Coastal Conversations
Marlene May has dedicated herself to bringing the performing arts to life through her work with the South Jersey Players. As the group’s theatrical director, she has helped create memorable productions while fostering a welcoming environment for performers of all ages and experience levels.
Through her passion for theater, Marlene continues to inspire creativity, build community and celebrate the power of live performance. Her commitment to the arts has made the South Jersey Players a place where talent is nurtured, friendships are formed and stories come alive on stage.
Live theater has a special way of bringing people together, creating laughter, connection and unforgettable memories. That’s exactly what South Jersey Players has been doing for audiences across our region, with talented local performers sharing their passion for the stage and proving that some of the best entertainment can be found right here in our own community.
Here is my Coastal Conversation with Marlene May.
AS: What first inspired your love of theater, and how did your journey with the South Jersey Players begin?
MM: My first theatrical inspiration was seeing Mary Martin as Peter Pan, when I was 6 years old. I was hooked! My journey with SJP began after retiring from teaching theater in NYC and renting an apartment in Ventnor, a place I had vacationed from as a child.
AS: As the theatrical director, what do you enjoy most about bringing a production from script to stage?
MM: As a theatrical director, I most enjoy the rehearsal process, which takes place in my apartment.
AS: Community theater welcomes people of all ages and experience levels. What makes it such a special and rewarding experience?
MM: What makes community theater rewarding is the opportunity to give adults and youth an avenue to create, which they might not have without it.
AS: What goes into selecting the productions the South Jersey Players perform each season?
MM: South Jersey Players selects plays from a sister organization, Players and Playwrights by the Jersey Shore which meets monthly at Stockton in Atlantic City.
AS: Can you share a production or moment in your career that has been especially meaningful or memorable?
MM: One of the most memorable periods of time in my career was working as a general manager and as a performer at the Oregon Ridge Dinner Theater in Baltimore, Maryland. This helped shape the vision for SJP’s love of dinner theater.
AS: What are some of the biggest challenges, and greatest rewards, of directing a cast and production?
MM: One of the biggest challenges SJP faces is with community theater, is that actors and the crew face difficulty making theater their first priority. Often, I will get a call at the last minute from an artist who can’t make rehearsal for one reason or another. The greatest reward is filling the venue with a delighted audience and seeing the new works of local playwrights come to life.
AS: How do the performing arts strengthen communities and bring people together?
MM: Because live theater, in particular, allows us to see ourselves through imaginary circumstances, we are strengthened and brought together by the communal experience of sitting in a theater, park or coffee house witnessing this phenomenon as one.
AS: Looking ahead, what are your hopes for the future of the South Jersey Players, and what would you say to someone considering getting involved in community theater for the first time?
MM: As I look ahead, it is my hope for SJP to continue our work both with producing new works in various local venues and in continuing our annual Theater Arts Camp for youth at the Ventnor City Cultural Arts Center. If a first timer is interested in coming on board, call me at 347-920-6399 or come to our upcoming production at Stockton in Atlantic City on July 24 and 25, and see me in person at the door!
Many thanks to Marlene May for sharing her passion for community theater and the performing arts. Through her leadership with the South Jersey Players, she continues to inspire performers, enrich audiences and help keep theater thriving throughout South Jersey.
“Coastal Conversations” highlights people in our community who are making a meaningful impact. If you know someone who would be a great fit for a future column, please contact me at ShoreCoastalConversations@gmail.com.
From the shore to your door, let’s keep the conversation going.
