This September, South Camden Theatre Company will celebrate its 20th season anniversary, producing professional, high-quality theatre on our stage at The Waterfront South Theatre in Camden, New Jersey, with our production of ‘A Good Farmer,’ opening on September 5, 2025. We’ll also be celebrating the 15th anniversary of our home, The Waterfront South Theatre.
South Camden Theater Company was formed when Father Michael Doyle (1934-2022), formerly of Sacred Heart Church in Camden, asked a member of his congregation, Joe Paprzycki, a playwright, “Why don’t you do any of your plays in Camden?” The answer was quite simple, “Where?, asked Joe.” With that, Father Doyle offered his community room as a make-shift theatre, and the theatre company was born.
To date, we’ve produced more than 70 shows, with more than 600 performances across these seasons. Those first years in the church community room were shows created primarily for the parishioners of Sacred Heart. Then, in 2010, we were generously gifted a brand-new 6,000-square-foot theatre building, built by the neighborhood redevelopment organization, The Heart of Camden, along with many private funders, including The Domenica Foundation. “This changed everything,” stated Robert Bingaman, Board President. “We knew we needed to expand our audience across a broader scope of South Jersey and also from Philadelphia, to make owning this beautiful, state-of-the-art theatre a success.”
‘A GOOD FARMER,’ on stage September 5-21, 2025, is a moving drama, laced with humor and heartache. Playwright Sharyn Rothstein wrote it in 2006, but this story could have been ripped from any of this year’s hot-button immigration headlines. Director Scott Grumling stated, “I am honored to be directing another play written by Sharyn Rothstein. She tackles social and political issues without pushing a particular agenda or ideology onto the narrative of her work. Instead, she introduces us to and tells the story of characters that could be your friends or neighbors, bringing a specific and defined humanity to people who are affected by adverse circumstances.”
‘‘A GOOD FARMER’’ is the story of two women—a farm owner and her unlikely best friend, an undocumented Latino immigrant—fighting to survive in a small town divided by America’s immigration battle. This play addresses a highly relevant and contentious issue that is currently a topic of debate all across America. It is also a play about love, friendship, and discovering the strength to confront what divides us.
Grumling continued, “Controversy surrounding the topic of immigration is not a recent development and has been a seemingly unsolvable issue for both Democratic and Republican administrations for decades. Playwright Sharyn Rothstein began work on this play about 20 years ago after seeing an article in the New York Times. The article reported that I.C.E. raids in a small farming town in upstate New York had created a culture of fear in the community and were turning neighbors against each other. Seven illegal workers were detained and offered lesser sentences if they told officials that their employers were aware of their illegal status, but the workers refused. This story prompted Sharyn to ponder: what ties must these workers have to their employer that they would protect the employer at their peril?” When asked why Grumling has returned to SCTC, he said, “It brings me a tremendous feeling of pride to work with the talented cast and professional crew at SCTC. I am overjoyed to share this incredibly moving story and put a human face on this volatile topic, taking the audience on a journey beyond what is reported in today’s headlines.
Please make plans to visit the theatre to see ‘A GOOD FARMER’ when it opens on September 5. The show runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM and on Sunday afternoons at 2:00 PM through September 21, 2025, at the Waterfront South Theatre, located at 400 Jasper Street, Michael Doyle Lane, Camden, New Jersey 08104.
Following ‘A GOOD FARMER,’ we present ‘DOT, ’ a comedy written by award-winning actor/director Colman Domingo. This show closes our 20th anniversary season just in time for the holidays. Zuhairah McGill, an AEA Actress and Director, spearheads the show. Z was last seen on our stage in 2012. This is her first time as a director for South Camden Theatre Company. ‘DOT’ is on stage from November 7 to 23, 2025.
Learn more about each show and the company on our website here: www.southcamdentheatre.org
## About Our Theatre Building:
The Waterfront South Theatre, home to South Camden Theatre Company, is a gem in Camden’s newly designated Waterfront South arts district. It is the first free-standing theatre built in Camden in more than 100 years. The Domenica Auditorium seats 96 guests per performance. The Waterfront South Theatre is just one block west of Broadway and Ferry Avenue intersection on Jasper Street/Michael Doyle Lane in the Waterfront South historic district of Camden. Our location is conveniently close to Collingswood, Haddon Township, Haddonfield, Haddon Heights, Oaklyn, Barrington, Cherry Hill, and many other South Jersey towns, as well as Philadelphia and its suburbs.
## About The Theatre Company
South Camden Theatre Company is proud to call Camden home. When the company was founded in 2005, performances were held in the community room of the Sacred Heart Church. We’re now the proud owners of The Waterfront South Theatre, the first free-standing theatre built for live theatre in Camden in more than 100 years by The Domenica Foundation. Learn more here: www.southcamdentheatre.org/history-of-south-camden-theatre-company
## About The Waterfront South Neighborhood
The Waterfront South neighborhood is home to a growing arts community surrounded by row homes built initially for shipyard workers around the turn of the century. Today, these homes have been rehabbed and are homes to families from all walks of life.
CONTACT: ROBERT BINGAMAN, MARKETING, rallan@southcamdentheatre.org, rallan@southcamdentheatre.org, 609-471-4168
