Sometimes it can be hard to break into the theater scene. Many times, it is about hard work, talent and whom you know. But in Moorestown resident Joseph Thomas’ case, he decided to take his fate in his own hands and direct and produce his own theater performance.
Thomas will be making his local east-coast debut as director and producer with the play “Out at Sea” by Sławomir Mrożek, which will be performed June 5 and 6 in Cherry Hill and June 12 and 13 in Philadelphia. The play is an absurd comedy featuring local actors that will be sure to get audiences laughing and thinking.
“People should come out to experience the work of a playwright they’ve never heard of before, to support local theater artists within the community and to see a great work of theater,” Thomas said.
Thomas grew up doing theater all his life. He started with the Moorestown Recreation Summer Theater when he was 7 or 8, got involved with MoorArts productions and continued by doing the plays and musicals at Moorestown High School. He also was a fan of music, having played instruments in Moorestown schools as well.
Thomas graduated from MHS in 2009 and pursued his bachelor’s of fine arts degree in acting at the California Institute of the Arts, graduating in 2013. He pursued acting for a few months, but found acting made him feel a lack of control as an artist. He felt he didn’t have an artistic voice in other people’s projects. So he decided to focus most of his energy on his own work by taking the directorial role.
When Thomas moved back to Moorestown in 2014, he explored visual art performance work and decided to produce and direct a theater piece in the local area.
“I love it. I really do. Moving back home has afforded me the opportunity to produce my own work. Moorestown is great,” Thomas said.
Thomas took it upon himself to fund the production, hire actors, build the set, direct the play and get a performance ready to show audiences.
He chose “Out at Sea” as he had seen some of his peers from college perform it at their end-of-the-year showcase, with minimal costumes and set pieces, and fell in love with it. He felt it was entertaining, funny, stood on its own and didn’t need high production values to tell the story. It seemed like a perfect fit for the new director and producer in Moorestown.
“Out at Sea” is an absurd comedy written about three castaways – Fat, Medium and Thin — stranded at sea, arguing about whom the other two should eat. The play was written in 1961 Poland, at a time post-war where politics in Poland had shifted to communism under Stalin. The play pokes fun at economic classes and politics, but that doesn’t overpower the comedy.
“It’s really brilliant and very entertaining,” Thomas said.
For Thomas, his favorite part was learning about the history of the play and realizing how it shares a lot of similarities with what is going on in America today, economically and politically. The hardest part for him was wearing all of the hats as producer and director as well as stage manager, dramaturg, set designer, publicist and more.
The actors performing include retired Moorestown Upper Elementary School teacher Charles “Chuck” Gill as well as two actors from Philadelphia and one from the Jersey Shore area.
Thomas said the play will make you laugh, but also takes a dark turn. He hopes as audience members leave the performance, they have a question in their mind and continue discussion long after the show has ended.
“I hope that the play creates a dialogue between people who have seen it. I think that is the best part of theater, the ones that get people talking,” Thomas said.
For the future, Thomas is beginning to work with MoorArts as he will be joining the board in the fall. Thomas is looking forward to getting involved in Philadelphia as well, as there is a lot of “fantastic experimental work” happening in the city.
“I’m excited to get more involved in what is happening locally in Moorestown and what is happening in the greater Philadelphia area,” Thomas said.
Performances for “Out at Sea” are June 5 and 6 at 8:30 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in Cherry Hill, 800 Pennsylvania Ave., and June 12 and 13 at 8:30 p.m. at the Philadelphia Boys Choir and Chorale Embassy in Philadelphia, 1336 Spring Garden St. Tickets are between $10 and $12 online or at the door. Those who buy advance sale tickets can get $2 off with the code BOMAAS AT SEA. For more information visit www.mkt.com/bomaas.
