The Garfield Center for the Arts, working with wizarding fans and community volunteers, is busily planning a fun HP Festival Wizarding Weekend for October 4 and 5, 2019. This year’s event is being supported by other local nonprofits that include Main Street Chestertown, RiverArts, and the Downtown Chestertown Association.

The 2019 Chestertown HP Festival’s Wizarding Weekend invites fans of all ages to convene and enjoy the historic river town’s local arts and activities. Beginning on First Friday, October 4, participants can explore downtown shops and dance the night away at a family friendly wizard themed street party. All are encouraged to wear their HP and wizarding costumes! Chestertown RiverArts Clay Studio will be offering a Chest-a-Wizards workshop, where participants will learn how to mix magic spells and potions to take home! Pre-register at chestertownriverarts.com.

On Saturday, October 5, activities will run all day, from 10am to 4pm. Stop in at the Garfield Center at 210 High Street to pick up your map and schedule for the day. The HP Festival’s Wizarding Weekend Scavenger Hunt will take you through the streets of Chestertown in search of clues to solve the riddle featured on the event map. Dress your wizard best for our Costume Contest and ‘parade/procession’ for fans of all ages with fun prizes! Back by popular demand are the wand co-op at Bob Ortiz’s studio and the Goblins & Galleons Bank created by Kent School teachers and students. Visit the Kent County Library for a screening of “Order of the Phoenix”. The RiverArts Chest-a-Wizards workshop will be offered throughout the day. Young wizards can experience the magic of a potions class with Radcliffe Creek School. Gunston School students will help you discover your house and show your house pride with their Create Your House Banner activity. Kaleidoscope is offering a Magical Creature Habitat Workshop for ages 5-12. Pre-register at www.kaleidoscopechestertown.com. Fountain Park and High Street in Chestertown’s Historic District will host HP and wizarding themed artisans and craft vendors. Food trucks and vendors will be on site for a quick bite, and downtown restaurants and cafes will welcome diners for sit-down meals.  Go to the official festival website, chestertownhpfest.org, and join our mailing list to be notified of updates. More information on the HP Festival’s Wizarding Weekend will be added to the website as it becomes available. Stay tuned!

With the exception of some workshops that require fees to cover materials, all events and activities for this weekend are free. Donations are always welcome!

Volunteers are needed! Email volunteers@chestertownhpfest.org.

For further details, directions, and suggested accommodations, visit www.chestertownhpfest.org.

The Chestertown HP Festival’s Wizarding Weekend is organized by the Garfield Center for the Arts and community volunteers as a celebration of the spirit of Harry Potter and an opportunity to promote our local community and its arts. Warner Bros. Entertainment and JK Rowling are not associated with or responsible for the festival in any way.

Located in the historic district in Chestertown, The Garfield Center for the Arts (www.garfieldcenter.org) is a cultural organization whose mission is to invigorate the cultural life of our community by nurturing, celebrating and supporting arts and artists through performance and education.

For over 15 years, the (Garfield Center for the Arts at the) Prince Theater, has turned itself into Playmakers, a theater camp for young people. What began with the then theater director Lucia Foster has continued with enthusiasm and commitment under succeeding managers and directors, and continues under the leadership of the theater’s Executive Director, Tess Hogans. Each summer during four intense and active weeks, young people between the ages of 8-15 are given the opportunity to taste the entire spectrum of theater, not only by acting, but also in set painting, choreography, and supportive cooperation with each other.

This season’s staff includes veteran directors Tess Hogans, seven-year veteran Catherine Bushby, and newcomer Shannon Whittaker, who is a now-familiar face on our stage. They are supported by counselors Paul Cambardella, who is also a member of the theater staff and a frequent actor on our stage, and Krystal Zornak, as well as script editor Tia Glomb, who is also a familiar box office volunteer. Tech work is performed by local actor-singer Brad Chaires, with set construction by theater staffers Butch Clark and Nic Carter.

