NUTLEY, NJ — On Sunday, March 8, at 2 p.m., Nutley Little Theatre will present a staged reading of an original work by playwright Elaine Insinnia, of Woodland Park. Suzanne Trauth, also of Woodland Park, directs. The show was chosen by playwright John Guare as the 2019 winner of the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival play contest.
The play centers on Maggie, a seasoned Las Vegas blackjack dealer, who is fighting to keep her job. A mean-spirited pit boss watches her every move looking for an excuse to fire her. Maggie becomes involved with four of her players: a college professor and his much younger hairdresser girlfriend, a high roller, and a distressed teacher. They become her confidants as she deals cards, tells them her life story and listens to theirs. Her buried past comes roaring up as she deals her final hands.
The cast includes Brian Ach and Todd Woodard, both of West Orange; Peter Kendall, of Wayne; Katie McGrath, of Bloomfield; Becca McLarty, of Montclair; and Bev Sheehan, of Maplewood.
The production is part of NLT’s Readers Theatre program, which presents free events at which actors read from scripts for a unique appreciation of classic, original and contemporary works.
Nutley Little Theatre stages its productions at the NLT Barn, 47 Erie Place, Nutley, located off Brookfield Avenue.