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Bergen Community College alumna Colleen Benedetto, ‘26, has been doing theatre for the past 11 years. After enrolling at Bergen and working on various Bergenstages productions, Benedetto, of Hewitt, decided to take on theatre as a profession.
“I love Bergen’s theatre program,” Benedetto said. “I learned so much in the classes and worked on many productions.”
Benedetto owns a small theatre company, “Project Shakespeare Workshop,” that introduces children to the works of playwright William Shakespeare and teaches them how to act out his plays. She originally enrolled at Bergen to take a few courses for a project she was working on, but fell in love with Bergenstages. This compelled her to earn her associate’s degree in theatre.
“I put in a lot of hard work to complete my degree, and there was a lot of juggling work and school,” she said. “I do not regret it for a second.”
Benedetto worked on Bergenstages’ productions of “Lysistrata” and “The Drawer Boy” as an assistant costumer. She is the current social media manager for the Bergen Alumni Theatre, and is working on props for Bergenstages’ production of “Red Herring” in Fall 2026.
She said her experience working with Bergenstages was well-rounded. Benedetto took her first class with Bergenstages director and theatre professor Jim Bumgardner, who was a mentor to her. She also took classes with fashion professors Mary Bays and Kimberli Mackay, and even a music, art, and drama class with theatre professor Dr. Leigh Jonaitis.
“It does not matter what your age is, you are never too old to learn and grow,” Benedetto said. “It might be tough going back to school, but it is so worth it.”
Benedetto graduated in 2026, and is now studying theatre and film at Ramapo College.
Based in Paramus, Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu), a public two-year coeducational college, enrolls more than 24,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The College offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields. More students graduate from Bergen than any other community college in the state.
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