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May 10, 2025

Chestertown Spy

Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Chestertown

6 Arts Notes

Karen Somerville & Sombarkin in Concert Mother’s Day Weekend

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Karen Somerville, iconic Eastern Shore vocalist, songwriter, recording artist and producer, will appear for the first time at Church Hill Theatre in two exceptional concerts on Saturday, May 13 and Sunday, May 14. This event dovetails with the Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage in Queen Anne’s County on Saturday, May 13, offering a truly memorable Mother’s Day experience.

Karen Somerville is a Kent County native, proud of her rural heritage and close-knit family. Her musical education began at home with musician parents and was nurtured in church, where she learned the fine points of close group harmony. Karen is a graceful and expressive soloist, bringing new insights to jazz classics and familiar tunes from the American Songbook, but she also loves collaboration. Together with long-time friends Lester Barrett, Jr. and Jerome McKinney, her award-winning trio Sombarkin has been performing since 2002. Together, they perform a wide selection of gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, and folk music. Karen was a background vocalist on the Stevie Wonder “Songs in the Key of Life” tour in 2014. Her one-woman show, “Just Call Me Billlie,” is a moving tribute to the legendary Billie Holiday. The Church Hill Theatre show will include both group and solo arrangements across their repertoire.

Karen Somerville &Sombarkin are in concert at Church Hill Theatre at 7 pm on Saturday, May 13 and at 4 pm on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 14.  Early bird tickets are available until April 30 for $40 on our website, churchhilltheatre.org or by phoning the box office at (410) 556-6003. After April 30, tickets will be $50. This special opportunity fundraising event is sponsored by ShoreToBeFun Photography.

The Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage Tour is a decades-old tradition, with several cities or counties sharing gardens and historic homes at their springtime best on a rotating basis.  The event returns to Queen Anne’s County on Saturday, May 13, when eleven properties, including Church Hill Theatre, will welcome guests from 10 am to 5 pm.  Ticket information is available at mhgp.org.  If you are making this a weekend excursion, take in the concert after the Saturday tour or brunch on Sunday.

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Church Hill Theatre Announces Cast for Sense and Sensibility

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With great delight, Shelagh Grasso, director of the upcoming production of Sense and Sensibility, has chosen an outstanding cast for an exciting adaptation of the Jane Austen classic. While still set in Regency England, her actors will zip around the stage on wheels and make split-second costume changes.  A New York Times review called Kate Hamill’s adaptation, “A Whirlwind of Delicious Gossip.”

The story follows the three Dashwood sisters as they seek security after the death of their father, when a half-brother and his conniving wife inherit the entire fortune. As in almost every Romance Novel, a good marriage is the best way out of a bad predicament. But how is a girl to find the right man? Can she trust anyone? Luckily, Austen heroines almost always find the best answers.

Photo: L to R – Top row: Max Hagan, Heather Robuck, Heather Joyce-Byers. Second row: Jesse Goodman, Connor Christopher. Third row: Carly Maurla, Colleen Minahan. Fourth row: Howard Mesick, Ian Stotts. Standing in front: Natalie Donoso, Shannon Carter. Not pictured: JW Ruth, PA Keating, Jen Friedman, Gil Rambach, Melissa McGlynn

The two Dashwood sisters of marriageable age, the practical Elinor (Shannon Carter) and the emotional Marianne (Natalie Donoso) are supported by younger sister Margaret (Carly Maurlas) and their mother (Colleen Minahan). Their spineless older half-brother John (Jesse Goodman) and his wife Fanny (Melissa McGlynn) provoke the problem. Fanny’s mother Mrs. Ferrars (Penelope Anne Keating) and two brothers, Edward (JW Ruth) and Robert (Connor Christopher) may (or may not) provide solutions.  Kindly relations of Mrs. Dashwood, Sir John and Lady Middleton (Gil Rambach and Heather Joyce Byers) do provide them a new home, where the exuberant Mrs. Jennings (Jen Friedman) takes them on as a pet project.  Add in the social climbing Steele sisters Anne (Heather Roebuck) and Lucy (Melissa McGlynn), the respectable Colonel Brandon (Howard Mesick) and the dashing John Willoughby (Max Hagen), stir well, heat almost to the boiling point, and you have Sense and Sensibility!  Ian Stotts plays a doctor and a servant, and the entire ensemble takes on the essential responsibility of providing gossip.

Sense and Sensibility will open at Church Hill Theatre on Friday, March 17 and run weekends through Sunday, April 2. Local theater buffs have been anticipating this production for more than a year, so make your reservations early.  Ticket information at our website: www.churchhillthreatre.org or by calling 410-556-6003.

