Street Theater Brings the Past to Life at Historic Cold Spring

CAPE MAY – Every Tuesday and Thursday, visitors to Historic Cold Spring Village gather at the Dennisville Inn to watch as a Civil War era Cape May County family copes with the realities of divided loyalties. Cape May in Blue and Gray, a brief one-act play presented in partnership with the Cape Island Theatre Company, commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg and the Emancipation Proclamation and brings awareness to the impact the Civil War had on Cape May County.
Outdoor theatrical productions and historical interpretations are an important part of Historic Cold Spring Village’s educational programming. “Theater is an exciting way to make the past come alive for our visitors,” said Kate Devaney, PR and Programming Director, “and Cape May in Blue and Gray is receiving rave reviews.” Funded by the Cape May County Culture and Heritage Commission through a regrant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the museum theater program is offered free with admission at 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The show, which deals with the pains of war and a family divided, was written by Cape Island Theatre Company Artistic Director, Ray Crew, and features Amanda Brough as Margaret, Rebecca Sundstrum as Emma and Zach LaTorre as Thomas. “There are no heroes or villains in this emotional story of a local family torn apart by war,” said Crew, “just men and women caught up in a moment in history that required them to decide what they stood for and why.
Cape May in Blue and Gray, is itself only one piece of a growing partnership between Historic Cold Spring Village and the Cape Island Theatre Company. This summer, the theatre company is presenting three original works by Ray Crew at the Cold Spring Grange Restaurant on the grounds of the Village. On Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings audiences are invited to enjoy dinner at the newly reopened Cold Spring Grange Restaurant followed by a Cape Island Theatre Company production. The second floor theater space at Grange Hall was recently made ADA accessible with grant funding from the New Jersey Cultural Trust. For more information about Cape Island Theatre Company, and a schedule of evening performances, please visit www.capeislandtheatre.com or call (609) 408-6595.
Historic Cold Spring Village is a non-profit, open-air living history museum that portrays the daily life of a rural South Jersey community of the Early American period. It features 26 restored historic structures on a 30-acre site. From late June to early September, interpreters and artisans in period clothing preserve the trades, crafts and heritage of “the age of homespun.” Fun and educational activities for children are featured Tuesday through Sunday, with special events every weekend through mid-September.
Historic Cold Spring Village is located on Route 9, three miles north of Victorian Cape May and four miles south of Rio Grande (Exit 4 of the Garden State Parkway). Admission during the season is $10 for adults and $8 for children ages 3 to 12. Children under 3 are admitted free. Unlimited free admission is available with Village membership. As a member of the national Blue Star Museums program, Historic Cold Spring Village is proud to offer free admission to active duty military personnel and up to 5 family members. The Village Nature Trail at Bradner’s Run is open to the public for free self-guided tours. Visit the Country Store, Needle Arts Coop, Bakery, Ice Cream Parlor and Cold Spring Grange Restaurant. For more information on events, membership, volunteering, or booking private affairs, please call (609) 898-2300, ext. 10, or visit the Village website at www.hcsv.org.