In Town
West Windsor Arts Council invites submission for its juried member exhibition “Out of the Blue.” All artwork will be juried by Eric Drotch. Works may be blue or suggestive of blue. The exhibit opens Monday, January 6 at the West Windsor Art Center Gallery, 952 Alexander Road, West Windsor. Artists may join as a West Windsor Arts Council member at the time of submission. Submissions for jury review must be submitted electronically by Friday, December 13. Visit www.westwindsorartscenter.org.
Playful Theater Productions has auditions for “Les Miserables” on Mondays, November 11 and 18; Tuesday, November 19; and Wednesday, November 20, in Mercer College’s communication building next to Kelsey Theater. Seeking 33 actors including 16 male adults (age 16 and up), 14 female adults (age 16 and up), and three child actors (1 male, 2 female age 7 to 12). All roles (including all ensemble roles) require strong solo singing ability and vocal stamina.
Prepare one complete song from musical theater, bring sheet music in the correct key. No dancing will be required at the initial audition. All roles are open. Rehearsals are expected to begin in early December, and run three to four times per week until the show’s opening at the end of March. Interested actors are encouraged to make an audition appointment via E-mail to ptpauditions@gmail.com.
Donate Please
Rescue Mission of Trenton serves needy men and women who have no place to turn for shelter, food, and clothing. The mission provides a safe, clean, warm refuge for the homeless, the hungry, the transient, and the addicted. All clothing donations go directly to the mission, either to be sold in the Mission Store at 100 Carroll Street, or given away through the Rescue Mission’s courtesy shop to needy members of the community.
Donations of furniture, clothing, or bric-a-brack are tax deductible. Call 800-528-8825 to arrange an at-home pick-up, learn where drop-off boxes are located, or find out how to organize a clothing drive at your company, school, club, business, or place of worship.
Mercer County Veteran Services seeks donations to help veterans and their families enjoy a hot meal on each holiday. Rather than collecting donations of food, the organization accepts monetary donations that go toward the purchase of ShopRite gift cards veterans can use to purchase holiday meals. Send check payable to Mercer County Trust Fund to Mercer County Division of Veteran Services, 2280 Hamilton Avenue, Hamilton 08619. Call 609-989-6120.
Whole Earth Center and Princeton Chiropractic Wellness Center are teaming together to feed the hungry during the holiday season. The Whole Earth Center will collect food for the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen throughout November. Patrons who donate $5 or more of food receive a gift package of wellness services. Visit Princetonchiropractic.com.
R.E.A.C.H. Ministry of Abundant Life Family Worship Church will host its 10th annual Thanksgiving Food Drive on Tuesday, November 20. To assist families in need and lessen their financial burden this holiday season, ALFWC is committed to providing Thanksgiving dinners for 100 families. The dinners will be prepackaged and include a turkey and non-perishable items and be distributed on Tuesday, November 26, at 5 p.m. To make a donation or for more information contact Pastor Jim Hart, director of church development of ALFWC at 732-545-2802 or jhart@alfwc.org.
South Brunswick Township Department of Social Services seeks donations to help hundreds of families during the holiday season. Acceptable donations include checks payable to the South Brunswick Human Intervention Trust Fund, or gift cards to local food stores, Wal-Mart, Target, Barnes & Noble, CVS, and the like. For information about Adopt-A-Family or volunteering time call LouAnne Wolf at 732-329-4000, ext. 7674 or 7672. Drop off or mail donations to South Brunswick Township, Box 190 Municipal Complex, Monmouth Junction 08852. Attention: LouAnne Wolf.
Call for Art
Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company seeks art for the Year of the Horse celebrations at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and Brooklyn Performing Arts Center in January. The dance company would like to project 30 art works from Asian American artists on the performance stage.
The exhibition will focus on the imagination and diversity of Asian American arts in the context of dance, the Year of the Horse, and the Lunar New Year. Selected work may also travel with the other Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company performance throughout the year to be exhibited in similar circumstances. Limit of three pieces. E-mail digital media, a statement, and short bio to ArtExhibit@nainichen.org. Deadline is Wednesday, November 20.