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Church Hill Theatre Announces Audition Dates for Roald Dahl’s Matilda, The Musical

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Auditions for Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical will be held at Church Hill Theatre on Thursday, February 16, 2023, at 6:30 pm, Saturday and Sunday, February 18 and 19, 2023 at 1:30 pm. All auditions will be held in the theatre at 103 Walnut St.  Sylvia Maloney will direct this production with Kevin Thomas as music director, and choreography by Cavin Moore.

Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical, simply known as Matilda or Matilda the Musical, is a stage musical based on the 1988 novel Matilda by Roald Dahl. The musical’s narrative centers on Matilda Wormwood, a precocious girl with the gift of telekinesis, who loves reading, overcomes obstacles caused by her family and school, and helps her teacher to reclaim her life.

This production requires 28 actors to bring it to life: 14 to 16 young people (boys and girls) ages 10 through 18, and 10 to 12 men and women, ages 20’s through 60’s with acting, dancing and singing skills.  All roles are open.

For the vocal audition, please prepare a song, similar in genre to the music of Matilda but not from the show; also, please bring 2 copies of your sheet music. Auditioners should be prepared to read from the script and to learn a brief dance routine.  Technicians are also needed and are encouraged to attend auditions.

The performance dates for Matilda run from Friday, June 9th through Sunday, June 25th, 2023. For more information, call Sylvia Maloney at 410-778-3783, email [email protected] or go to the website www.churchhilltheatre.org.

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Family Drama Opens Church Hill Theatre’s 2023 Season

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It’s the 1960s and young people are caught up in movements, whether free expression, free love, civil rights, or opposition to the political status quo. Their parents, children of the Depression and WWII, know that freedoms have a cost.  In Ron Cowan’s poignant Summertree, generational conflicts and expectations play out in the midst of the Viet Nam War. Opening on January 20 and running for three weekends, Summertree will tug at the hearts of those old enough to remember the war and perhaps provide greater understanding to their own children and grandchildren.

Jeff and Anthony Daly

Directed by CHT’s theater business manager, Juanita Wieczoreck, Summertree brings together an especially interesting cast. Anthony Daly and his dad Jeff Daly play a young man and his father, both conflicted about notions of manhood and responsibility; both aware that only college enrollment defers military service.  Liam Kruhm, and his dad George, play a neighborhood child (possibly the young man himself?) and a Soldier (who represents all men who have done battle). Sharon Herz is cast as the young man’s mother and Abigail Gilbert as his college girlfriend. Time skips around in the play, as memories are cherished and decisions weighed.  In a review, the New York Times observed, “…beautiful and sensitive; immeasurably moving…”

Summertree will run from January 20 through February 5, with shows starting at 8 pm on Friday and Saturday and at 2 pm on Sunday. Tickets can be purchased via the website: churchhilltheatre.org or call the office at (410) 556-6003 for tickets or more information.

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More About Psychic Medium Debbie at Church Hill Theatre January 12th

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Debbie Wojciechowski

Next week, for one night only on January 12, acclaimed, certified medium Debbie Wojciechowski will return to Church Hill Theatre to help connect patrons with their loved ones who have passed.

A native of Baltimore, Ms. Wojciechowski holds a Master of Science degree from Johns Hopkins University.  She has enjoyed a 25-year career in federal law enforcement and is a nationally acclaimed and certified Evidential Medium. An Evidential Medium is an individual who can communicate with Spirt.  This information can be unequivocally verified and is evidence of the human’s soul survival beyond physical life.

Her metaphysical journey began at the age of 13 with a near-death experience. Although aware of some of her metaphysical abilities afterward, she did not fully understand what was happening until about age 21. By that time, she had lost both of her parents and parents, and then personally experienced another closed brush with death when she was involved in a serious car accident. That point is when she began a personal journey to study and learn more about her metaphysical gift.

Ms. Wojcieshowski studied extensively with local and international mediums and spiritual mentors.  She trained with British Mediums and learned the traditions of the Spiritualist Churches of Great Britain. Although accreditation is not required in the US, Debbie studied with internationally known and respected professions in the field and obtained formal certification as both a Medium and a Master Teacher.  This certification required testing under strict parameters regarding her Mediumship abilities.

Even as greater awareness and understanding of her abilities grew, she concurrently pursued a more traditional career in law enforcement, including her aforementioned master’s degree. Her time working in law enforcement included extensive work in the areas of mental health, grief counseling, and crisis intervention. Debbie volunteered for more than eight years as a grief counselor with a local hospice.  She often draws on this extensive background and experience with grief and loss during sensitive readings. Ms. Wojciewoski is committed to this work with Spirit and is dedicated to honoring her gift integrity.

Debbie has expanded her reach beyond Maryland.  She has appeared in Hanover, PA, Rehoboth Beach, DE, and Cape May, NJ, as well as closer venues, such as the Avalon Theatre in Easton and the Cultural Center at the Opera House in Havre de Grace.  Tickets to her January 12 appearance at Church Hill Theatre may be purchased at churchhilltheatre.org for $50.

