Community Corner
Deborah Pires of Teaneck to Be Honored by The Theater Project
The Theater Project will recognize Deborah Pires who lives Teaneck. She is among eight honorees at its 20th Anniversary Gala to be held on Thursday, May 15th at the Wilshire Grand in West Orange, New Jersey. The Theater Project, a professional theater company will celebrate two decades of presenting the best in contemporary theater in New Jersey.
Deborah Pires has worked with The Theater Project since 1995 appearing in 16 main stage plays. The Theater Project is honoring her as one of the original founders of the company. “The spirit and determination of this original group carried us through, and Debbie was an important contributor,” said Spina.
“In the beginning, we were always working against the odds under challenging circumstances. It was guerilla theater. We’d take down the sets after every performance, and put them up again the next evening. Nothing was easy. Debbie was always there,” Spina recalled. Her unique sense of humor and stage presence inspired the group, and helped form its identity and sensibility. The many Christopher Durang productions she appeared in showcased her comedic talents.
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She graduated from Queens College, CUNY with a B.A. in Communications and a minor in Theater. Later she got her M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language at New York University. She taught part-time at NYU for 15 years, followed by a full-time teaching position at Union County College in Elizabeth, NJ.
Deborah enjoys pottery and writing, including sermons for her church, Unitarian Universalist Congregation, where she is co-president. She lives in Teaneck, New Jersey, and has two daughters, Juliana and Liandra.
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The evening will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a cocktail hour, followed by a sit down dinner. The keynote speaker will be Ken Davenport, producer of Kinky Boots, the winner of the 2013 Tony Award for Best Musical. An open bar will be available throughout the evening. Entertainment includes live music and a lineup of many favorite actors who’ve appeared in Theater Project productions over the past 20 years. Tickets are $100 per person.
The Theater Project, a professional theater company, is based at the Burgdorff Cultural Center for the Performing Arts in Maplewood, New Jersey.
