Auditions & Other News

Open Mic Nights The Morris County Center for the Arts at the Darress Theatre will be experimenting with having regularly scheduled open mic nights at the theatre. Performers need to be signed up by 7:30 pm and the show will start at 8 pm. There will be a $10 admission charge which will be refunded to anyone who performs during the evening.

The host for these events will be Tommy Mahoney, a native of the area who grew up in Morristown and has lived in Denville for over thirty years. He has been a member of "The Folk Project:" since 2005 and is currently an active volunteer with "the Minstrel" concert series. He has also been on the staff of the "Falcon Ridge Folk Festival" for the past 6 years. His many talents include playing 6- and 12-string guitars and singing lead, duet, and background vocals. He is also a cameraman on the TV show "Horses Sing None of It," does setup and repair on acoustic and electric guitars, and teaches beginner guitar lessons.

Some happy news. Mary Ryzuk's latest book has just been released. “THE FIRES WITHIN-THE SUMMER OF ‘88 It can be found on Amazon.com (full size 6x9 Soft Cover Edition for $17.95) and on eBook ($9.99) Some friends have asked what it’s about. So, briefly...... It takes place against the background of the fires in Yellowstone National Park in 1988 that decimated almost 2/3 of the park. Quoting the publisher’s  promo on the back of the book: In this poignant novel, infinite passion, dangerous flames, an unsolved murder, and the power of desperately unfulfilled love are intricately woven together to create a suspenseful tale of desire that will only be satisfied when the mystery of the murder is solved. Set against the awesome background of the raging 1988 Yellowstone fires, this is the story of a young couple, Jane and Tim, a Forest Ranger, deeply enmeshed in the struggle to contain the out-of-control fires.  They have always seemed passionately destined for each other from childhood but are driven apart by her obsession with her mother's mysterious New England past and an old photo album that contains the only clue to its secrets. Within this troubling context is the story of Jane's search for a father she has never known and how her obsessive search for him deepens the painful estrangement in her passionate relationship with Tim.  As the fires unrelentingly close in on Jane and Tim, it is while packing up her home during the unsettling time of an enforced evacuation, that she discovers, not only her father's identity, but uncovers a murder within her family's past that intimately involves the man she has sought all of her life.

"Life With Nostradamus" - TV Pilot by Carl Worner
Carl Worner - a NJ resident and former Broadway actor and playwright has adapted one of his stage plays, "Life With Nostradamus" as a TV pilot sitcom which he plans to enter in a contest in NYC for new TV shows as well as pitch to the networks. The requirement is to produce a pilot episode on video. Many scenes have been shot at the historic Darress Theatre, using both the main stage and green room which is available for rent at an hourly rate. The owner of the theatre has made rooms available for various functions such as film auditions, meetings and special events. Carl shot scenes of the 15th century Nostradamus who appears in the video in his private study in France on the main stage using a black curtain, a desk, a few props and candles with some simple back lighting to create a dark and mysterious opening scene, not showing much period detail. The results were fantastic. Other scenes required green screen shots and most of those scenes were shot in the green room in the back of the theatre. Carl shot on location in various parts of north Jersey but some scenes could not be completed on location. So Carl decided to have the actors do their scenes in front of a green screen and add photos of the location in the background later in post production. Tom, the owner of the theatre has made everything possible to get the job done, providing the space, lighting and occasional video camera to capture some of the scenes. Carl plans to show the completed video at the Darress Theatre on the big screen.

New Screening Room A new screening room is now available for showing independent films, holding private parties, meetings, sound recordings, rehearsals & tryouts, and other functions that might work better in a smaller, more intimate space.  Every other Wednesday  at 8 PM we will be showing films for the Darress Theatre Discussion Series in this space.  Check the schedule on the Coming Attractions page for the details about this series. Family Films Very soon,  we will be showing each week a free full-length feature film suitable for family members of all ages.  We plan on showing these films in the new screening room at 11 am on Saturday mornings and possibly again at 2 pm.  Children under twelve MUST be accompanied by an adult.  Be sure to check our web site for more information about these films as the time draws near. Silent Films We are planning a regular mid week screening of older and harder to find silelnt films (both foreign and domestic).  These showings will most likely be on Tuesday or Thursday evenings at 8 pm.  On occasion, these films may have musical accompaniment provided by the Darress resident organist.  We will be posting more information about this program very soon.

Miklos Toth

Miklos Toth was born in Hungary in 1960.  His love for music developed at an early age, and he started his musical training at the age of five by taking piano and clarinet lessons. He graduated with certification in piano and wind instruments.   At the age of 17, he joined his first amateur band and a few years later became a member of a very popular rock band.  This band released numerous records and their songs were broadcast by several nationwide radio stations in Hungary.  However, when their uncomplimentary political lyrics caught the attention of the Communist Party, the members of the band were forced to break up and flee to various countries around the world.   Miklos lived and worked in West Germany for several years, and never stopped making music.  He played as a guest musician in several bands and worked on developing his own style in his home studio.  After the fall of Communism in 1989, he returned to Hungary hoping for a fresh start. However, the climate after the political transition wasn't very favorable for the arts.  He moved to the United States in 2000 and continues making music in his home studio.  He also gives piano lessons and, one day,  hopes to release his own record.     The Darress Theatre is very happy to welcome Miklos as the new resident Organ Master, and we look forward to hearing him play accompaniment to a new series of silent films which is being planned for the future.