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 25^th, 2023. For more information, call Sylvia Maloney at 410-778-3783, email [email protected] or go to the website www.churchhilltheatre.org.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Church Hill Theatre announces the cast and crew for the upcoming production of The Outgoing Tide by Bruce Graham. The play, directed by Shelagh Grasso features three members of a family; Gunner to be played by Gil Rambach, his wife Peg, Colleen Minahan and their adult son Jack, Christopher Wallace. They are faced with difficult life decisions and must come to a final understanding. “…..this drama bring s sensitive observation and minor key humor to painful situations that many of us will recognize from our own families…. its poignant conclusion will have resonance for many in the audience” ___The New York Times.

In addition to the cast and Director abo ve, the play is produced by Sally Borghardt with Michelle Christopher as Stage Manager Set construction is by Carmen Grasso, Lighting by Nic Carter and Costumes by Connie Fallon.

The play will be performed on three consecutive weekends, Friday evening, Saturday evening and a Sunday matinee beginning November 4

Along with new seating, a new marquee in progress, and other physical improvements, Church Hill Theatre is delighted that Juanita (Nita) Wieczoreck has joined the team as our new Business Manager. With a full range of programs once again possible, Nita looks forward to meeting old friends and welcoming new audiences to our jewel-box Art Deco theater in the village of Church Hill, Maryland.

Juanita Wieczoreck has a distinguished acting and back-stage record at CHT, so she already knows key personnel, has a well-honed institutional memory, and is familiar with our aged and quirky building. In addition, and perhaps more importantly, she has extensive management experience, strong computer skills, and a proven ability to juggle multiple tasks and responsibilities.

Nita graduated from Frostburg State University and studied at the Walnut Street Theatre School and the Philadelphia Area Repertory Theatre. With experience ranging from musical comedy to Shakespeare across Delmarva, she has appeared in more than 50 productions. Behind the scenes, she is a master costume designer. For many years, Nita’s “day job’ was as Executive Director of the Dover/Kent County Metropolitan Planning Organization in Delaware, where she had wide-ranging planning, supervisory, and financial responsibilities.

In her new position at CHT, Juanita’s goals include recruiting and training volunteers, updating the website and social media platforms, improving communication with the public, and facilitating the fundraising activities that allow the shows to go on.

The Church Hill Theatre business office will be open to the public from 11 am – 4pm, Tuesday through Friday but messages can be left at 410-556-6003 or by email at [email protected]. Church Hill Theatre’s next show is Clybourne Park, an important modern drama, running from September 9 to 25. Reservations can also be made online at www.churchhilltheatre.org.