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Arts & Entertainment

Growing Stage Moves Forward by Looking Back

Netcong-based children's theater opens 30th season with revival of 'The Code Breaker.'

When the Growing Stage children’s theater presented its first season of plays for young audiences in 1982, it produced a little-known play called “The Code Breaker” by Patricia Conley.

“At the time we were young,” said Stephen Fredericks, Growing Stage’s artistic director. “We weren’t concerned with whether there was audience recognition of a title, we weren’t driven or swayed by that. We were used to having audiences of five or 10 people, that was OK. So we were just thinking we wanted to do the most challenging pieces possible.”

The audiences got big enough to keep Growing Stage growing to the point that it has begun its 30th anniversary season by bringing back “The Code Breaker” for a run continuing through Oct. 23.

Things have changed over the years for the theater, which started off producing shows at the Chester Theater Group’s Black River Playhouse. Then it made a home at the Williamson Building in Chester for 10 years. Since 1995, Growing Stage’s shows have been performed in the Palace Theater in Netcong. Another big change came in 1996 when Growing Stage became an Actors’ Equity group.

Fredericks said he didn’t know his idea for a children’s theater company would last as long as it has.

“It’s like anything else, it’s been a day-to-day event and then year-by-year, and before you know it, you’re entering your third decade,” he said. “We’re real fortunate having that opportunity.”

Success came from staying true to the mission of creating professional theater for young people and their families. “And sticking to that throughout all the years, this is not our first downturned economy and in all likelihood, it’s not going to be the organization’s last,” he said. “But because we were able to stay on course throughout, it has enabled us to continue to move forward.”

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Part of moving forward means looking back. “The Code Breaker” is a science fiction story about a society living in an orb that is managed by a master computer. It follows four young characters, one of whom is an aspiring scientist who finds out there’s a world beyond the one he’s living in.

One reason Fredericks decided to revisit the play is the influence of computers in today’s world.

“When we first did this play, I don’t even know if we owned a computer,” he said. “Now it actually hits home more the message of thinking for yourself and not being swayed solely by what others tell you to do and to fit within the certain norms that society is creating for you.

“It even resonates stronger today when so many of our young people are in fact—whether they’re aware of it or not—influenced greatly by what they see on that computer screen."

Fredericks’ work involves directing most of Growing Stage’s productions. He has also written and adapted 15 plays, sometimes collaborating with Perry Arthur Kroeger. He’s adapted everything from “Alice in Wonderland” to “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” His personal favorite is “A Boy Called Cinder.”

The theater’s next main stage production will be a musical adaptation of “Babes in Toyland,” conceived by Fredericks and Kroeger, with a book by Kroeger, lyrics by Kroeger and Glen Macdonough and music by Victor Herbert.

For Fredericks, the best part of running Growing Stage is watching faces both new and old coming to see the shows.

“What’s wonderful is that new audiences are being born every day,” he said. “We’ve got new people coming in and I think what’s especially rewarding right now is when I see kids who had grown up in our theater bringing their own kids.

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"And parents that brought their kids to theater are brining their grandchildren to the theater. That tells me that what we’re doing lasts the test of time. We are making a contribution in creating the next generation of audiences for the live performing arts.”

“The Code Breaker is on stage through Oct. 23 at the Growing Stage children’s theater, 7 Ledgewood Ave., Netcong. Performances are Fridays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 4 p.m. For tickets and information, visit GrowingStage.com.

About this column: 'On Stage: A Peek At The Performing Arts' is a weekly look at what's going on in the world of theater, music and other performing arts. It runs Tuesdays.

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