To say that this program has a positive and enduring effect on its campers is an understatement: Alex Raimond, junior counselor, and volunteer Sarah Herron are graduates of the Playmakers. They are joined this year by volunteer Charlie Shifrin. In this group of 31 registered participants, 21 are returning for another year. Every one of the campers who has been involved in previous shows will gladly share recollections of their favorite play and the solid theatrical reasons to support their choice with anyone who takes the time to ask and listen to their well-considered responses.

There are some things that readily stand out in speaking with the repeat campers. They have developed friendships with previous strangers, they have learned to help each other with lines, with tasks, with housekeeping, and even with lunch. While they have fond memories of the plays they have participated in, the play itself is less important than the other skills they have learned, and that seems to be what is primary in bringing them back year after year – even into the realm of leadership.

During the weekend of August 9-11, the production will be a stage adaptation of Roald Dahl’s beloved novel, Fantastic Mr. Fox, a crafty ‘Robin Hood’ who takes from the abundance of the local farmers to feed his own less fortunate family and neighbors. Originally published in 1970, the book has become one of the most popular of children’s novels.  I am reminded of the paintings by Horace Pippin and Winslow Homer, each of which has celebrated the ingenuity and daring of a lone fox who has gone night ‘shopping’ for a meal. 

The play also lends itself to some serious discussions with children about rural life and the place of indigenous animals in a world that has been remade by humans. This is not a new concept, of course. Children will recognize the theme they first heard about in The Tale of Peter Rabbit, but it is no less pertinent now than it was when Beatrix Potter wrote her story in 1893. Local farmers continue to have land and resource disputes with wildlife: deer, rabbits, and coyotes to name but a few of our native species. 

It is my hope that the community at large will continue to support the work of Playmakers in every possible way. If you have children or grandchildren of the appropriate ages, bring them to the theater this weekend. If they show any interest in the art and craft of the stage, sign them up for next year. If you have a desire to be in on the creative reach of youngsters, come see for yourself, leave a donation to further the program, and enjoy the experience with us.

On August 23rd director Bonnie Hill will be opening a new show at the Garfield Center for the Arts; Annie Baker’s, Circle Mirror Transformation. The play takes place in Shirley, Vermont, where Marty, an acting teacher, holds an “Adult Creative Drama” class at the local community center. The people who sign up for the class are Schultz, a recently divorced carpenter; Lauren, a reserved high school junior; Teresa, a former actress; and Marty’s husband James. Marty takes the “students” through various acting and dramatic exercises; they act like trees, beds and baseball gloves. In one exercise, they act as one another and tell their life stories.

The New York Times reviewer called the play “absorbing, unblinking and sharply funny”.

The cast is as follows:

Marty………….……………….………………………..Christine Kinlock

James……………………….……..……………………..…Bob Chauncy

Schultz………………………………….……………….Bryan Zajchowski

Theresa………………….…………………………………...Sharon Herz

Lauren……………….……………………Brianna Johnson/Phebe Wood

The show runs for three weekends, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 2pm, August 23 – September 8. Circle Mirror Transformation is sponsored in part by Eastman Chemical Company. Tickets are $20 general admission, $15 for seniors 65+ and members of the US Military, and $10 for students. They are available online at www.garfieldcenter.org or by calling the Garfield Center box office at 410-810-2060.

The Garfield Center for the Arts will be pulling out the popcorn on Friday, July 19 for a 7pm screening of the 1963 film, McLintock. This will be the third in a series of films to be shown at the theatre in 2019. Since the September 2017 installation of the Garfield’s new projector screen, the theatre has been showing classic films whenever their programming schedule permits. The concession stand will be selling popcorn for the evening, as well as the usual theatre bar fare. The next film in the series, The Little Princess (1939), stars Shirley Temple and will be shown at the Garfield on September 20th.

About the film: Aging rancher George Washington McLintock (John Wayne), a wealthy self-made man, is forced to deal with numerous personal and professional problems. Seemingly everyone wants a piece of his enormous farmstead, including high-ranking government men, McLintock’s own sons and nearby Native Americans. As McLintock tries to juggle his various adversaries, his wife (Maureen O’Hara), who left him two years previously, suddenly returns. But she isn’t interested in her husband — she wants custody of their daughter.

