Do you remember Lorraine Hansberry’s searing A Raisin in the Sun, the now classic 1959 play about racial integration and “white flight” in Chicago? Have attitudes and realities really changed over the last sixty-plus years? How does an ethical person deal with the political, economic and moral baggage of our shared American experience?

Bruce Norris helps us explore the dilemma in his prize-winning 2010 drama Clybourne Park. The first act takes us back to the 1950s, where Hansberry’s characters (and some new ones) find that middle-class suburbia may not be the American dream they hoped for. Fifty years later, Clybourne Park is changing again, as young professionals begin to gentrify the established African-American community. Clybourne Park was awarded the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 2012 Tony Award for Best Play.

Michael Whitehill, who brings his expected flair and innovative staging to the production, directs Church Hill Theatre’s revival. With identity politics, the Black Lives Matter movement, and other social issues dividing our country, Whitehill believes that while Clybourne Park’s themes may sometimes be painful, the play is a powerful nudge to reflection and constructive dialogue.

Intentionally linking the past and the now, Bruce Norris has the actors play different roles in each act. The cast comprises Cynthia Bayne (Betsy/Lindsay), Simone Collins (Francine/Lena), Anthony Daly (Kenneth), John Hodgson (Russ/Dan), Christine Kinlock (Bev/Kathy), Gary Tucker (Albert/Kevin), Eddie Vance (Jim/Tom), and Frank Wirmusky (Karl/Steve).

The production team includes Kathy Jones, Assistant Director; Steve Atkinson, Stage Manager and photographer; Sylvia Maloney, Producer; Debra Ebersole, Costumes; Rachel Gwin, Make-up and Hair; Doug Kaufmann, Light Design; and Tom Rhodes, Set Construction.

Clybourne Park opens on September 9 and runs through September 25, with performances 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. Please note that the subject matter may be difficult for younger audience members. Reservations may be made on the CHT website: http://www.churchhilltheatre.org or by phone at 410-556-6003.

Church Hill Theatre and Foam Works LLC proudly sponsor Storytellers, a unique musical evening on Thursday, September 1, 2022. Three of Maryland’s finest performers will share their songs and stories in a 21+ event featuring Jimi Haha, J. Coursey Willis and Justin Singleton.

Jimi Haha, the popular frontman of Jimmie’s Chicken Shack, has chart, radio and MTV success with “High” and “Do Right.” J Coursey Willis, a Queen Anne’s County native, performs with The Stone Authors and Defrayal. And don’t miss Justin Singleton, a newcomer who pushes the boundaries of modern country music. All three will play favorites as well as new songs, engaging with the audience as they describe their own musical journeys.

CHT’s newly renovated performance space is the perfect venue for great music and audience participation. Doors open at 6:30 pm, with merch and refreshments available before the show starts. The theater has a capacity limit, so advance reservations are strongly advised. Please note this event is limited to adults (21+), with IDs checked at the box office. General admission tickets are only $20.

Church Hill Theatre is located at 103 Walnut Street, in the heart of the Town of Church Hill.

Make your reservations online at www.churchhilltheatre.org or by phone at 410-556-6003.

Contact: Juanita Wieczoreck at businessmanager@churchhilltheatre.org
Phone: Church Hill Theatre Office 410-556-6003
Website: http://www.churchhilltheatre.org

On Tuesday, June 21, 2022 Church Hill Theatre hosted the first Annual Meeting of its membership in two years. Following an opening reception, Board Chairman Tom Rhodes opened the meeting with a welcome speech that introduced the newly renovated interior of the theatre building. Following were reports from all the committee chairs, including the Treasurer and Fundraising.

As part of the Programming report, chair Shelagh Grasso announced the CHT 2023 season.  Summertree by Ron Cowan, Harvey by Mary Chase, Mamma Mia will be the June musical, God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza and to end the season Kate Hamill’s adaptation for the stage of Jane Austen’s novel Sense and Sensibility. CHT will also hold a full Green Room Gang camp this summer, and will produce Honk, Jr. under the direction of Kevin Thomas and Becca VanAken. Continuing a tradition started during the Covid darkness, the radio play A Christmas Carol will be produced via Zoom in December. All members are looking forward to a busy, exciting season, live and on the stage!

Five new members of the Board of Directors were introduced. Two new members, Rohry Flood and Colleen Minahan began serving in 2021, and three new members, Sheila Austrian, Connie Fallon and Sarah Wright were voted onto the Board by the membership at the meeting. Vice Chair Shelagh Grasso gave a tribute to two long term Board members, Bonnie Hill and Sylvia Maloney, who have contributed greatly to the success of CHT over the years

The anxiously awaited Volunteer of the Year award was given by Volunteer Chair Kathy Jones to the Building and Grounds crew. This team worked tirelessly through the Covid intermission to lead the renovation of the theatre’s interior.  Congratulations to Tom Rhodes, Carmelo Grasso, and Jim Johnson.

