Miracle on 34th Street – scene form the movie

Auditions for the beloved holiday classic, Miracle on 34th Street, will be held at Garfield Center for the Arts on Tuesday and Thursday, September 19 and 21 at 6 pm, and Saturday, September 23 at 11 am. Directed by Jim Landskroener, the play runs three weekends from December 1-17.

By chance, Kris Kringle, an old man in a retirement home, gets a job working as Santa for Macy’s. Kris unleashes waves of good will with Macy’s customers and the commercial world of New York City by referring parents to other stores to find exactly the toy their child has asked for. Seen as deluded and dangerous by Macy’s vocational counselor, who plots to have Kris shanghaied to Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital, Kris ends up in a court competency hearing. Especially at stake is one little girl’s belief in Santa. In a dramatic decision, the court confirms Kris as the true Santa, allowing countless children to experience the joy of childhood fantasy.

All ages are needed for this show, and all levels of acting experience are welcome! Familiarity with the play is beneficial, but not necessary. Scripts will be available at the Garfield. Be prepared to do cold readings from the script. Anyone interested in assisting backstage is also encouraged to come to auditions

If you have any questions about the production, please contact the Garfield by emailing info@garfieldcenter.org or by calling 410-810-2060. The Garfield Center for the Arts is located at 210 High Street in Chestertown.

Start with two compelling voices, an uncanny sense of harmony and a deep grounding in traditional American music. Add in stunning guitar work and a warm, intimate performance style, and what do you get? Martin Grosswendt and Susanne Salem-Schatz. This dynamic duo will be appearing at the Garfield Center for the Arts on August 26th for a 7 p.m. concert, and you don’t want to miss it. As Andy Wallace, the former program director of the National Folk Festival says, “Martin and Susanne make beautiful music together.”

Martin is internationally known as an interpreter of pre-war blues and other roots music. He started his career recording with and accompanying legendary folk musicians such as U. Utah Phillips, Rosalie Sorrels, and Jim Ringer and Mary McCaslin. Susanne is a veteran of the Boston roots music scene.  A life-long singer, she slips seamlessly into any genre, making it her own; soulful blues singer one minute, sassy honky-tonk gal the next. Together they embrace a deep love and respect for the roots of classic blues, old time, early country, and honky tonk. At the same time, they make the music their own, presenting it with style, grace and wit.

Martin and Susanne played and sang together for three years in Honky Tonk Masquerade, a honky tonk/western swing band, before striking out as an acoustic duo. Their performances have delighted audiences from Maine to Georgia.  Their first CD together, Old Songs, New Hats, was released late in 2015.

Tickets are $15 general admission and are available by calling 410-810-2060, online at www.GarfieldCenter.org or at the box office. The Garfield Center for the Arts is located at 210 High Street in Chestertown.

Rehearsing a duel for “The Princess Bride”

This weekend, the kids and counselors of the 2017 Playmakers Summer Theatre Camp invite you to join them for their final performances of the cult classic, “The Princess Bride.”

For the last four weeks, the 31 campers and 10 staff members have been in rehearsal at the Garfield Center for the Arts. These last 3 shows are a culmination of their hard work. The camp is directed by Tess Hogans, Catherine Bushby and Bryan Betley; with Paul Cambardella and Bridget Copp as counselors, Annie Herron as a junior counselor, Tia Glomb as a script editor and Brad Chaires, Ariane Colson and Paulina Panas as volunteers.

The cast of “The Princess Bride:”

Grandmother – Nicole Reed                                                   

Kid 1 – Mariner Schut

Kid 2 – Anna Jayne Murphy

Mother / Queen Bella / Dancer – Cyanea Sloan

King Lotharon – Devin Merton

Buttercup – Merritt Connor

Westley – Shane Saunders

Prince Humperdink – Severin Schut

Ralph – Tessa Schut

Count Rugen – Claire O’Brien

Fezzik – Joe Diggs                               

Vizzini – Ben Anthony                                                                                  

Inigo Montoya – Thomas Martinez

Yellin / Original Dread Pirate Roberts – Quentin Bergenholtz

The Albino – Alex Raimond

Minion 1 (Albino Assistant) – Fantaye Kehm

Minion 2 (Albino Assistant) / Dancer – Erin Baldwin

Miracle Max – Sarah Herron

Valerie – Kayce Titus

Boo Lady / Dancer – Josie Merton

Clergy – Delaney McCreary     

Pirates:  Elizabeth Pupke, Jamie Baldwin, Yeabi Kehm, Lily Babylon, Savannah Quinn

Townsfolk: Lily Babylon, Lia Schut, Jamie Baldwin, Savannah Quinn, Kendall McCreary

Shrieking Eels:  Penn Sleightholm, Zuzu Kusmider, Malorie Reed, Lia Schut, Kendall McCreary

Soldiers: Yeabi Kehm, Penn Sleightholm, Malorie Reed, Zuzu Kusmider, Elizabeth Pupke

Fire Demons: Penn Sleightholm, Lia Schut, Elizabeth Pupke, Savannah Quinn, Jamie Baldwin

Rodents of Unusual Size: Zuzu Kusmider, Malorie Reed, Kendall McCreary, Yeabi Kehm, Lily Babylon        

Playmakers campers relax between rehearsals

The final performances are Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. All shows are free, but donations to the Playmakers are encouraged. Theatre doors will open 90 minutes before each performance. Call the box office for more information – 410-810-2060 or visit www.garfieldcenter.org.

Playmakers Summer Theatre Camp is supported in part by The United Way of Kent County, The Kent County Arts Council and The Hedgelawn Foundation. The campers were also grateful to receive donated pastries each day of camp from Evergrain Bread Company and Just Right Treats. The Garfield Center for the Arts is located at 210 High Street in Chestertown.

Open auditions for the play Sylvia by A. R. Gurney will be held at Garfield Center for the Arts on Tuesday and Thursday, July 25 and 27 at 6 p.m. and Saturday, July 29 at 11 a.m. Directed by Bonnie Hill, the play runs two weekends from October 13 to the 22.

Empty nesters Greg and Kate have moved to Manhattan after raising their family in the suburbs.  While at the park, Greg befriends Sylvia, a perky stray dog, and brings her home. A street- smart mixture of lab and poodle, Sylvia becomes a major “bone of contention” between husband and wife. Sylvia is a delightful and delicious comedy that illuminates the complicated relationship between dogs and their human companions.

Casting needs include:

Sylvia – Female playing an active, perky canine – age 18 – 30

Greg – Male, middle-aged businessman

Kate – Female, middle-aged teacher

*Tom, Phyllis, and Leslie – these three characters are played by one actor – age 20- 59

 Tom is a male dog owner, who befriends Greg in the park; Phyllis is a friend of Kate’s, and Leslie is a therapist.

Familiarity with the play is beneficial, but not necessary. Scripts are available at the Garfield. Be prepared to do cold readings from the script. Anyone interested in assisting backstage is also encouraged to come to auditions

If you have any questions about the production, please contact the Garfield (401-810-2060) or the Director by email bonniehill@wildblue.net or phone 410-348-5181. The Garfield Center for the Arts is located at 210 High Street in Chestertown.