Suggested $5 donation for admission. For more information about this screening of McLintock, the Movie Night at the Garfield series, or any other upcoming theatre events, please visit garfieldcenter.org, or call the box office at 410-810-2060. The Garfield Center for the Arts is located at 210 High Street in Chestertown.

Auditions for the upcoming production of Annie begin on Sunday, July 28th at the Garfield Center for the Arts. The auditions will be divided into two groups, with children’s auditions July 28th @2pm, and 29th & 30th @5pm. Adult auditions will be held August 4th @2pm, and 6th & 8th@7pm. Based on the popular comic strip by Harold Gray, Annie has become a worldwide phenomenon and was the winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The beloved book and score by Tony Award winners, Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin, features some of the greatest musical theatre hits ever written, including “Tomorrow.”

With equal measures of pluck and positivity, little orphan Annie charms everyone’s hearts, despite a next-to-nothing start in 1930s New York City. She is determined to find the parents who abandoned her years ago on the doorstep of a New York City Orphanage that is run by the cruel, embittered Miss Hannigan. With the help of the other girls in the Orphanage, Annie escapes to the wondrous world of NYC. In adventure after fun-filled adventure, Annie foils Miss Hannigan’s evil machinations… and even befriends President Franklin Delano Roosevelt! She finds a new home and family in billionaire, Oliver Warbucks, his personal secretary, Grace Farrell, and a lovable mutt named Sandy.

1. Come prepared to sing 16 bars of a song from a musical other than ANNIE. Please bring sheet music for the accompanist. You may refer to your sheet music or a lyric sheet, if necessary – but it would be preferred if you could avoid doing so.
2. A dance audition will be included, please wear shoes that will enable you to move. No sandals or flip flops. Bare feet will not be permitted.
3. Script sides will be provided.
4. Auditions will be held Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday – 8/4 @ 2pm, 8/6 & 8/8 @ 7pm. If other arrangements are necessary, please email the director prior to 8/4: Jennifer Kafka Smith at kafkasmith@gmail.com
5. Callbacks (scheduled for 8/8 at 8:30pm) will be asked to sing a selection from the ANNIE score based on the audition character (Warbucks: “Something Was Missing”; Men: “NYC”, Lily, Women: “Easy Street”; Hannigan: “Little Girls”). An electronic copy of the sheet music can provided via email upon request. Please contact the director, per #4 above.

Adult Male Only (Specified ages are a guideline, not a requirement)

1. Oliver Warbucks:
• Must be able to appear age 40-65.
• A powerful billionaire, who always has his mind on business, but has a kind heart looking for someone to love. Sings “NYC”, “Something Was Missing”, and “I Don’t Need Anything But You”.
• Vocal Range: Baritone to a high F.
• The role involves a very small amount of dance.
• May be required to SHAVE head.
2. Rooster:
• Must be able to appear age 35-50.
• Miss Hannigan’s greedy and dishonest brother.
• Sings “Easy Street”
• Vocal Range: Tenor to high G.
3. Roosevelt:
• Age 40-65.
• The President of the United States of America, who takes an immediate liking to Annie and her optimism. Must be able to imitate Roosevelt.
4. Bert Healy**:
• Must be able to appear age 30-55.
• A popular radio announcer.
• Sings “You’re Never Fully Dressed without a Smile”.
• Vocal Range: Tenor to F#.

5. Bundles McCloskey**:
• Age 25-60.
• The laundry man who flirts with Ms. Hannigan and aids Annie’s attempt to escape.
• Spoken (no singing).
6. Jimmy Johnson**:
• Must be able to appear age 25-55.
• Silly radio personality on Bert Healy’s radio show.
7. Fred McCracken**:
• Must be able to appear age 25-55.
• Puppet wrangler, uses a dummy on Bert Healy’s radio show.
• Baritone.
8. Harold Ickes**:
• Age 25-60.
• An associate of President Roosevelt.
• Must be able to sing harmony (optional)
9. Louis Howe**:
• Age 25-60.
• An associate of President Roosevelt.
• Must be able to sing harmony (optional)
Additional speaking characters requiring audition:
10. Drake**: Male.
• Head butler in the Warbucks’ home.
11. Lt. Ward**: Male.
• NYPD officer who is suspicious of Annie.

