“Mile 59” Original Play To Be Performed at Sussex County Community College on July 18 & July 19 at 7 p.m. at Sussex County Community College
Allison Ognibene, lead faculty of Theater at Sussex County Community College (SCCC), wrote an original play called "Mile 59." The play was recently featured at the renowned New York Theater Festival, "NY Summerfest" in June 2025 at the Hudson Guild Theater.
Two special shows of "Mile 59" will be performed at SCCC on Friday, July 18, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, July 19, at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center, located at One College Hill Road, Newton, NJ. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door or at https://www.simpletix.com/e/mile-59-play-tickets-220072.
Based on a true story, Ognibene's play tells the tale of 57 Irish migrants who boarded the John Stamp ship from Derry, Ireland, to the Port of Philadelphia, United States, in 1832. The migrants worked on a construction site for the new Philadelphia/Concord railroad at Mile 59. Within six weeks of their arrival, all 57 Irish migrants died supposedly of cholera. Ognibene's play is also based on the Duffy's Cut Project and the historians, scientists, and archaeologists who worked diligently for years to uncover this bleak part of history, shedding light on prejudice and religious persecution in the migrant plight.
"I learned about Duffy's Cut from a PBS special in 2014, and the story always haunted me. When COVID-19 hit, I contacted lead historian Dr. William Watson from Immaculata University, and in 2021, I interviewed him and visited the site of Mile 59, which is where the name of my play came from," Ognibene commented. "There are connections from 1832 to our present time that I make in the play, from the cholera outbreak of 1832 to 2020's COVID-19, and from the Irish migrant surge in the 1800s to our current migrant plight at the southern border of the United States and on how communities responded to these crises. There is a depth of conflict that arises in "Mile 59" that is palpable to what is happening today."
According to its website, the Duffy's Cut Project began archaeological excavation in August 2004, led by a research team headed by Dr. Watson, Rev. Dr. Frank Watson, Earl Schandelmeier, and John Ahtes (who passed away in 2010). The team undertook the momentous task of conducting an archival and archaeological search into the life and death of the forgotten people of Duffy's Cut.
SCCC students, alumni, and community members will be performing in "Mile 59" at the New York Theater Festival, with Ognibene directing, including residents from area towns. Benjamin Smith of Branchville; Fenrir Lewin of Hackettstown; Chris Flatt of Hamburg; Michael Foster of Hardyston; Phil Cocilovo of Montague; Gavin Bermingham of Newton; Stephen Burke of Secaucus; Sky Sobieski of Sparta; Lillian Farrell of Stanhope; Nicolas Galloza of Stanhope; Leo Watson of Stillwater; and Danielle DiBattista and Lydia Rivera of Vernon.
"This has been a very eye-opening experience for my students. Many of the 1832 Irish migrants who died on Mile 59 would be of college age, 18 to 22 years old, in 2025. The actors understand that they are portraying real people who perished while searching for the American Dream," remarked Ognibene.
To learn about the Performing Arts programs and any program at SCCC, visit www.sussex.edu/academics. SCCC is registering students for the fall semester, apply at sussex.edu/apply.