Matt de Rogatis has joined the cast of Ruth Stage’s “Night of January 16th.” #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos has the scoop.
Ruth Stage continues its residency at the Jersey Shore Arts Center with Night of January 16th, following its acclaimed productions of Edward Albee’s The Zoo Story and At Home at the Zoo.
In Ayn Rand’s gripping courtroom drama, Karen Andre stands accused of murdering her powerful and enigmatic lover, Bjorn Faulkner. As District Attorney Flint and Defense Attorney Stevens wage a calculated battle over ambition, loyalty and moral responsibility, witnesses take
the stand to paint radically different portraits of the woman on trial. Is Karen a devoted secretary caught in the wreckage of a titan’s fall or a calculating opportunist who refused to be discarded?
The truth fractures with every testimony – turning the courtroom into a psychological chess match where perception is everything. In Ruth Stage’s immersive staging, twelve audience members are selected each night to serve as the jury, deliberating live onstage to determine the verdict. With two possible endings, no two performances unfold the same way.
True to Ruth Stage’s bold reinterpretations, this is no ordinary revival. In this darker, ritualistic staging, witnesses become suspects, attorneys turn into ruthless interrogators, and no one is safe from questioning in a pressure-cooker of shifting loyalties and buried secrets. A shadowy “dark triad of justice” looms over the trial as the judge, clerk, and stenographer appear as archetypes of judgment, presiding over an interrogation-style thriller where the line between performance and prosecution dissolves.
Joining the Ruth Stage production is Matt de Rogatis, best known for his explosive turn as “Brick” in the Off‑Broadway premieres of Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and, most recently, At Home at the Zoo by Edward Albee at the Jersey Shore Arts Center.
In Night of January 16th, de Rogatis steps into the role of Judge Heath, a looming, ritualistic presence who oversees the proceedings, guides the audience‑jurors, and quietly exerts pressure on every testimony. Serving as both arbiter and omen, his Judge Heath becomes both an unsettling force and the human embodiment of the production’s “dark triad of justice.”
Night of January 16th is directed by nationally recognized director and choreographer, Elizabeth Troxler, whose regional credits include West Side Story, Newsies and numerous original narrative ballets. A former professional ballerina and Certified Teacher of the prestigious Royal
Academy of Dance (London), she brings decades of artistic leadership and rigorous storytelling to the production.
The previously mentioned Rivera Reese is no longer with the production and full casting announcements are expected this week.
This exclusive three night engagement places the gavel in the hands of the audience and takes place April 2 at 7pm, April 3 at 8pm and April 4 at 8pm.
All shows will be performed at the Jersey Shore Arts Center – 66 South Main Street – Ocean Grove, New Jersey. Tickets start at $39 for GENERAL ADMISSION with ON STAGE JURY SEATING available for $59.
For more information, check out the official Ruth Stage website and the Eventbrite page.