Adult Female Only (Specified ages are a guideline, not a requirement)

1. Grace Farrell:
• Must pass as age 25-35
• Loyal and intelligent private secretary to Oliver Warbucks. She brings Annie and Warbucks together.
• Vocal Range: Soprano to high G
2. Miss Hannigan:
• Must pass as age 35-60.
• Desperate and unhappy with her lot in life, she is the alcoholic orphanage matron who is Annie’s nemesis. Sings, “Little Girls” and “Easy Street”
• Vocal Range: Alto A to D
• The role involves a very small amount of dance.
3. Lily St. Regis:
• Must be able to appear age 25-35.
• Shady, floozy girlfriend of Rooster.
• Sings “Easy Street”
• Vocal Range: Soprano up to a high G
4. The Lovely Boylan Sisters**: (Connie, Ronnie, Bonnie)
• Ages 20-40+.
• Singing group that sing back up to Bert Healy. MUST be able to sing well and harmonize.
5. Star to Be**:
• Age 18-25.
• Aspiring Broadway actress who sings during NYC.
• Mezzo.
6. Cecille and Annette**:
• Maids at Warbucks’ home.
Additional speaking characters requiring audition –
7. Mrs. Greer**:
• Oliver Warbuck’s head housekeeper.
8. Mrs. Pugh**:
• Oliver Warbuck’s cook.

Adult Male or Female (Specified ages are a guideline, not a requirement)

1. Perkins:
• Age 25-60.
• An associate of President Roosevelt.
• (Vocal Range: Baritone or Soprano)
• This role is possibly doubled with chorus.
2. Hull:
• Age 25-60
• An associate of President Roosevelt.
• (Must be able to sing harmony.)
• This role is possibly doubled with chorus.
3. Morganthau:
• Age 25-60
• An associate of President Roosevelt.
• (Must be able to sing harmony.)
• This role is possibly doubled with chorus.
4. Adult Chorus:
• Age 15 and up.
• Male and Female.
• Townspeople who appear in “Hooverville”, “NYC”,
• May appear as servants at Warbuck’s Mansion.

There are also a number of characters with single lines that will be chosen from those who audition for chorus only. Please visit www.garfieldcenter.org for more information. This production of Annie is sponsored in part by Chesapeake Bank & Trust. The Garfield Center for the Arts is located at 210 High Street in Chestertown.

Each year a portion of the Playmakers Summer Theatre Camp experience at the Garfield Center for the Arts at the Prince Theatre includes three interactive performances in addition to putting on their own production.  These shows, sponsored by The Hedgelawn Foundation, feature multicultural artists who introduce Playmakers to a variety of theatrical arts. Past performers have included dancers, musicians, storytellers, and puppeteers.

This year the Playmakers are putting together a production of Roald Dahl’s,  Fantastic Mr. Fox and the Hedgelawn series compliments the themes of playful innovation and prejudice present in the story. On Wednesday, July 17th at 2 pm, the Garfield Center will be hosting a presentation by Chicago Improv Productions. This professional ensemble of actors from the birthplace of modern improvisational theatre leads hilarious, highly interactive improv games that teach as they entertain. The actors emphasize the “who/what/where” of improv, giving a fresh understanding of how to create characters, settings, and stories while offering lots of opportunities to join the fun.

Wednesday, July 24th at 2 pm, the Garfield is hosting “Curtis Blues: Upcycling: Turning Junk into Musical Instruments from Africa to America”. Curtis Blues is a talented multi-instrumentalist, roots musician, and educator. His performances keep the tradition of acoustic American roots music alive and demonstrate the origins of modern Rock and Hip Hop for students. Curtis has three critically-acclaimed CDs and is passionate about passing this musical heritage down to the next generation.

An instructive assembly on fair play with Box Out Bullying concludes the series on Wednesday, July 31st at 2 pm. Box Out Bullying is a national touring organization that specializes in combining research-based bullying prevention with dynamic live theatre. Audience members walk away with important tools and insight to empower them to be stand-up citizens and key players in ending bullying.

