Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night Being Presented by Cranford Dramatic Club

Twelfth Night is one of William Shakespeare’s comedies and it comes to the CDC stage throughout the month of February. Director Susie Speidel and actor Zach Mazouat (Andy Aquecheek) join me to talk about the show, the challenges of performing Shakespeare, and what this show has to do with New York City in the 1970s.

Listen to Cranford Radio podcast

Twelfth Night cast
bottom row left – Corey Chichizola, bottom row right – Zach Mazouat
middle row left to right – Hannah Federman, Melissa Calicchio, Kate Griggs, Mark Zebro
top row left to right – Mary Anne Bonczek, Orin Tempkin, Lorraine Ford Deman, Ed Favor, Sean Kelly, Susie Paplow

Meet the New Pastor at the Cranford United Methodist Church

In July, the Cranford United Methodist Church welcomed a new pastor, Rev. Dr. HyunHui Kim.  Pastor Kim is not only the first woman to serve as pastor of CUMC, but she is also the first person of color.

In this episode we learn a bit about her story from her growing up years in a suburb of Seoul to what brought her to New Jersey.

Listen to Cranford Radio podcast

Rev. Dr. HyunHui Ki

Cranford’s Equity and Inclusivity Initiative Releases Community Survey

Following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, the Cranford community created the Equity and Inclusivity Initiative to examine what needed to be done to make the town welcoming to everyone. Leaders of the project include a wide range of community members, including representatives from the township committee,  public schools, clergy, police and citizens. Meetings, which were open to all members of the public, developed mission, value, vision and goal statements, an action plan and a strategic plan.

On January 9 a survey was released seeking feedback from all stakeholders. Cranford Radio spoke with several leaders of the initiative to learn more about their work and the purposes of the survey. Guests on the episode are Police Chief Ryan Greco, Sherry Williams, Rev. Alfred Brown of the First Baptist Church, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Scott Rubin, Dr. Christopher Chapman of the Roselle Chapter of the NAACP and Township Committee member Kathleen Miller Prunty.

Listen to podcast

Top row (left to right): Chief Ryan Greco, Bernie Wagenblast, Sherry Williams; second row: Rev. Alfred Brown, Dr. Scott Rubin, Dr. Christopher Chapman; bottom row: Commissioner Kathleen Miller Prunty

Bernie Wagenblast: A Reintroduction

In this Cranford Radio episode the tables are turned and instead of being the interviewer, Bernie becomes the interviewee. She discusses her recent announcement that she has transitioned to living as a woman and in general about being transgender. Interviewing Bernie are five members of the Cranford Unity Project; Sanjeevanee Vidwans, Patricia MacLean, Jill Wohrle, Karen Bennett, and Jo Ann Boyle.

Listen to Cranford Radio podcast

Top row (left to right): Karen Bennett, Bernie Wagenblast, Jo Ann Boyle; Bottom row: Sanjeevanee Vidwans, Jill Wohrle, Patricia MacLean