If you find yourself down the shore this summer in the Cape May area and you feel you need something a little different to do – you can head on down to the End of the Road, where you just might find something unexpected.
It’s the End of the Road Theater, an intimate 44-seat multi-purpose venue just over the West Cape May bridge, in the Acme shopping center in Lower Township’s North Cape May section.
Housed in a former strip mall card store, the theater offers a mix of new and classic movie screenings, live theater, musical performances, comedy shows and more.
The theater was founded four years ago by Jennifer Swain, a recent Cape May County transplant who felt the area could use something a little different.
“It started quite slow since I started in the midst of a pandemic. I’ve got great timing,” she said with a laugh. “But each year it’s gotten better and better as word has spread. It’s really been word of mouth – that’s how the theater is getting out there.
A love of cinema
Swain’s love of movies and her feeling that there was a lack of diverse film-going options in the area partly led to her decision to open the theater.
“I love films,” she said. “ I love watching films. I love choosing the films. I really like choosing the smaller, independent films that I show on Sundays. They’re films that you’re not going to see at the bigger multi-plex theaters.
“So I really love the independent films, and then the classic films. I love all the classic films – lots of Cary Grant, James Cagney, Bogart.”
The theater has even fostered the creation of two film clubs to help support film screenings at the theater.
“More and more shows are selling out,” Swain said. “When I first started I might have six people for a film and now it’ll be 30 people.”
End of the Road
When it came to choosing a name for her new project, Swain said she turned to a discussion with a group of friends for guidance, but said she knew it had to be something suited specifically to their location.
”I wanted something that reflected the area that we lived in,” she said. “The bay is there, we’ve got the beach, we’ve got beautiful sunsets.
“My friend said, ‘how about End of the Road,’ and it sounded really good to me. I felt like that’s it. I like that.”
Retail revamped
Swain said she worked with an architect to transform the interior of the former retail shop into a space that could be used for both film showings and live performances.
She said it’s a fairly simple space with a stage at one end, a box office at the front, and mainly the seating space in between.
The projector for showing movies is suspended from the ceiling and the screen can roll up out of the way for live shows.
Live performances
She said she’s worked with a number of local theater groups to bring plays to her stage, including the Classic American Tales Theater Group in West Cape May.
Another group recently formed after first meeting at the theater, she said.
“When I first opened I had an open mic night to get local talent in the door and a group of folks would come to the open mic and they connected and formed a group called Jersey Devil Comedy,” she said. “They’ve now put on a lot of comedy shows here as well as at other venues in the area.”
It should be noted that the theater is BYOB, and patrons are welcome to bring in alcoholic beverages to enjoy during performances.
Swain, who said she is of no relation to the well-known Cape May family of the same name, actually moved to the area about 10 years ago.
Originally from Philadelphia, she said she spent many years in New England before settling in North Cape May.
She said End of the Road has been seeing a mix of about two thirds locals to one third tourists at the theater’s shows.
Love of community
“My customer base is mostly locals and they’re awesome people,” she said. “They come multiple times within a single weekend.”
Swain said she’s pleased with the progress of the theater so far, and said she’s open to working with members of the community if they have something they’d like to try there.
“I look at the stage as the community’s stage and local talent, if they have a show that they want to put on, or if they have an idea about a show they want to put on that they want to talk through, I welcome that,” she said.
“I just want to support local talent as much as I can. I’m always open to new ideas and to trying new things.”
That view of her business actually belonging to the community comes from her deep appreciation of the people in the area that have led to her success here in her adopted home.
“The community has really embraced the theater,” she said. “They’ve been very supportive and folks look forward to coming to the theater and they have a great time when they come.
“They can’t wait to come back and when they come back, they bring friends. That’s really what has made the theater successful. I’m just so grateful and I can’t say thank you enough to the community for embracing the theater the way they have.”
End of the Road Theater – June 5 – June 8
This week’s entertainment lineup is a perfect introduction to the type of eclectic mix you’ll find at End of the Road Theater.
On Thursday, June 5 at 7 p.m., they are showing “A Throw of Dice,” a silent Indian film from 1929, which will be accompanied by a live performance of sitar music.
Friday, June 6, is Classic Film Friday, with a showing of the Humphrey Bogart film “Dead Reckoning.”
On Saturday, June 7, End of the Road will serve up an intimate live music performance by singer-songwriter C. Lynne Smith, who brings her blend of country, blues, folk and rock to the theater.
And finally on Sunday, June 8, there will be a showing of the new-release film “Wakefield,” starring Brian Cranston and Jennifer Garner.
Follow End of the Road on Facebook for their latest news and updates to their schedule.