For more information about Debbie Wojciechowski and her work, please visit mediumdebbie.com or follow her on social media at facebook.com/mediumdebbie and instagram at @mediumdebbie.

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Church Hill Theatre Seeks Directors, Interns for the 2023 Green Room Gang Summer Camp

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Church Hill Theatre is accepting applications for the following paid staff positions for the 2023 Green Room Gang program. The theatre requires a Green Room Gang Sr. director and a Green Room Gang, Jr. director along with up to three interns to work with the directors during the 5-week summer program.

Green Room Gang is a summer theatre workshop that consists of two camps. GRG Sr. is a five-week, full day program of theatre instruction for youths entering grades 6—12 that culminates in a fully staged musical for public performance. GRG Jr. is a four and a half week, half day program for youths entering grades 1—5 which also culminates in a fully staged musical production. Both camps are in session Monday through Thursday.  GRG Sr. begins June 19, 2023 and ends with performances July 19, 20 and 21, 2023; GRG Jr. starts June 21 and culminates with the production at the same time.

The directors of Green Room Gang are the instructors and artists who oversee and orchestrate the theatrical education of the Green Room Gang students and the mounting of fully scripted productions by creatively facilitating all aspects of the productions.  The directors have the challenging task of bringing together the many complex pieces of a production—the script, actors, set, costuming, lighting, sound and music—into a unified whole.  They will be responsible for all aspects of the production; however, the focus of the position is the instruction of the students and the casting, directing and rehearsing of the show.  Applicants should have extensive formal education and experience in all aspects.

The interns of the Green Room Gang will have duties that vary with the nature of the script, the director, the designers and the production facilities. An effective intern will adapt to the needs of each production. He or she will always make it his/her priority to see that the director has everything he/she needs to bring the play’s vision to the stage.  They will work closely with the directors of both GRG Jr. and GRG Sr. and will assist in instructional, directing and production aspects of the camp. The two intern positions require a HS diploma as well as college training in a variety of the aspects of theatre.

Interested applicants can learn more about CHT and its previous seasons by visiting our website at https://www.churchhilltheatre.org, by phoning the CHT office at 410-556-6003 or by email at: [email protected].

Applications are available on the CHT website or by calling the CHT office. The deadline for applications is December 30, 2022.

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2023 Season at Church Hill Theatre

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After months of planning and discussion, Church Hill Theatre proudly announces its 2023 Season of outstanding productions. As always, the offerings will include old favorites, edgy new dramas, and a family-friendly musical. With a renovated building, comfortable new seating and improved sound and lighting equipment, CHT will offer audiences a truly professional theater experience.

As the holidays approach, we all debate what to give friends and relatives who already “have everything they need.” A season membership subscription could be the perfect Christmas present: 5 flex-tickets to be used in any combination during the whole 2023 season. Here’s what’s included in the package:

Summertree, by Ron Cowen (January 20 -February 5) Moving back and forth in time, we follow the coming-of-age story of a young man facing the Viet Nam War draft in the 1960s. Choices must be made and while there are not always happy endings, laughs, tears, and memories endure.

Sense and Sensibility, by Kate Hamill, (March 17 – April 2) adapted from the Jane Austin novel.  This fast-paced, brilliantly funny version of a true classic employs inventive choreography as actors play multiple parts. Will the Dashwood sisters find love and happiness? You bet they will.

Roald Dahl’s Matilda the  Musical,  music and lyrics by Tim Minchin and book by Dennis Kelly, (June. 9 – 25) Matilda Wormwood, a bright young student with the gift of telekinesis overcomes obstacles at school and at home.  A magical theatrical experience that has played to SRO audiences around the world will certainly wow us at CHT.  Make reservations early: this will sell out.

Harvey, by Mary Chase (September 8 – 24). Elwood P. Dowd is an ordinary man, except that his best friend is an invisible six-foot three-inch rabbit.  Harvey has been delighting audiences nonstop since 1944, on stage and in the movies, especially the 1950 and 1972 James Stewart versions. Harvey is almost 100 years old and still hopping.

God of Carnage by Jasmina Reza. (November 3 – 19) Two sets of parents meet to discuss an argument their sons had while playing in a park. Ever so civil and polite at first, the adults soon become more boorish than the children. Translated from the original 2008 French play, God of Carnage has become a critics’ favorite.  There are plenty of laughs but also strong themes and language.

As always, the most convenient and economical way to enjoy Church Hill Theatre productions is with a season membership.  Two levels of membership are being offered in 2023. The Membership Plus includes five tickets to use anytime during 2023. All memberships include reduced ticket prices for additional tickets, a 10% reduction for the Green Room Gang summer camp and other classes, and early notification about any additional programs or productions at the theater. Members also can purchase reduced-price tickets for their own guests.

