Mybergen.com audience, here’s something you should know: world-class theatre is happening just across the state line, closer and more accessible than the lights of Midtown. Think polished productions, an easy drive, and none of the NYC hassle. Read on for why this Mybergen.com Don’t Miss venue deserves a prime spot on your night-out list.
Price Tag of a Broadway Night for a Bergen Couple
Broadway’s draw is undeniable: the 2022-23 season logged 12.3 million paid admissions, and the Broadway League says just over a third of those seats—about 4 million—were bought by the New York City metro crowd, including northern New Jersey suburbanites. Yet proximity comes with a steep tab. Start with the average ticket, $125; two seats already cost $250. Add the common $15 service fee on each ticket (another $30), the George Washington Bridge toll, and Manhattan parking garage rates. Using a middle-of-the-road estimate, a Bergen couple spends over $300, and that’s before dinner—hardly a casual night out.
Have You Heard About the Penguin Rep Theatre?
Those mounting costs are precisely why more North Jersey theater lovers are heading to nearby Stony Point, New York for quality theater entertainment. Just 15-25 minutes up the Palisades Parkway, Penguin Rep Theatre delivers equally accomplished theater productions for $52 tops (and $26 on select Fridays) inside a converted 1880 hay barn where no seat sits more than 30 feet from the stage. For some Bergen residents, the trip is shorter than a Garden State Plaza run. The Penguin Rep Theatre also offers free parking just steps from the door.
The Charming Barn with Broadway Credentials
Founded in 1977 by director Joe Brancato, and guided by executive director Andrew M. Horn, Penguin Rep has premiered more than 200 plays and transferred eight of them to Off-Broadway theaters—including Gene & Gilda, slated to open there this summer. The New York Times tagged the company “the gutsiest little theatre,” while Emmy-winner Edie Falco calls it “a perfect trip out of the city.” We feel this is a perfect day trip from Bergen County!
2025 Mainstage Season – Four Plays, One Scenic Barn
Before we break down the four productions coming to this converted Hudson Valley barn this summer, remember that you’ll find Penguin Rep Theatre showtimes, ticket links, and any last-minute updates on the mybergen.com Events Calendar. For cast lists and behind-the-scenes news and information, you can visit the Penguin Rep Theatre website as well. Now, here’s what’s on tap for 2025—four plays, one unforgettable space.
Miracle on South Division Street (June 6 – 29)
Playwright Tom Dudzick first developed this Buffalo-set comedy at Penguin in 2009; since then it has toured 27 states and several countries. Now the Nowak family’s backyard shrine—and the fragile identity it inspires—returns home under Brancato’s direction. A late-in-life confession threatens to upend everything the Nowaks believe about themselves, sparking fast, heartfelt comedy that mixes local-color humor with big questions about faith and mythology.
Son of Zeus – World Premiere (July 11 – 27)
Written and performed by Jimmy Georgiades and helmed by legendary director Gretchen Cryer, this solo play drops audiences into 1970s Hell’s Kitchen. Georgiades recounts life as the Greek-American son of a single mother who supported him by belly dancing. The result—part neighborhood drama, part Mediterranean epic—captures the tug-of-war between inherited expectations and self-invented destiny.
Castling – World Premiere (August 15 – September 7)
Every morning at a small-town tire shop begins with a few brisk moves on a battered chessboard. But when a corporate takeover threatens the business, the workers must translate their tabletop strategy into real-world survival. Anthony T. Goss’s new comedy, staged by Daniel Boisrond, celebrates blue-collar camaraderie and asks what it takes to stay one move ahead when the rules suddenly change.
Flawless – World Premiere (September 26 – October 19)
Technology, creativity, and attraction collide when a playwright teams with a software designer to chase the “perfect script.” Are they collaborators, rivals, or something in between—and can artificial intelligence really shape the next great play? Penned by John J. Wooten and directed by Brancato, this sharp, funny drama explores the blurred lines between muse and machine.
Performances run Thursdays at 7:30 pm; select Friday matinees at 2:00 pm and Friday evenings at 7:30 pm; Saturdays at 3:00 pm and 7:30 pm; and Sunday matinees at 2:00 pm.
Tickets & Perks—Always Fee Free
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Single seat: $52
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Cheap Thrills Fridays: $26 (opening night of each run)
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Season pass (all four plays): $160 (25% savings)
- Groups of ten+: 10% discount (Call 845-786-2873 for details)
Penguin’s box office refuses add-on surcharges; the price you see is the price you pay. Subscribers get post-show talk-backs with coffee and cake, plus pre-show pizza slices on “Posa Posa Pizza Fridays” (June 20, July 25, Aug 29, Oct 10) as well as discounts at partner restaurants.
Accessibility, Policies & Tax-Deductible Seat Releases
The barn is air-conditioned, fully ADA compliant, and equipped with designated wheelchair locations (reserve when you book). Children under 12 are admitted only when an event is expressly labeled family-friendly. Can’t make your night? Release seats at least two hours before curtain and Penguin will acknowledge the value as a charitable donation for your taxes. Latecomers are seated at staff discretion.
Funding Sources Behind Penguin Rep
Public and private partners underwrite the 48th season: the New York State Council on the Arts, Rockland County, Town of Stony Point, ArtsWestchester, Rockland County Tourism, Hydro-Québec, Orange & Rockland Utilities, the Shubert Foundation, and family foundations including the Barbara & Buddy Freitag Fund, Bernard & Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust, Chazen Foundation, and Jacques & Margot W. Kohn Foundation. Their support keeps ticket prices in reach without compromising production values.
Getting There
So close to the Bergen County border! Set your GPS to 7 Crickettown Road, Stony Point, take the Palisades Interstate Parkway, and park for free.
Mybergen.com Don’t Miss Venue: Just Across the Border
Three brand-new scripts, one beloved comedy returning to its roots, Equity performers, zero hidden fees, and a barn so intimate the actors might hear you breathe—Penguin Rep proves you don’t need a MetroCard to find first-rate theater. Tickets are on sale now at penguinrep.org or 845-786-2873.
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