Fool Moon Theatre, a South Jersey mainstay for 20 years, is facing its 2025 season without a home stage
By Marjorie Preston
Shakespeare once called theater “a wandering trade.” It’s an apt description for South Jersey’s Fool Moon Theatre.
Founded in 2005, the nonprofit was originally based at United Trinity Methodist Church in Ventnor. From there, it migrated to Margate Community Church, then Dante Hall in Atlantic City. Later, it occupied Studio Space and the Gateway Theater, both in Somers Point. In 2021, it circled back to the Margate church, where it enjoyed a three-year residency.
But last September, following an acclaimed production of William Gibson’s “The Miracle Worker,” Fool Moon rang down the curtain. Now, again, the veteran company is looking for a new home.
Despite its travels, Fool Moon has built a devoted audience, thanks to a core group of seasoned actors, strong production values and a mix of entertainment, from splashy musicals like “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way on the Way to the Forum” to thought-provoking dramas like “Proof” to the sentimental favorite “Love Letters.”
“We’ve also done some shows that nobody’s ever heard of, like ‘A Bad Year For Tomatoes,’ which was wonderful and different,” says executive director Paul Herron, co-founder of Fool Moon with his wife, Pattye. “We’ve developed great casts, and choose shows so we can bring a lot of different people together. And we’ve been building all the way.”
Performers span the generations, from pre-teen to 70-plus, giving everyone a shot at the spotlight. “It’s meant so much to our family, especially because of the amazing experience it gave our daughter,” says Becky Maegerle of Egg Harbor Township, whose daughter, Erin, starred as Philia in last year’s “Forum.”
“We watched her confidence grow and her talents shine in this supportive environment. It reinforced how vital local theater is for both personal growth and community connection.”
She says news that the theater is currently homeless is “heartbreaking.
“Fool Moon isn’t just a creative outlet—it’s a cultural asset that brings people together, showcases local talent and fosters joy in the area.”
Small Wonder
For the past two years, Fool Moon has earned Bronze Stars in the Press of Atlantic City’s “Best of the Press” awards, and racked up multiple nominations for BroadwayWorld New Jersey Awards. “We’re small compared to the Levoy and Gateway,” says Herron, “but we feel we stand up to some of the larger groups around here.”
Board member and actor Kate Read of Northfield agrees. “Gateway is the only brick-and-mortar theater in this area; all the rest are a hodge-podge, getting it together and managing to make it magical.” Fool Moon’s gift, she says, is “to take a tiny space in a church and turn it into a different world.”
The theater has partnered with local nonprofits to raise money for charity. In 2018, it invited leaders from Gilda’s Club, Shore Cancer Center, the South Jersey Food Bank and the AIDS Foundation, among others, to perform in “Loss, Loss and What I Wore,” with a portion of proceeds going to each nonprofit.
“We do this to give back to the community,” says Read, “to say, ‘We are part of you, we’re with you.’”
Marlene May, artistic director of South Jersey Players, is rooting for Fool Moon, which she views not as a competitor but as part of a close-knit family.
“Between South Jersey Players, the Gateway and Fool Moon, all of a sudden in this little area we have a community of the arts,” she says. “‘The Miracle Worker’ was astounding. Paul and Pattye have the ability to transport audiences through theater.”
The Next Stage
Mounting any theatrical production is costly, with expenses for performance rights, sets, costumes, etc. “One of the problems with the shore is, the real estate is very expensive,” observes Herron. “And many of your financial supporters are gone half the year.”
He’s looking for a space that can accommodate auditions and rehearsals as well as performances, and host at least 100 audience members. “Folding chairs are fine,” he jokes. “Our dedicated theatergoers have put up with hard chairs, and we really appreciate that.”
Fool Moon typically presents four shows a season, and hopes to produce at least two in 2025, preferably where its audience lives, in the Ventnor-Margate-AC-Somers Point area and environs.
“If there’s a facility that says, ‘Hey, we’ve got the time, we’ve got the space and we’re looking for a partner who wants to utilize it to develop arts in the community,’ that would be great,” says Herron. He thanks Margate Community Church “for the three years-plus that we spent there. It was a really wonderful space.”
Looking ahead, “We’re hoping for a miracle,” says Maegerle. “Losing such a treasured experience would be a great loss, not only to our family but to the entire community.”
Interested organizations can reach Herron at 609-457-0903 or foolmoontheatre@gmail.com. For more information, visit FoolMoonTheatre.org.
Marjorie Preston is a business writer, editor, ghostwriter and compulsive reader, who gobbles up books like potato chips. For more information (and more book reviews), visit marjorieprestonwriting.com.