These shows are family-friendly and open to everyone.  Tickets are $5 and group rates are available (no charge to current Playmakers). Please call the Box Office at 410-810-2060 or email Tess Hogans (thogans@garfieldcenter.org) for more information. In addition, don’t forget to mark your calendars for the “Fantastic Mr. Fox” shows, scheduled for Friday, August 9th at 7 pm, Saturday, August 10th at 7 pm and Sunday, August 11th at 2 pm.

The Garfield Center for the Arts at the Prince Theatre is located at 210 High Street, Chestertown, MD, 21620.  For more information please visit the website.

All are invited to the special kid-friendly Hedgelawn performances on three Wednesdays at 2:00 pm, July 17, 24, and 31.  Tickets $5 – no charge to current campers in the Playmaker program.

MUSICAMP returns to the Garfield Center for the Arts in Chestertown for its seventh year, featuring local talent ages 8 to 15. This year the production is, “Sally Sells Sea Shells (And You Can Too!).” Written by Denver Casado and Kerry Kazmierowicztrimm, and directed by Julie Lawrence. 

Sally is a kid con-artist who explodes onto a quiet beach town with a get-rich-quick seashell-selling-scheme. For a small fee, she trains the kids on how to sell seashells before the annual summer festival, but plans to skip town with all their money before the big event! Sally becomes torn after meeting a local, Tam, who joins the program eager to help her family. The kids in this little beach town will never be the same as they learn the importance of friendship, honesty, and finding a healthy balance between working hard and having fun.

MUSICAMP is a 5-day intensive musical theatre experience where campers sing, dance, act and create scenery for their show. Every camper gets lines in the play and everyone is on stage the entire time. At the end of the week, kids transform into their characters and present an amazing stage production that highlights their varied talents. MUSICAMP is staffed by camp founder and director Julie Lawrence, musical director Helen Clark, art consultant Charlice Culvert and counselors Paul Cambardella and Bella Williams.

Support our local talent with your attendance and applause! The show on Friday, July 12th at 7pm is free and open to the public. Donations are welcome. For reservations and more information call the Garfield Center box office, 410-810-2060 or visit www.GarfieldCenter.org. This year’s MUSICAMP was generously sponsored by The Lerner Family.

The Garfield Center for the Arts at the Prince Theatre is located at 210 High Street, Chestertown, MD 21620.

Alicia Olatuja, the vocal sensation who stunned millions during President Obama’s second inaugural with her soaring solo during ‘The Battle Hymn of the Republic,’ will headline the 2019 Chestertown Jazz Festival’s show in Wilmer Park on Saturday, September 14.

‘Downbeat’ magazine said Olatuja (pronounced oh-la TU-ha) possesses a special instrument: a full-bodied tone, precise pitch and personal engagement at the lowest whisper or highest wail,” and the New York Times called her “a singer with a strong luscious tone and an amiably regal presence on stage.”

Olatuja’s appearance on the banks of the Chester River is clearly a coup for Mel Rapelyea’s popular Chestertown Jazz Festival. She’s played Blues Alley in Washington, D.C. and in the run-up to mid-September, bookings will take her to New Zealand, Germany and England, then to Miami, Denver, Santa Cruz, Carlsbad, Ogden and San Francisco.

The jazz fest tent will be jumping from noon – on, kicking off with 100 Voice Choir of Kent County, reassembled under the direction of Sylvia Frazier. The Washington College Jazz Combo will be up next, directed by pianist extraordinaire Joe Holt. Host of ‘Mainstay Mondays.’ series at The Mainstay in Rock Hall, Holt has been a full-time performer, playing all over the country for 40 years.

The festival will be in full form by mid-afternoon when Baltimore’s well loved tenor saxophone Greg Thompkins takes the stage with his Greg Thompkins Quintet. Winner of a long list of tributes during his 30 year-year career, Thompkins is known for his tribute to Thelonius Monk, ‘Boo Boo’s Birthday,’ and his celebration of John Coltraine, ‘LSQ,’ both available on the Roland Park Jazz label.

