Parsippany Women's Theater Company: A Bit of Broadway on Knoll Road

The bright lights of Manhattan’s theater district are 30 miles away, but Barbara Krajkowski envisioned a stage closer to home, where the community could enjoy productions every bit as memorable, but with one major difference: the creative forces behind the Women’s Theater Company in Parsippany are mostly women.

Founded in 1993 by Krajkowski, and two other female friends, every aspect of the theater is geared toward women. Already a veteran of professional and regional theater, Krajkowski was frustrated by the lack of substantial roles and opportunities available to women locally, and set out to make a change.

 Now in its eighteenth season, the company not only provides the community with popular shows focusing on women’s issues (past productions include John Patrick Shanley’s “Doubt,” and Neil Simon’s “Last of the Red Hot Lovers”), it also provides women directors, playwrights, costume designers, set designers, and choreographers a unique experience. “We bring in women who get to practice their craft in a very comfortable setting,” says Krajkowski,  a township resident who serves as the company’s Producing Artistic Director. In addition, the theater offers educational opportunities through its touring programs.

Friday through Sunday, there will be final performances of "As the World Goes Round'' by John Kander and Fred Ebb. 

For Krajkowski, opening the Women’s Theater Company was a natural progression in a life dedicated to the performing arts.  She was involved in various dramatic and musical productions throughout elementary and high school before going on to perform in community and professional theaters. She’s been an actress, a costume designer, and a producer. She holds degrees in communication and theater, and she is an adjunct professor at William Patterson University. 

The family-oriented attitude among staffers at the Women’s Theater Company provides is fitting. Krajkowski’s own family is very much involved in the performing arts. Her daughter, actress Jane Krakowski of "30 Rock'' serves on the company’s advisory board. Her son, John Krajkowski, is a musician. Her husband is an actor, and her two children would often accompany their parents to rehearsals, falling asleep in the theater on the nights when babysitters were unavailable. Photographer Alex Krajkowski provides many of the theater’s PR photos.

The “professional experience in a family atmosphere” is director Lauren Moran Mills’s favorite part of working with the company. “We give women an opportunity to hone their skills and do what they love,” says Mills, who is also the theater’s Director of Education. She adds that while the company doesn’t exclude men, its directors are always women.

Mills is directing the company’s current production of “And the World Goes Round,” a musical revue showcasing the songs of John Kander and Fred Ebb.  Musical numbers from some of Broadway’s most well known shows, including “Chicago,” “Kiss of the Spiderwoman,” and “Cabaret” are featured. Mills says the show is a must-see for its “tight harmonies, (Bob) Fosse-style dance, sleek costumes, swank set, and Vaudevillian lighting.”

“It’s something to see and hear!” she says.

Krajkowski is pleased that she’s been able to provide the community with quality performances from a talented cast and crew of so many dedicated artists. “It’s such a gem,” she says. “I want the audiences to come in and enjoy it and be entertained.”

One of the biggest perks for the company’s founder has been watching the women and the theater grow. “It’s been so rewarding,” she says.

As for the future, Krajkowski hopes for much more of the same success her company’s been enjoying throughout its run. “I hope to fill every seat, every show!” she says. “The more that are sitting there smiling and applauding, the more fun it is!”

The Women’s Theater Company is located in the Parsippany Community Center, 1140 Knoll Road, Lake Hiawatha 07034. For reservations and information on upcoming productions, call 973.316.3033 or e-mail info@womenstheater.org. “And the World Goes Round” will run Friday, Feb 25th and Saturday, Feb 26th at 8:00pm, and Sunday, Feb 27th at 3:00pm. Regular ticket price is $20. $18 for seniors age 65 and over, and $21 for students age 21 and younger.