Millburn-Short Hills Magazine Spring 2019 | Page 10

BUZZWORTHY To be considered for Buzzworthy, contact Cindy Schweich Handler at [email protected] Millburn BENNY & JOON COMING TO PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE Livingston A ROADMAP FOR WRITERS MARCH 18 Essex county resident JOANNE SERLING is the author of Good 7 P.M. Neighbors, a novel about four friendly suburban families whose loyalty and values are called into question when one of the group adopts a little girl from Russia. Now Serling has another (non-fiction) story to tell: How to successfully make it down the rocky road to publication. Serling, who is also a freelance writer and college essay coach, shares insights into writing unlikeable characters and weathering the ups and downs of an often lengthy process. • Livingston Public Library, 10 Robert H. Harp Dr., [phone], livingstonlibrary.org 8 SPRING 2019 MILLBURN & SHORT HILLS MAGAZINE Millburn MILLBURN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT REPRESENTS NEW JERSEY IN WASHINGTON MHS senior RANEN MIAO represented New Jersey and met with U.S. Senator Robert Menendez at the United States Senate Youth Program held in Washington, D.C. Along with Jacob Alexander Bernard of Pitman in Gloucester County, Miao received a $10,000 college scholarship from the Hearst Foundation. The overall mission of the program is to help instill within each class of USSYP student delegates — 104 in all — a deep understanding of the American political process, and a lifelong commitment to public service. Miao currently serves as the president of the MHS Key Club, and is passionate about government, philanthropy and community service. He is also one of 12 members of the USA Debate Team. MIAO: From April 4-May 5, PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE is presenting Benny & Joon, a new musical based on the 1993 film starring Johnny Depp and Mary Stuart Masterson. Joon is a young woman dealing with mental illness, and Benny is the big brother who’s determined to take care of her. When a charmingly odd stranger enters the picture, their carefully calibrated world goes off-kilter. Moving and challenging, the story addresses a difficult subject with warmth, honesty and wit. • 22 Brookside Dr., [phone], papermill.org