Memberships can be purchased online at churchhilltheatre.org or by calling the Church Hill Theatre office at 410-556-6003.

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A Christmas Carol Returns to Church Hill Theatre on December 16, 17 and 18, 2022

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Once again, families can gather at the theatre or around the home fireplace to experience everyone’s favorite holiday story, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.  Will Scrooge find redemption? Will Tiny Tim live or die? And just how scary are those ghosts?

We know the answers, but the thrill remains with each retelling. Church Hill Theatre’s version is based on the classic Orson Welles Mercury Theatre radio broadcast from 1939.  The production, directed by Kathy Jones, will feature our costumed actors performing at microphones on the main stage with all the appropriate sound and lighting effects. Young people from our Green Room Gang summer camp will help out as carolers. The audience may even sing along.

All the performances will be “broadcast” to allow far-flung friends and relatives to join the festivities via their computers. During COVID restrictions, many families found this a great way to share an experience, then gather together afterward in a video chat. So, consider that tickets might make great Christmas presents for those who “don’t need anything”.

This has become a holiday season favorite and we hope you will join us on December 16, 17 or 18. Shows start at 8 pm on Friday and Saturday and at 2 pm on Sunday. We’ll also sell special holiday refreshments (hot cocoa anyone?) and the actors will be available for photos at the end of each show.

Tickets can be purchased via the website: churchhilltheatre.org or call the office at (410) 556-6003 for tickets for more information.

Church Hill Theatre thanks Sullivan Financial for its generous sponsorship of this production.

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Coming Soon to Church Hill Theatre, Nov. 4-20: The Outgoing Tide by Bruce Graham

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Gunner, his wife Peg and son Jack; A family.

Gunner, beginning to lose touch with reality, his wife worried about their future together and son Jack whose married life has collapsed and left him adrift.

In a series of flashbacks we see Gunner’s hurtful jokes harassing young Jack for being “too soft”; Peg who never followed through with her acceptance into college; and Jack who has always wanted to be a chef and to own a restaurant but never the courage to follow through.

Colleen Minahan, Gil Rambach, Christopher Wallace. Photo by Steven Atkinson.

As Gunner in a rare moment of lucidity, ecstatically delivers news of a plan to allow for his family’s financial security and his own peace of mind……he however wants his wife and son’s blessing.  Peg and Jack struggle with the proposition and their own definitions of what it means to truly love someone.

Join us and watch as they all learn how to accept each other for who they are and to forgive.

Tickets and reservations by phone at 410 556 6003 or by checking online at CHURCHHILLTHEATRE.org.

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Clybourne Park on the Stage at Church Hill Theatre

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Church Hill Theatre’s production of Clybourne Park opened on September 9 and will run weekends through September 25.  Although inspired by Lorraine Hansberry’s classic A Raisin in the Sun, Clybourne Park is most definitely a play about NOW. It is a biting and sometimes funny punch in the gut that deserved and won both the Pulitzer and Tony awards for Best Play.

In Act 1, which takes place in 1959 before A Raisin in the Sun, a white couple leaving their middle-class Chicago neighborhood for personal reasons has accepted an offer from a Black family, the Youngers (the protagonists in Hansberry’s play).  Worried white neighbors intervene, concerned about integration and property values.  The audience is left wondering just how great a neighborhood Clybourne Park really is, as prejudices and misconceptions threaten the status quo.

L to R: John Hodgson, Anthony Daly, Matt Folker, and Cynthia Bayne rehearsing Act II of Clybourne Park

Fifty years later, in Act 2, Clybourne Park is solidly Black but changing again, as gentrification has made the location newly desirable. When a white couple is thwarted from razing the Younger house to build a mini-mansion, cordial discussions rapidly turn to racial and sexist invective. The old prejudices and misconceptions have not really disappeared with time.

The excellent cast deals comfortably with truly uncomfortable themes, saying out loud what usually stays politely unsaid. Since the play bridges the past and present, most actors play two roles. Jon Hodgson portrays Russ and Dan; Christine Kinlock is Bev and Kathy; Simone Collins plays Francine and Lena; Gary Tucker is Albert and Kevin; Matt Folker plays Karl and Steve; Cynthia Bayne portrays Betsy and Lindsay, and Anthony Daly plays Kenneth and Eddie Vance is Jim.

L to R: Simone Collins and Gary Tucker rehearsing Act I of Clybourne Park

Clybourne Park is directed by Michael Whitehill, assisted by Kathy Jones, Steve Atkinson, Sylvia Maloney, Debra Ebersole, Rachel Gwin, Doug Kaufmann and Tom Rhodes.

Performances are at 8 pm on Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 pm on Sundays. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for members, and $10 for students. Reservations may be made on the CHT website: https://www.churchhilltheatre.org or by phone at 410-556-6003.  Audiences are reminded that the play contains strong language.

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