Arts and Cultural Programming

Mission Statement

 
ACP’s overarching premise is to sustain its role as a leader in the advocacy of contemporary artists in this country by producing and presenting their works at Montclair State University, and in doing so to ensure that work of exemplary artists is seen at venues worldwide.

Integral to this mission is the need to encourage audiences to become more adventurous and open to new artistic experiences. Since its inception, the Peak Performances series has set out to challenge and rethink the way independent theaters operate and to create a bold new model for presenters in the Garden state.

ACP is embedded in a public university campus setting and is committed to engaging more than 21,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Under the ACP umbrella, Peak Performances is a leading model nationally for innovative producing and presenting.

Peak Performances

 
Under the artistic direction of ACP’s Executive Director, Jedediah Wheeler, PEAK Performances has achieved international recognition for presenting and producing innovative works in dance, music theater and opera. With a celebrated emphasis on interdisciplinary work, PEAK hosted 75 World and American Premieres since 2005. Notable among the artists whose work has been seen on the Alexander Kasser Theater stage are Richard Alston, David Rousseve, Bill T Jones, Camille A. Brown, Wayne MacGregor, Robyn Orlin, Romeo Castelucci, Crystal Pite, Liz Gerring, Faye Driscoll, Angelica Liddell, Jan Fabre, Emma Dante and Pam Tanowitz.

Robert Wilson conceived and directed The Life of Clementine Hunter for the Kasser stage and has also directed Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape with himself in the title role. Writer, director, designer and choreographer David Gordon revived his production of Robert Brustein’s seminal musical, Schlemiel the First.

PEAK commissions work notably Dog Days by David T. Little and Royce Vavrek, Spinning by Maya Beiser, Julia Wolfe and Laurie Olinder,Leonora and Alejandro by Stacy Klein for Double Edge Theater and My Coma Dreams by Fred Hersch. Companies making their American debuts include Gandini Juggling (UK), Via Katlehong (South Africa), Inbal Oshman (Israel), Charlotte Vincent (UK) and Raphaelle Boitel (France).

By bringing together artists of uncommon imagination with diverse audi-ences of adventuresome spirit, PEAK promotes a greater appreciation of human possibility.
 

Office of Arts + Cultural Programming

Memberships

Theater Tech Specs

Montclair State University is located on Valley Rd. and Normal Ave. in Montclair, NJ; directly by the University’s main entrance on Normal Avenue. Hourly paid parking is available at the Red Hawk Deck next to the theater.

View the Tech Spec Datasheet
 

Seating Capacity

Permanent Seating Capacity is 463.
The Kasser has:
Orchestra Seats: 288
Mezzanine Seats: 175
Presidential: 36
Orchestra Pit Cover Seats: 35

Usual Seating Capacity: 463
Add Presidential Seating: 499
Add Pit Cover and Presidential: 534

**Additional Standing Room Capacity is available for some engagements.
 

Technical Contacts

Traveling Directions

Below you will find directions to the Kasser Theater from all points by car. If you are utilizing GPS to visit us, please use the following information when entering directions into your GPS: Enter 22 Normal Avenue, Montclair, NJ 07043. This will take you to the entrance of the campus. Turn right off of Normal Ave. on to campus, the Kasser Theater and Red Hawk parking deck will be directly in front of you.