'Avenue Q' and Collingswood's Monster Hunt

Written and reported by Zach DeRitis

Don’t be surprised if you happen to notice that Collingswood is getting a little bit fluffier over the next few weeks.  

Little orange monsters will soon be popping up in businesses all over town. If you find one, you could win free tickets to see Avenue Q.

As a promotion to celebrate the upcoming production, the Collingswood Community Theatre is hiding little Trekkies—so named for the one of the lead characters in the show—in businesses across town. 

Spot one and you could win a free ticket to the show.

“We thought we could hide them, have people claim them and when they claim them they get a free ticket to the show,” said director Mary Baldwin, who heads up the Collingswood Community Theatre.

“We’re going to kind of creatively hide them.”

Don’t be fooled by their fluffy exterior, however. The Avenue may look like Sesame Street, but its residents make no bones about sharing their R-rated existence with colorful language and adult humor.

“As far as Collingswood Community Theatre is concerned, this is the edgiest show we’ve done,” said Baldwin.

“We’ve never done a puppet-style show,” she said. “We’ve never done a really edgy show.”

Baldwin is convinced, however, that the predominately senior citizen population that comes out to see her productions at the Scottish Rite is just as ready and excited for it as she is.

“We’re really confident that they would still come," she said. "We sent out a mass email to our seniors and we kind of challenged them. We said, 'We just want you to know it’s a little naughty; it’s a little raunchy.'  

“And they are buying! They are out buying tickets and they’re saying, 'We heard it’s dirty, we can’t wait to see it.'”

The show’s raw honesty in depicting the lives of financially struggling, 20-somethings trying to make it in the big city will give any conventional Broadway show a run for its money. 

It’s not too often that you get to see adorable felt puppets singing about explicit Internet browsing, drinking and casual racism.

“We’re leaving in all of the F-bombs and we’re not changing any of the content,” Baldwin said.

“We’re making sure we remain faithful to it, which we are,” said actor C.J. Kish, who plays Trekkie and Nicky. 

“What’s great about this show too is that there’s something very disarming about puppetry, in the sense that you can get away with doing things with puppets that you can’t do [with people]," he said.

The little Trekkies will be hidden throughout the coming weeks. Those who find them will win a free ticket and an Avenue Q beer mug. Just bring the Trekkies to Borough Hall to claim your prize.

Avenue Q will be performed at 7:30 p.m. July 24, 25 and 26 at the Scottish Rite Theater in Collingswood. 

Tickets, which are available at Borough Hall, cost $20 for adults and $15 for seniors and student. Groups of 10 or more can purchase tickets for $13 apiece. Children younger than 13 are discouraged from attending.

Buy a ticket in advance and get a free Avenue Q beer mug—and your first beer or wine is on the house!