president of the troupe. "The old Playhouse 22 building had a lot of ambiance and memories for a lot of us. … But the new building is more of an updated facility from both a production standpoint and a comfort standpoint for the people coming to see the shows."

On April 20, the Township Council approved an agreement with the troupe, commonly referred to as Playhouse 22 but officially known as the East Brunswick Community Players. The contract allows the group to use the arts center, which Mayor David Stahl said should be completed by June.

Stahl said Playhouse 22 will be the primary tenant of the new arts center, which will also house meeting spaces and an outdoor amphitheater. The $2.6 million facility also includes areas such as costume and storage areas, ticket and coat rooms, and a kitchen.

Negotiations between the township and the theater troupe's board of directors began last year under then-Mayor William Neary and continued with Stahl's administration this year. Stahl said the agreement runs through December and calls for a $2 ticket surcharge to raise funds for a capital reserve that will be used for improvements to the building when needed.

Stahl said the troupe will pay all utility costs associated with the days it uses the facility. "If they have a play and are the only user at the time, it is clear they are responsible for all utilities," he said.

The contract gives the playhouse the ability to schedule events pending approval by townshipBusinessAdministrator James White. Stahl said the township must accommodate the playhouse as well as other groups that will use the facility, so White must approve the schedule requests.

The agreement will be revisited in December and again in June 2010 in case changes are sought. Township officials want to review the numbers, such as heating costs, after the play season begins.

Stahl said it is anticipated that the arts center will be operational in mid- to late-June. In fact, the township has already scheduled a symphony event for June 20.

Dobrovolsky said his troupe may be involved in some events this summer, such as a children's theater program.

The troupe, whose board includes about 15 members, has not presented any major productions since leaving its former building, but has had smaller shows such as revues at the township's senior center.

The theater company formed about 50 years ago and spent many years performing at schools and churches around the county. It then made its home at the old Playhouse 22 building on Dunhams Corner Road for 21 years, holding its final show there in October 2005. The townshipwas obligated to find the troupe a new site after selling off the Dunhams Corner Road property to a developer.

"The process [of getting a new facility] has gone on, I think, much longer than any of us anticipated, at least from the theater side," Dobrovolsky said.

The new theater will be similar to the former Playhouse 22 facility in terms of size. The old facility had 168 seats, while the new theater will have about 190, with the ability to add about 20 if needed.

"It's still an intimate setting," Dobrovolsky said. "We didn't want to go from 165 to 500 seats, because it would be difficult to fill all the time, and expensive." He noted that royalty rates for plays increase based on the number of seats, so the lower number helps keep the costs affordable.

Playhouse 22, he said, plans to run about six major productions per year from September through June, in addition to holiday shows such as its traditional performance of "A Christmas Carol." Dobrovolsky said the group may also hold children's theater and other special events during summer months.

"There is a lot of stuff planned," he said.

For the time being, the troupe is awaiting final approval from the township on dates for its fall productions.