At a meeting following the general meeting the new CHT Board elected Kathy Jones to serve as Chairman of the Board and Michelle Christopher to replace  Sylvia Maloney as Treasurer. Continuing to serve are Shelagh Grasso as Vice Chair, Becca Van Aken as Secretary and Jennifer Moore as Board Member at Large.

The CHT 2022 season will continue with Green Room Gang which ends with a live performance of Honk Jr on July 21-22 at 7pm and July 23 at 2 pm. Our season resumes in the fall with Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris, directed by Michael Whitehillin September, and The Outgoing Tide by Bruce Graham, directed by Shelagh Grasso in November. The final production of the year will be a live radio performance of A Christmas Carol. Please visit us at www.churchhilltheatre.org for updated information and activities.

Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods will give its final three performances at Church Hill Theatre on June 24 to June 26 2022. Directed by Sylvia Maloney, the musical weaves several Grimm Brothers’ cautionary stories together—with unexpected consequences. The show opened with rave reviews on Broadway in 1987, has enjoyed many successful revivals, and reached a worldwide audience in the 2014 film adaptation. Just as classic fairy tales never grow old, Sondheim’s incomparable music grows richer when we hear it again.

This production features a live orchestra, comprised of Ursula Encarnacion, cello; Frank Gerber, percussion; Grace Wheatley, piano; Ron Demby and Courtney Adams, reeds; and David James, trumpet and directed by music director Kevin Thomas.

The outstanding cast has Mark Wiening as the Baker and Becca Van Aken is the Baker’s Wife. Heather Joyce-Byers takes on the Witch, Noelle Wheeler is Cinderella and J.W. Ruth appears as her Prince. The Narrator is Jeff Daly, who also appears as the Mysterious Man.  Caleb Ford plays Jack; his Mother is Erin Bradley and Maria Boone is his cow, Milky White. The Stepmother is Chelsea Clough, abetted by Florinda and Lucinda, played by Abigail Gilbert and Kelly Ostazeski. Little Red (Ridinghood) is Mackenzie Carroll, the Wolf is Ian Stotts, who also is the Steward, and the Grandmother is Thea Daly, who also appears as Cinderella’s Mother and Snow White. Rapunzel is Jessie Duggan and her Prince is Zack Schlag. Christina Johnson plays the Giant and K.T. Pagano is Sleeping Beauty.

Church Hill Theatre’s revival of Into the Woods features choreography by Cavin Moore, and stage management by Steve Atkinson and Jim Johnson. Tom Rhodes and Michael Whitehill designed the set, which was constructed by Tom Rhodes, Carmen Grasso, Jim Johnson, Ken Collins and Barry Dirkin.  Pam Rhodes is responsible for the art design, assisted by set painters John Crook, Carmen Grasso, Bruce Jones, Kathy Jones, Colleen Minahan, Wendy Sardo and Carrie York. A large cast needs many costumes and special props, devised by Tina Johnson, Erma Johnson, Debra Ebersole and Connie Fallon.  Doug Kaufmann is the Sound Engineer and the Lighting Designer while Colleen Minahan serves as lighting operator.

Into The Woods last performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 pm and on Sunday at 2 pm on June 24, 25 and 26. Call the box office at 410-556-6003 or visit the website www.churchhilltheatre.org for details and reservations, which are strongly advised for this show.

The Church Hill Theatre proudly announces auditions for the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning play Clybourne Park. – Michael C. Whitehill Director.

This somewhat dark comedy explores human nature, inherent biases, unhealed pain of loss, and property as playwright Bruce Norris bookends the classic- A Raisin in the Sun with a before and after look at once and future owners of the house at 406 Clybourne Street in Chicago’s Southside. Bared hypocrisies and entrenched but generational behaviors pour offstage, with some tiny bit of guilty self-recognition that will carry the audience off to their cars after the curtain falls.  This Is what live theater Is supposed to do!

Auditions will be held at Church Hill Theatre on Saturday, June 25th at 1:00 pm, Monday, June 27th and Wednesday, June 29th at 6 pm.

The principal and supporting roles are as follows:

Russ/Dan                  White             late 40s-mid 50s

Bev/Kathy                 White             40s

Francine/Lena          Black              30s

Jim/Tom/Kenneth   White             late 20s

Albert/Kevin              Black              30s

Karl/Steve                 White             30s

Betsy/Lindsey          White             late 20s

Auditioners should be prepared to read from the script and be prepared to play multiple parts.  All actors (regardless of experience) are encouraged to audition. Just get off the couch and do it.  Scratch this one off your bucket list!  Director Whitehill will offer light direction and, of course, throw in a few challenges you least expect. Technicians are always needed and are encouraged to attend auditions…. the Director treats you with the nobility you deserve!