Support Group
Secure@Home offers a new caregiver support group for those helping loved ones under the age of 70. The eight-week group is specially geared to those who are taking care of someone who is under the age of 70. It will provide tips, techniques, and resources to help caregivers live their life while supporting their loved one.
The non-sectarian group will be facilitated by Chaplain Beverly Rubman. Coffee and light refreshments will be served. Meetings will be held on Tuesdays, November 19 and 26; December 3, 10, and 17; and January 7, 14, and 21, from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m., at the Jewish Center, 435 Nassau Street, Princeton. Register with Beth Englezos at bethe@jfcsonline.org or 609-987-8121, ext. 126.
For Playwrights
Playwrights Theater is accepting submissions for the 31st Annual New Jersey Young Playwrights Contest and Festival. Plays are accepted in the following divisions: Elementary (grades 4 to 6), Junior High (grades 7 to 9), and High School (grades 10 to 12).
A new category, Revolutionary Plays, for writers in grades 4 to 12, is for plays written to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the founding of the State of New Jersey. Cash prizes will be awarded. For this category, three plays, one in each grade range, may be awarded a $100 US Savings Bond, and their school a $50 Gift Card towards the purchase of books for their library.
Submit online at www.njypf.org. The deadline is Monday, January 13. Contact Jim DeVivo, direction of education at 973-514-1787, ext. 14 or E-mail njypf@ptnj.org.
Lawrence Library seeks short one act plays for its sixth annual One-Act Play Festival on Saturday, April 26. Playwrights residing or working in the Delaware Valley are asked to submit their works of a staged reading. Plays should be 10 minutes in length and a maximum of five characters. The plays chosen by the selection committee will be staged for the community by local actors and directors at the library at 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrenceville.
Playwrights, amateur or professional, should submit their plays by Sunday, December 15. Scripts may be E-mailed as a Word document attachment to akerr@mcl.org or may be brought to the library’s reference desk. Include two title pages: one with the play title only and the other with play title, name, address, phone, and E-mail of author. The playwright’s name should not appear in the script. Call Ann Kerr, 609-989-6922.
Sports
An Indoor Field Hockey Program begins Sunday, November 10, for boys and girls to can take their field hockey skills inside on eight mornings during November, December, and January. The program is for beginners and experienced players in three age groups (elementary, middle, and high school) and will be run by Cris Maloney, former member of the USA Men’s National Squad and technical director of the Ocean Atlantic Field Hockey Association.
Players must provide their own mouth guard and shin guards and dress in sneakers and athletic clothing. Goggles and helmets are not allowed. The cost per player is $80. Fully kitted goalkeepers are $5. All sessions will be held at Princeton Day School. Visit OAFHA.org.
For Teens
Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed’s education department seeks reliable and responsible teens to train as critter care volunteers for the small animal collection of reptiles and amphibians. Duties include feeding and watering and occasional cage cleaning. Commitment of one hour, one day a week is required. Minimum age 14, training is provided. E-mail bnc@thewatershed.org for information.
Cats and Dogs
A.F.E.W. offers a holiday portrait session with Bundle of Paws Photography at Corner-Copia in East Windsor on Saturday, November 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Animals will be available for adoption.
Volunteer Please
United Way of Greater Mercer County is seeking volunteers to help students and families apply for college financial aid. FAFSA volunteer information open house will be on Thursday, November 15, from 5 to 6 p.m.; at United Way of Greater Mercer County, 3150 Brunswick Pike, Suite 230, Lawrenceville. It is an opportunity to see how you can help a student on the path to higher education, ask questions about the training, and meet other volunteers and the staff. Register by E-mail to ely.mateo@uwgmc.org or call 609-896-1912.
Training Available
Hopewell Valley YMCA is offering Stewards of Children child sexual abuse prevention training to adults in the community. In-person, facilitator led trainings are open to the public and can be of specific interest to youth sports organizations, school districts, faith centers, and non-profits. Free online training is available for New Jersey residents through April 23. Continuing education credits for professionals in various fields is available. Contact Doug Pszczolkowski at 609-737-3048 or E-mail dpszczolkowski@hvymca.org.
