The Port Tobacco Players recently contacted The NewTowne Players and asked them to enter the Maryland Community Theatre Festival, even though they hadn’t submitted an application. Thus encouraged, The NewTowne Players, a small, young theatre group, are now an exciting contender in the State competition, which will be decided by three judges on February 11.
The Newtowne Players is the first community theatre from St. Mary’s County to ever enter the state’s festival competition.
For the competition the NewTowne Players have brought back together the original cast of Cheaters, which was the company’s first production in the newly renovated Three Notch Theatre, in April 2005. And they have reason to bring it back, the first performance sold-out and performance dates had to be added.
Cheaters introduces three couples at different stages of their relationships, Grace (Linda Lagle) and Sam (Larry Mizak), who have spent only one night together, Allen (Dan Carrier) and Michelle (Morriah Cell) who are considering marriage, and Howard (Greg Rumpf) and Monica (Wendy Heidrich), who after a six-month affair are nearly over. When Allen and Monica decide to get together with their parents the couples discover how entwined they are.
One challenge in reproducing Cheaters is that the competition has strict time limitations, so this special production will consist of an edited version of the original play with two scenes entirely cut.
All performances in the Maryland Community Theatre Festival are open to the public, and the festival will run from Friday, Feb. 10, to Sunday, Feb. 12, with The Newtowne Players performing at 3:30 pm on Saturday, Feb. 11. The festival is being held at Port Tobacco Playhouse in La Plata, and tickets are available for single performances or the entire festival. Visit www.mctfa.org to find out more.
For more information about the Newtowne Players, a non-profit community Theatre, and its upcoming events, visit www.newtowneplayers.com.
All photos by Anna Bedford, The Bay Net