Remember…..”Punctuality Is the Politeness of Kings”

Clybourne Park performance dates runs weekends September 9-25, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2pm. For more information, call Michael Whitehill at (443) 988-1947.

Church Hill Theatre is delighted to share Stephen Sondheim’s enchanting Into the Woods with Delmarva audiences this June. Beginning on June 10 and running for three weekends, the musical weaves several Grimm Brothers’ cautionary stories together—with unexpected consequences.

Into the Woods begins with familiar and comfortable friends: Cinderella will surely find her prince, Jack will climb the beanstalk and confront the Giant, the wolf won’t eat Little Red Ridinghood, and Rapunzel will escape her tower. But then we meet the Baker and his Wife (with problems of their own) and a Witch with a diabolical solution. Things develop much as we expect and Act One closes with the cast happily singing “Ever After.” But the show can’t be over yet? And the characters just don’t seem to notice that another beanstalk is sprouting. Sondheim stretches our brains and our hearts in Act Two, when “Once Upon a Time… Later,” starts us to question the very possibility of happily ever after. Our storybook favorites encounter moral dilemmas, real-world challenges and difficult family relationships.

This production features a live orchestra, an outstanding cast, great costumes and appropriate special effects. Mark Wiening plays the Baker and Becca Van Aken is the Baker’s Wife. Heather Joyce-Byers takes on the Witch, Noelle Wheeler is Cinderella and J.W. Ruth appears as her Prince. The Narrator is Jeff Daly, who also appears as the Mysterious Man. Caleb Ford plays Jack; his Mother is Erin Bradley and Maria Boone is his cow, Milky White. The Stepmother is Chelsea Clough, abetted by Florinda and Lucinda, played by Abigail Gilbert and Kelly Ostazeski. Little Red (Ridinghood) is Mackenzie Carroll, the Wolf is Ian Stotts, who also is the Steward, and the Grandmother is Thea Daly, who also appears as Cinderella’s Mother and Snow White. Rapunzel is Jessie Duggan and her Prince is Zack Schlag. Christina Johnson plays the Giant and K.T. Pagano is Sleeping Beauty.

Church Hill Theatre’s revival of Into the Woods is directed by Sylvia Maloney, with musical direction by Kevin Thomas, choreography by Cavin Moore, and stage management by Steve Atkinson and Jim Johnson. Church Hill Theatre is supported in part by grants for the Maryland State Arts Council and the Maryland Heritage Area of the Maryland Historical Trust.

The show opens on June 10 and runs through June 26, 2022, with performances at 8:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights and 2:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoons. Reservations and credit card payment can be made by calling the Church Hill Theatre office at (410) 556-6003 or online at churchhilltheatre.org. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for members and $10 for students. Although the musical is based on fairy tales, very young children (and some adults, too) might find the second act distressing. Patrons are urged to make reservations well in advance. CHT currently is not requiring Covid vaccination or masks but asks ticket purchasers to check the website for any updates to this policy.

Registration for Church Hill Theatre’s 23^th year of the Green Room Gang youth theatre program is officially open! The GRG Program has provided opportunities for young people of the Eastern Shore to experience true live theatre, from auditions to curtain call, for over two decades. CHT offers a standing ovation to our entire community for supporting arts education for our children throughout the years.  We are so happy to be returning to a full theatre camp after the two year hiatus!  Bravo!

Begun in 1999, this exciting summer program of theatre games and training culminates in two fully staged musicals adapted for young performers. The Green Room Gang Senior Program, for young people entering grades 6 through 12, begins on Monday, June 20^th, 2022 and runs Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Students will take a magical journey through the world of a play by means of dance, music, improvisation, theatre games, acting, staging and artistic interpretation to conceive a role from start to finish. Kevin Thomas, Vocal instructor from Easton, MD, will be instructing the Senior camp. Full tuition for the five-week GRG Sr. program is $550.00, with a 10% discount for CHT Members.

Green Room Gang Junior participants, youths entering grades 1 through 5, will do theatre games, learn basic acting skills, and explore singing and dancing while they create a musical especially written for young performers. GRG Jr. begins on Monday, June 22, 2022, and runs Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to Noon. Becca Van Aken returns for her 15^th year as GRG Junior instructor. Full tuition for the four-week GRG Jr. program is $330.00, with a 10% discount for CHT Members. Scholarships are available for both Sr. and Jr. camps.

Final performances for GRG are Thursday and Friday, July 21 and 221 at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, July 23 at 2:00 p.m.