When Gregor Huebner’s ‘El Violin Latino 3’ steps into the jazz festival spotlight next, the sound will shift to the musical traditions of Cuba and South America from jazz to Bossa Nova, occasionally under the influence of Eastern European Klezmer style. Dr. Rapelyea says festival audiences have loved Huebner so much that he’s bringing the violinist group back to Chestertown for the third time.

Can’t get enough Jazz? The fine saxophone player Larry McKenna and his quartet  play Thursday, September 12 at the Mainstay, 8pm.  Friday the Garfield Center will feature the esteemed Joe Holt, accompanying local songstress Barbara Parker. This event will also begin at 8pm.

On Sunday, September 15 at Sumner Hall, the RiverArts Film Society will screen  the famed recording of the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival, “Jazz on a Summer’s Day.” Event begins at 4:30, and  includes a talk back.

And, believe it or not, Joe Holt will close out the jazz festival at The Mainstay on Monday when ‘Mainstay Mondays Series’ features Joe, Max Murray and Frank Russo.

For more information, see the Chestertown Jazz Festival page on Facebook or for detailed information and advance ticket sales go to http://www.garfieldcenter.org/gcaevents/category/annual/chestertown-jazz-festival/ or call 410-810-2060. All events in the park are rain or shine. No pets but lounge chairs are permitted.

Producers Diane Landskroener and Mark Sullivan invite you to the 15th year of Short Attention Span Theatre at the Garfield Center for the Arts at the Prince Theatre.

Join us for an engaging evening of 10-minute plays, designed to hold your attention for just. long. enough. The Play Fest will showcase a range of actors, directors and authors – featuring original works by local playwrights!

The plays selected for this year’s SAST production are:

The Superhero – Written by Brent Lewis (Live Playwrights Society member) – Directed by Diane Landskroener

Don Vito’s Method – Written by Rich Pauli (Live Playwrights Society member) – Directed by Nic Carter

Mistranslations – Written by Jack Rushton – Directed by Jim Landskroener

Park & Play – Written by Kara Emily Krantz – Directed by Zac Ryan

Power Nap – Written by Steve Arnold (Live Playwrights Society member) – Directed by Tia Glomb

Everyone Says I Love You – Written & Directed by Mark Sullivan (Live Playwrights Society member)

Old Aquatics – Written by Steven Korbar – Directed by Brad Chaires

Wedding Belles – Written by Brett Hursey – Directed by Jennifer Kafka Smith

Featured actors in this year’s play fest are:

Brianna Johnson, Paul Cambardella, Tom Dorman, and Dan Guidice in The Superhero, Brad Chaires and Lyle Pinder in Don Vito’s Method, Jim Landskroener and Diane Landskroner in Mistranslations, Christine Kinlock, Sharon Herz, and Lyle Pinder in Park and Play, Paul Cambardella, Brad Chaires, Ian Ellison and Phebe Wood in Power Nap, Amanda Fry, Nic Carter, Jen Friedman, and Dan Guidice in Everyone Says I Love You, Sharon Herz and Robert Holt in Old Aquatics and Shannon Whitaker, Zac Ryan and Jim Landskroener in Wedding Belles.

Joining SAST for the first time is the Garfield Improv Group, which offers actors, writers, and creative thinkers, the opportunity to develop and grow their individual voice and technique through improvisation. GIG will be performing in the Kohl Lobby at 7 p.m. before the Friday night performance of Short Attention Span Theatre on July 5th. The Garfield Improv Group is lead by Lyle Pinder and meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at 8pm. All are welcome to join!

Short Attention Span Theatre opens Friday, June 21, and runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday through July 7. Thank you to those who have chosen to support SAST through the Name in Lights campaign!

Performances are 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $15 and $5 for students with ID (plays include some adult content, and may not be suitable for children under 13). Take advantage of the Garfield’s recurring opening night discount and get $5 off when you wear your Garfield t-shirt!  Call 410-810-2060 or visit www.garfieldcenter.org.