play had readings in Bordentown,
Camden, and then John Pietrowski
picked it for his readings series
and I got to spend an afternoon
just totally dissecting the play with
him and a couple of people. He’s
the guy. To me, he’s the Dean of
New Jersey as far as new plays are
concerned. He’s a brilliant writer
on his own, but he knows how to
help writers with their plays. Man,
if John ever called me and said,
‘Hey Joe, want to do a reading?’
I’d be like, ‘Ok, I’m coming down.’”
Joe may have moved past his
Camden days, but the short docu-
mentary film, Dovere for Camden
by Douglas Clayton, keeps a per-
manent memory. The film details
the struggle to build the theater
and breathe life into the city. Near-
ly two years after it began its run
through the film festival circuit, the
film continues to earn screenings
around the world. Yet, it has never
had a screening in Camden itself.
“I was always obsessed with
NJ STAGE - ISSUE 65
Camden, always obsessed with
that corner - even when I was liv-
ing in the suburbs and it was in
complete disrepair,” he said. “Be-
fore I wrote my first play, I was ob-
sessed with that corner. Now it’s
fixed. I fixed one building in my
hometown. Going forward, hope-
fully the building is always there.”
“I had a good ride down there,”
continued Joe. “I’m first and fore-
most a playwright. I got to tell
Camden stories, put them on a
stage in Camden, and I always
had a lot of support. But I guess
that chapter’s closed and my new
chapter has begun up here. I
spent 60 years of my life in New
Jersey and I gave everything I
could to Camden. I never thought
I’d ever say I was out of Camden. I
thought I’d be in Camden the rest
of my life doing plays, but that was
not the path I was put on. Now
this is the path I was put on. In-
stead of Camden, I’m writing plays
about O’Neill and the Players.”
w
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