For more information, call the Church Hill Theatre business office at 410-556-6003, or email us at office@churchhilltheatre.org. The enrollment period runs from now through June 3rd; be sure to fill out your child’s registration with haste – GRG is first come, first served and fills up quickly! See you in the theatre!

Last of the Red Hot Lovers opens on March 25 and runs through April 10, 2022, with performances at 8:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights and 2:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoons. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for members and $10 for students.  Reservations can be made by calling the Church Hill Theatre office at (410) 556 – 6003 or online at churchhilltheatre.org.

Please note that the Church Hill Theatre, Inc. requires proof of vaccination for all audience members, staff, volunteers, performers and Board members at all performances and theatre activities. As you enter, you are expected to show either your vaccination card and photo ID or a digital vaccination card. This policy will remain in effect until further notice. Masks will also be required for audiences, front of house volunteers, and staff inside the theatre except while eating and drinking.

It’s the swinging 1960s and sexually repressed Barney Cashman is determined to be part of the action. Eager but busy managing his seafood restaurant, Barney’s seduction and time-management skills both lack polish. And the women he picks! Elaine is a sexpot for sure, but her needs and Barney’s rapidly diverge. Bobbi seems sweet and vulnerable, until we realize she needs a psychiatrist rather than a lover. And Jeanette—well, she could dampen any man’s libido.  Last of the Red Hot Lovers was a solid hit both on Broadway and on film. The 1972 movie adaptation starred Alan Arkin, Sally Kellerman, Paula Prentiss and Renee Taylor. Fifty years later, Barney’s angst and Simon’s wisdom still speak powerfully to contemporary audiences.

Director Bonnie Hill, with a real affinity for Simon plays, has assembled an outstanding and experienced cast. Bryan Zajchowski, seen as Dr. Finache in A Flea in Her Ear, takes on the demanding role of Barney. Brianna Johnson makes her CHT debut as the wacky Bobbi. Christine Kinlock, last seen at CHT in The Importance of Being Ernest and Other Desert Cities, portrays Jeanette. Hill recently directed all three in Circle Mirror Transformation at the Garfield Center for the Arts.  Lisa Witmer, making her CHT debut as Elaine, has a strong theater background in the Chicago area, including the Second City Conservatory.

The production staff includes: Sheila Austrian, Producer; Steve Atkinson, Stage Manager; Earl Lewin, Set Design; Carmen Grasso, Set Construction, Connie Fallon, Costumes, Doug Kaufmann, Light and Sound, and Juanita Wieczoreck, Properties.

For more information, please visit churchhilltheatre.org.

Last of the Red Hot Lovers opens on January 28 and runs through February 13, 2022, with performances at 8:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights and 2:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoons. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for members and $10 for students.  Reservations can be made by calling the Church Hill Theatre office at (410) 556 – 6003 or online at churchhilltheatre.org.

Please note that the Church Hill Theatre, Inc. requires proof of vaccination for all audience members, staff, volunteers, performers and Board members at all performances and theatre activities. As you enter, you are expected to show either your vaccination card and photo ID or a digital vaccination card. This policy will remain in effect until further notice. Masks will also be required for audiences, front of house volunteers, and staff inside the theatre except while eating and drinking.

It’s the swinging 1960s and sexually repressed Barney Cashman is determined to be part of the action. Eager but busy managing his seafood restaurant, Barney’s seduction and time-management skills both lack polish. And the women he picks! Elaine is a sexpot for sure, but her needs and Barney’s rapidly diverge. Bobbi seems sweet and vulnerable, until we realize she needs a psychiatrist rather than a lover. And Jeanette—well, she could dampen any man’s libido.  Last of the Red Hot Lovers was a solid hit both on Broadway and on film. The 1972 movie adaptation starred Alan Arkin, Sally Kellerman, Paula Prentiss and Renee Taylor. Fifty years later, Barney’s angst and Simon’s wisdom still speak powerfully to contemporary audiences.

Director Bonnie Hill, with a real affinity for Simon plays, has assembled an outstanding and experienced cast. Bryan Zajchowski, seen as Dr. Finache in A Flea in Her Ear, takes on the demanding role of Barney. Brianna Johnson makes her CHT debut as the wacky Bobbi. Christine Kinlock, last seen at CHT in The Importance of Being Ernest and Other Desert Cities, portrays Jeanette. Hill recently directed all three in Circle Mirror Transformation at the Garfield Center for the Arts.  Lisa Witmer, making her CHT debut as Elaine, has a strong theater background in the Chicago area, including the Second City Conservatory.

The production staff includes: Sheila Austrian, Producer; Steve Atkinson, Stage Manager; Earl Lewin, Set Design; Carmen Grasso, Set Construction, Connie Fallon, Costumes, Doug Kaufmann, Light and Sound, and Juanita Wieczoreck, Properties.

For more information, please visit churchhilltheatre.org.