East Lynne’s ‘Lunar Eclipse’ Opens Under a Real Eclipse in Cape May

Issue #774

August 11, 2026

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In This Cape May Local Scoop Issue…

 📆 Cape May Events

☀️ Cape May Local Weather 

🛩️East Lynne’s ‘Lunar Eclipse’ Opens Under a Real Eclipse in Cape May 

🎺Cape May Could Get Spectacular View of Perseids in Moonless Sky

⚽ Community Groups Sue Ocean City Over Wonderland Pier Redevelopment

Cape May Local Scoop’s Events Are Sponsored By: Cape May Antique Center

👇 Here’s what’s going on in the Cape May Local Area👇  

 August 11

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East Lynne’s ‘Lunar Eclipse’ Opens Under a Real Eclipse in Cape May 

If you’ve been following the brilliant season East Lynne Theater Company has given us so far, you’ll be thrilled to hear about the latest production the company has lined up for Cape May later this month.

East Lynne Theater Company will bring Donald Margulies’ “Lunar Eclipse” to Cape May for its New Jersey premiere beginning Aug. 27, with opening night receiving an unusual assist from nature.

A partial lunar eclipse is expected to unfold above Cape May the same night the production officially opens at the Clemans Theater for the Arts at the Historic Allen AME. Following the performance, Cape May Astro is scheduled to provide a live, high-definition view of the celestial event from the theater parking lot as part of an opening-night celebration.

The production runs through Sept. 20, with a preview performance scheduled for Aug. 26.

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Margulies, best known for “Dinner with Friends,” centers “Lunar Eclipse” on George and Em, a couple who have been married for decades. As they watch a lunar eclipse from their family farm, memories and long-held truths gradually emerge.

The celestial event becomes a backdrop for an intimate examination of marriage, commitment, loss and the experiences that shape a life shared between two people.

Adding another real-life connection to the production, George and Em will be played by Andy Prosky and Rita Rehn, who are partners offstage and have a summer home in Cape May Point.

Prosky, the son of late actor Robert Prosky, has appeared in movies including “Men in Black,” “Mrs. Doubtfire” and “Up Close & Personal.” His television credits include “Blue Bloods,” “John Adams” and “Law & Order,” while his stage work includes productions of “King Lear,” “Noises Off” and “Born Yesterday.”

Rehn appeared on Broadway in “A Chorus Line” and “Nine” and has received New Jersey theater critics’ awards for Best Actress and Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Her television credits include “The Blacklist” and “Chicago Fire.”

East Lynne Executive Director Mark David Boberick is directing the production and created its scenic design. It marks Boberick’s theatrical directing debut.

Boberick is also co-creator and chief creative director of Petals Floral Design & Gifts, a Wildwood business established in 2013, and has worked throughout the region in floral, interior and theatrical design.

The production also features lighting design by Kirstin Ritch, original music by Mark Lehnowsky and production stage management by Ben Simonetty.

According to East Lynne, the timing of the production and the real lunar eclipse was coincidental. The theater had already selected the play, scheduled the production and secured its rights before Boberick discovered that an eclipse would occur on opening night.

The coincidence ultimately created an opportunity to extend the evening's theme beyond the stage, with the post-show viewing allowing theatergoers to see the astronomical phenomenon that serves as the setting for Margulies’ story.

“Lunar Eclipse” will be performed at 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays at the Clemans Theater for the Arts, 717 Franklin St. in Cape May.

General admission tickets are $40, with tickets priced at $35 for seniors and $25 for students and military personnel. Tickets for the Aug. 26 preview are $25.

Opening-night tickets are $45 and include the post-show celebration and Cape May Astro’s planned live HD viewing of the partial lunar eclipse. Discounts do not apply to opening night.

The Marquee Producers for the production are Petals Floral Design & Gifts, the Dr. Laura Bell Foundation, Nicholas Nastasi, Mark Sucher and Jane Lyons.

Founded in 1980, East Lynne Theater Company focuses on presenting and preserving American theatrical heritage while also staging contemporary works. The organization is continuing a capital campaign to renovate its home at the Clemans Theater for the Arts at Allen AME and has expanded its programming to include year-round theater, music and other performances.

Tickets and additional information are available at EastLynneTheater.org.

Cape May Could Get Spectacular View of Perseids in Moonless Sky

Cape May residents and visitors may want to stay up late Wednesday night. One of summer’s biggest celestial shows is arriving, and conditions are lining up to make this year’s edition particularly impressive.

