In 1886 the murder of Tillie Smith, a Centenary College kitchen maid, rocketed the town of Hackettstown into the attention of the national press. With wildly fluctuating reports driven by what some claim to be yellow journalism, the reputation of Tillie and her accused murderer, James Titus, swung from young innocent to harlot, and upstanding citizen to lascivious predator.

Now, in a unique theatre project which involved members of the Hackettstown community contributing their own stories of legend and history to the writing, a play about the notorious event will be presented October 11 - 27, 2002 by The Centenary Stage Company (CSC), the professional Equity Theater in residence at Centenary College in Hackettstown.

The Developmental Program

The World premiere of the new play, The Tillie Project, a work of fiction inspired by history, by NEA and PEW Fellow Jeanne Murray Walker, is the result of a developmental program which has been ongoing for over 18 months. Under the auspices of CSC's Women Playwright Series the development of this work included several town-hall style meetings and radio call-in programs, where community members were invited to share their own knowledge of the event.

Historic "Tillie Walks" - final walk Oct. 27 at 1 pm

CSC also led several "Tillie Walks," narrated historical walks led by costumed actors tracing the path through Hackettstown of Tillie's last steps on the fateful night.

Join us for our final "Tillie Walk" immediately preceding our last performance of The Tillie Project, Sunday, Oct. 27 at 1 pm (Sunday matinee starts at 2:30 pm following the walk). See the final "Tillie Walk" details and fee waived for ticket holders.

The Tillie Walks were presented in collaboration with the Warren County Area Chamber of Commerce, the All-Aboard for Hackettstown Main Street Community Organization, and the Hackettstown Historical Society.

The Cast

The Tillie Project ensemble cast will feature actress Victoria Mack in the role of Tillie Smith. Mack, a resident of Highland Park, NJ, will be remembered by NJ audiences from her performances with The New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, where she will also be appearing in The Tempest this season.

Also featured in the cast will be veteran Equity actor Al Mohrman, who recently appeared in the NJ Repertory production of Maggie Rose. Mohrman has appeared many times on the several television soap operas, including Guiding Light, One Life to Live, and Another World. He is a resident of N. Plainfield. NJ.

Equity actress Dina Ann Comolli will perform the role of "Margaret," whose contemporary investigation into the murder seems to raise more than the ghost of Tillie Smith. Comolli has performed with the highly acclaimed American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is also a veteran of the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival in Allentown, where she performed the lead role, Viola, in their production of Twelfth Night. Comolli has been seen in the ABC TV programs All My Children and Loving.

Actor Steve Baron, who charmed CSC audiences last season with the delightful Terence Rattigan romp While The Sun Shines, will perform several ensemble roles, including that of the former Centenary College President George Whitney, who figures in the plot of the play. Baron is a resident of Metuchen, NJ.

Other cast members include:

Carolyn Popp
Larkey Barnes
Christopher Kromer

Playwright - Jeanne Murray Walker

Award winning Playwright Walker is the author of several plays which have been presented on stages throughout the country as well as in England. Walker's Inventing Montana, now published by Dramatists Play Service, premiered on the Centenary Stage in March of 2000. A professor of literature at the University of Delaware, Walker is also the author of several books of published poetry. Also see Interview with the Playwright / Photo.

Interview with the Playwright

Earlier this summer, WPS Program Director Catherine Rust had the opportunity to talk with Playwright Jeanne Murray Walker about this project and her work as a writer. See Interview with the Playwright/photo for the full interview that answers these questions:

1. Jeanne, I know that CSC chose you for this project because of a certain quality of writing that you bring to all your work. Can you tell us what things are most important to you when you are developing a play?
2. This has been a long process, developing a play about a character from our own local history . Can you tell us something about how you went about the research for this project?
3. One of my favorite things about this project were the town-hall style meetings, where members of the public contributed their stories to the process. How did these encounters influence the writing process for you?
4. Two elements which seem to appear frequently in your work are community and ties to history . Can you talk a bit about that?
5. You have said that you want people to remember that TILLIE, the play, is a work of fiction,Inspired by history . How do you think audiences should receive the work?
6. You are also a poet, with 5 books of poetry now in publication. How do you think that aspect of your background has influenced your work?
7. What are some of the most interesting experiences you have had while researching this project?
8. Words of wisdom for other aspiring writers?

Special Features

"Meet the Playwright"

The CSC production of The Tillie Project will include a "Meet the Playwright" discussion program on Sunday, Oct 13, following the 2:30 matinee performance. "Meet the Playwright" is part of the "First Sundays Series" at CSC, which offers audiences special insights into the works, the direction, cast and creation and a chance to meet and talk with artists on the project. There will also be a special "Meet the Playwright" session for the STUDENT MATINEE on Oct 23 (11 am).

Audio-described Performance

An audio-described performance, for patrons with visual impairments and blindness, will be offered on October 27 at 2:30 pm. Discounted tickets are available for this performance for patrons with disabilities.

Student Matinee

A special Student Matinee performance for regional schools will be offered at 11 am on Wednesday. Heavily discounted tickets are available to students made possible through the support of CSC grants and sponsors.

Final "Tillie Walk" available with Sunday, Oct. 27 Matinee Performance

Patrons of the Sunday, Oct. 27 matinee may also attend the final TILLIE WALK, which will begin at 1 PM at the Gazebo on Main Street, and will conclude at the theater just prior to the matinee performance.

Tickets

Tickets are available through the CSC Box Office, on the campus of Centenary College, at 908-979-0900, and on the Web using oursecure server Online Order System. Locally, tickets can be purchased at the Baron's Hallmark at the Hackettstown Mall, and at Skylands World Travel on Route 46 in Hackettstown.