INDIAN HEAD, Md. — Opening Night Productions, a community theater group dedicated to staging original works by Maryland playwrights, is gearing up for its second season with a lineup of new and thought-provoking plays.
The company prides itself on producing only original plays that have not been staged multiple times. “If a show has been produced more than once, we don’t produce it,” said the group’s president Richard Thompson. “We focus on Maryland playwrights, specifically Southern Maryland playwrights.”
Opening Night Productions debuted in 2024 with performances of “Blue Mermaid” by Baltimore playwright Mark Scharf and “The Stage Is a World” by Thompson himself. The productions were staged at the Indian Head Black Box Theatre in Charles County, where the group continues to perform. The company has also participated in the Maryland Community Theatre Festival in both 2024 and 2025.
The upcoming season will feature “Is There a Birthday Cake?”—a collection of three short plays by Scharf, along with a full one-act play by Calvert County playwright Amanda Connelly—and “What Was Done” by Baltimore’s Jack Gohn.
“Is There a Birthday Cake?” is set to open on May 16, with performances running May 16–18 and May 23–25 at the Indian Head Black Box Theatre.
Auditions Announced for Upcoming Production
The company is seeking actors for “Is There a Birthday Cake?”, with auditions scheduled at various Southern Maryland locations. Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script and will take place on the following dates:
- Monday, March 10, 2025: 6–7:45 p.m. at Charlotte Hall Library
- Tuesday, March 11, 2025: 6–8 p.m. at Solomons Library
- Saturday, March 15, 2025: 11:30 a.m.–1:45 p.m. at Prince Frederick Library
Actors interested in auditioning can email openingnites@gmail.com for more information.
For updates and additional details, follow Opening Night Productions on Facebook or visit www.openingnightproductions.org.
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