The annual Perseid meteor shower is expected to peak overnight Wednesday, Aug. 12, into the predawn hours of Thursday, Aug. 13, potentially sending dozens of shooting stars across the Jersey Shore sky.

What makes 2026 special is the timing of the moon.

The Perseids reach their peak around a new moon, meaning there will be virtually no moonlight competing with the meteors. With sufficiently dark and cloud-free skies, that could make fainter meteors easier to see and create some of the best Perseid viewing conditions in years.

Under ideal dark-sky conditions, estimates suggest observers could see dozens of meteors per hour, with some forecasts putting the potential rate as high as 50 to 100 per hour. Actual numbers will depend heavily on cloud cover, light pollution and viewing location.

For Cape May, with its beaches, open horizons and relatively dark locations away from concentrated development, the event could provide an especially memorable summer night.

The best viewing is expected after midnight Wednesday and continuing through the predawn hours Thursday.

The Perseids appear to originate near the constellation Perseus in the northeastern sky, but there is no need to spend the evening staring at one particular spot. Meteors can streak across virtually any part of the sky.

In fact, a wide, unobstructed view is better than using a telescope.

The Perseids occur each summer as Earth travels through a trail of debris left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle. Tiny pieces of dust and rock enter Earth's atmosphere at tremendous speeds and burn up, producing the brilliant streaks commonly called shooting stars.

The shower is particularly well known for producing bright fireballs and meteors that can leave glowing trails behind them.

Finding darkness will be the key.

Cape May Point and other locations away from the brightest downtown lights may offer better conditions than heavily illuminated areas. Potential viewing areas around the Cape May region include Cape May Point, Sunset Beach and other open spaces with broad views of the night sky, where legally accessible after dark.

Wherever you go, check the location's operating hours and nighttime access rules before making plans. Beach, park and preserve access can vary.

Once you find your spot, give your eyes at least 20 to 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness. Looking repeatedly at a bright phone screen can undo that adjustment, so keeping screens dim or putting the phone away entirely will improve your chances of spotting fainter meteors.

There is no need to bring binoculars or a telescope. Because meteors can appear anywhere overhead and disappear within seconds, the naked eye provides the widest field of view.

A reclining beach chair or blanket, however, could come in handy.

Then settle in, look up and wait.

Meteor showers can arrive in bursts, so a quiet stretch of several minutes doesn't mean the show is over. Patience — and a dark sky — can make all the difference.

The Perseids are only part of an unusually interesting August for anyone who enjoys watching the skies.

A solar eclipse also occurs Aug. 12, although the total eclipse will be visible from locations far from South Jersey, including parts of Greenland, Iceland and Spain. Anyone attempting to observe any portion of a solar eclipse directly must use proper solar-viewing protection.

Later this month, Cape May has another celestial coincidence in store.

East Lynne Theater Company opens Donald Margulies' “Lunar Eclipse” on Aug. 27 at the Clemans Theater for the Arts — just as an actual lunar eclipse unfolds that night. Cape May Astro is scheduled to provide a live HD view of the eclipse following the opening-night performance. (see the story above)

First, though, comes the Perseids.

For anyone willing to trade a little sleep for a late summer night beneath the stars, Wednesday into Thursday could be one of the best opportunities of the year to look up from Cape May and watch the sky put on the show.

 Community Groups Sue Ocean City Over Wonderland Pier Redevelopment

Community groups including Ocean City 2050 have sued Ocean City and City Council, seeking to overturn the June 25 designation of the former Wonderland Pier property as an area in need of rehabilitation. The designation could help pave the way for developer Eustace Mita’s proposed $150 million, 252-room hotel. The lawsuit alleges the city lacked sufficient legal and factual grounds for its decision and raises conflict-of-interest allegations involving Mayor Jay Gillian’s financial ties to Mita. The allegations have not been adjudicated. The legal challenge adds uncertainty to the long-running debate over redevelopment of the Boardwalk property.

Lucy the elephant in Margate had a sister in Cape May. What was her name?

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 Answer to the August 9th Trivia Question

Which event caused the borough of South Cape May to officially cease its existence in 1945?

A. A devastating hurricane and storm surge
B. A major fire in downtown Cape May
C. Economic collapse during the Great Depression
D. Merger with the city of Cape May

Answer: A devastating hurricane and storm surge

South Cape May was severely damaged by a series of storms, particularly the hurricane of 1944. The destruction was so extensive that the borough was officially dissolved in 1945. The land is now part of the South Cape May Meadows nature preserve.

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