Two River Theater Costume Shop Makes Masks

In addition to donating N95 masks to area hospitals and others in need, this Red Bank theater is getting creative now that we all need masks.

As hospital workers on the front lines continue to need Personal Protective Equipment, Two River Theater in Red Bank has become an unlikely source of help. Leave it to the creativity of those in the theater to come up with meaningful ways to contribute.

Turns out the theater had a supply of the 'official' masks (and gloves) needed for the cause because they use them when building sets since there is so much debris and dust that can fly into the air from sanding, cutting, etc.

So Two River Theater was able to donate 240 N95 masks and 3 boxes of nitrile gloves to the Monmouth County Drop-Off Site, 8 boxes of nitrile gloves and N95 respirator masks to Riverview Medical Center, and 26 fabric face masks to CareOne at King James.

The theater’s Costume Shop is doing their part, too! They are taking costume/wardrobe fabric pieces used in past production and converting them into masks!  (These photos show a blouse worn in the show "Love in Hate Nation" that has been repurposed into masks!

Lesley Sorenson, the Costume Shop Supervisor at Two River Theater, says, "In the early phases of COVID-19, we had heard of people making homemade masks. As the need grew, especially in our community, we realized we could absolutely help out. Obviously, the fabric we have on hand is from shows we’ve done at the theater. It’s interesting to see fabric that we’ve made blouses, head wraps, dresses, and aprons repurposed into these masks that can help so many. Additionally, it’s great to be able to put our skills to good use while we’re home!”

Two River Theater invites you to stay engaged as they share with you, in this day and age of isolation, some interesting online classes, including Shakespeare Sundays (every Sunday in April at 3 pm) which features directors, actors, and more as they share their love of William Shakespeare. Here are the instructions for joining:

How to access Zoom:

· One hour prior to class time, you will be emailed a Zoom link from Two River Theater.

· To access the Zoom meeting, please follow the prompts from the link. You will be asked to download the FREE mobile or desktop app before joining.

· Tickets: FREE

· Please note: You must RSVP before 2:00 PM on Sunday to be emailed the Zoom link.

Other upcoming events online from Two River Theater include:

PERFORMANCE VIDEO: A LITTLE SHAKESPEARE: MACBETH: Saturday, April 18 at 7pm

Two River will post their recorded performance of A Little Shakespeare: Macbeth from the 2018/19 season. Two River's most popular education program, the production features a cast of area high school students, in a 75-minute adaptation of Shakespeare's tale of witchcraft and ambition, adapted and directed by Sara Holdren.

COMMUNITY POETRY NIGHT: CONNECTION – Saturday, April 25 at 7pm

Continuing Two River's popular Poetry Night series, with a digital stage! A list of poems curated by the Artistic department will be made available for advanced signups from the public, with a reading event to follow on Zoom. Selected poems will follow the theme of "connection," drawing from a variety of artistic eras and poetic styles.

Check Two River’s website and social media sites daily for artist features, at-home activities, crafts, classes, workshops and more. They are encouraging you to watch, share and engage from home until everyone can once again gather together at the theater in Red Bank. CLICK HERE and HERE.

Two River Theater annually produces numerous productions (including classics, world premieres, musicals, and theater for families) and plenty of community events, including commissioning and premiering original works. Each year they serve thousands of students and community members through arts and humanities programs at the theater, in schools, and throughout our region. Two River Theater is led by Artistic Director John Dias and Managing Director Michael Hurst.