Teacher's play to be staged

BY SHARON LEFF
Correspondent

MARLBORO - Begining June 1, Marlboro Memorial Middle School, Nolan Road, will present "Different Lives," a play written, produced and directed by teacher John Lissaris.

Lissaris also wrote and orchestrated the music.

"The whole process took about a year," said Lissaris, who teaches French and Spanish.

The play centers around three girls who meet three boys while completing a community service project.

A romance blossoms between two of the characters, but trouble arises when the attraction is not met with approval by all.

Lissaris called the musical a "Romeo and Juliet" kind of story.

He said he wanted to create a musical where the students would want to find out what happened to the main characters.

"I wanted to be able to do something at the middle school level for students, something they could relate to, something they could enjoy ... something they can connect with," he said.

Lissaris took music lessons when he was younger and it is something he has continued to do as a hobby.

"As I was learning to write songs I decided I knew I was going to want to eventually write a play and when I started teaching in the middle school it kind of came together," he said.

Lissaris was co-adviser to the school show last year and this year his co-directors are social studies teacher Maryann LaPiana and Rutgers University student Laura Dail.

Also helping the play along is a $1,500 grant from the Marlboro Educa-tional Foundation. The organization awards grants for programs that are not included in the general school budget.

"Different Lives" will be performed in the Marlboro Memorial Middle School cafetorium, June 1 and June 2 at 7 p.m. and June 3 at 5 p.m. The school is at 71 Nolan Road.