New Play Kicks Off Axial Theatre’s 20th Anniversary Season

Axial Theatre’s 20th anniversary season brings to the stage, Senescence, a new production by its founding artistic director Howard Meyer. The title refers to the process of deterioration with age, a theme that runs throughout the play. In the blue-collar town of Linden, New Jersey, this process is accelerated due to the devastating effects of chemical toxicity. Directed by award-winning filmmaker and director James Fauvell, the story of this oil refinery town is told through three childhood friends who have lived in Linden their entire lives: they grew up in the town, their parents died in the town, and they still live there as the story unfolds. The threesome encounter a stranger, an alleged prophet named “J,” who upends their lives as he aims to get the refinery to change their production and dumping practices. Senescence runs from Friday through Sunday on November 3-18, with previews on November 2 and 3. For more info, visit axialtheatre.org.

A version of this article first appeared in the November issue of ArtsNews, ArtsWestchester’s monthly publication. ArtsNews is distributed throughout Westchester County. A digital copy is also available at artsw.org/artsnews.