Still More Theater Saturday - Effa Loves Baseball

We received complimentary tickets to Effa Loves Baseball for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

What: Effa Loves Baseball

Where: Enlow Recital Hall

             Nathan Weiss Graduate College

             215 North Ave.

             Hillside, NJ

When: This show ran from October 15 through October 25.

Effa Loves Baseball is the inspirational story of Effa Manley, a pioneering American sports executive and civil right advocate. She was the driving force behind the Newark Eagles Negro League baseball team when that was something that was completely unprecedented for women. Even now, most sports executives are men, and women are just barely beginning to enter these positions.

The show was both informative and interesting. Kerry Warren was a real standout in the central role of Effa. She imbued the role with a quiet dignity and a gentle forcefulness. Other real-life characters in the show included Effa's husband, Abe; Larry Doby, an Eagles player and later the first Black man in the American League; and baseball executives Branch Rickey and Bill Veeck. The four other cast members capably played these roles as well as several others.

And that's our view. This play was part of the Liberty Live Commission, established to fund the development of plays that focus on groundbreaking historical New Jersey women. The next similarly commissioned show will be Remember the Ladies, the story of Sarah Livingston of Liberty Hall. The Liberty Hall Museum will host a stage reading of this work-in-progress from November 13 through November 15. For more about that or to RSVP to this free reading, go to premierestagesatkean.com/remember-the-ladies

Tune in tomorrow for this week's Sunday Scoop.

Photo credits:

All Effa Loves Baseball production photos by Mike Peters

All images used in this post were sent by publicists, artists, and/or  PR firms and are used with permission. Address concerns regarding image usage here.

Theater Thursday - The Unexpected 3rd

We received complimentary tickets to The Unexpected 3rd for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own. 

What: The Unexpected 3rd

            George Street Playhouse

            NBPAC

            11 Livingston Ave. 

            New Brunswick, NJ

Who: Recommended for Ages 16 and up due to mature subject matter

When: Through November 1, 2026

Kathryn Grody is an actress, mom, and wife. She is also a woman of a certain age. The Unexpected 3rd is her show about surviving and thriving in later life. Ms. Grody is quite lively and personable, and the show is full of humor and hope. Anyone who has reached a similar time in life will likely find the show extremely relatable in many ways and perhaps even a little inspirational. 

And that's our view. For more about The Unexpected 3rd or to purchase tickets, visit georgestreetplayhouse.org/overview/theunexpectedthird.

Photo credits:

All The Unexpected 3rd production photos by Mark Garvin

All images used in this post were sent by publicists, artists, and/or  PR firms and are used with permission. Address concerns regarding image usage here.

Where-To-Go Wednesday - 1880- 1950 Works from the Collection of MoMA

What: 1880-1950 Works from the Collection of MoMa

Where: Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

             11 W. 53rd St.

             New York, NY

Who: All ages

On display on the fifth floor of MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) is a vast array of artwork from the museum's collection that was created between 1880 and 1950. This includes extremely well-known works like Van Gogh's The Starry Night, Dalí's The Persistence of Memory, and Wyeth's Christina's World. Other artists represented include Hopper, Picasso, Rothko, Pollock, and many more. 

Most of the art is painting. However, other art forms are also represented. These include sculptures, a couple of Frank Lloyd Wright models, at least one shadow box, and more. A small section is even devoted to furnishings and wallpaper. 

Although the galleries are allegedly loosely arranged chronologically, they are mainly arranged around specific topics. All the artwork is numbered. Number maps in each gallery show the artwork there. However, locating a specific work of art just by number can still be confusing. Accordingly, if you are looking for a particular work of art, it is probably best to use the museum's website or map, or ask a staff member rather than driving yourself crazy.

And that's our view. For more about this collection, MoMA in general, or to purchase a ticket,  visit www.moma.org. We will also be talking more about the museum in future Where-To-Go Wednesdays.

Tune in tomorrow for Theater Thursday.

All photographs used in this post are our own.   Address concerns here.