WEST ORANGE, NJ — “Chained: The Musical,” an original production by West Orange resident Gina Keys, will be presented Wednesday, Feb. 8, in the auditorium at West Orange High School, 51 Conforti Ave., beginning at 7 p.m.
“Chained: The Musical” is a play-within-a-play focusing on a group of actors performing in a 17th-century historical drama depicting the lives of slaves and their owners in Jamestown, Va.
The play “journeys back in time, exposing a new generation to the effects of the past on the state of the future,” according to the program synopsis.
Themes of the play will include the complexities of modern-day race relations in America, as the lead characters must confront the misconceptions and stereotypes that cloud their view of today’s world. “‘Chained: The Musical’ is a thought-provoking story of self-discovery, hope and the power of tolerance,” the synopsis concludes.
Keys has been a West Orange resident for 20 years. She worked as a freelance performing arts teacher in the West Orange School District teaching dance and musical theater; she also choreographed several spring musicals at the high school.
Following an abbreviated presentation for high school students during the school day, the play will be presented in its entirety to the general public and community. The event is free to all West Orange High School students with a school ID. Admission for everyone else is charged at the door. This play is appropriate for children in middle school and above.
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