Cumberland Theatre Offering Two Shows in September

Biloxi Blues and the Cover of Life will play for alternating performances

The Cumberland Theatre will continue their 36th Season with two plays to be performed on alternate evening during weekends in September. For the first time in the theatre’s history, two different theatrical offerings will be performed in repertory. “We are excited to try something new at CT,” said Board President BettyJo Gehauf. “It is both a challenge and a joy to offer our patrons not one – but two – fabulous plays that tell two very different but amazing stories.”

Both plays, Biloxi Blues and The Cover of Life are set in the Southern United States during World War II, however, the stories come from two different viewpoints – one from a group of young men in basic training and the other from a group of women facing the challenges of carrying on in a man’s world while the men are overseas.

Opening first will be The Cover of Life by R.T. Robinson. The play focuses on Tood, Weetsie, and Sybill who are brides in rural Louisiana in 1943. Each married to a Cliffert brother. The men are off to war and a local news story about these young wives keeping the home fires burning intrigues editor Henry Luce. He decides that they belong on the cover of Life Magazine and assigns Kate Miller to the story. Kate has been covering the war in Europe and, though she views doing a "women's piece" as a career set-back, she accepts because it will be her first cover story. Kate spends a week with the Cliffert women, and her haughty urban attitude gives way to sympathy as she begins to understand them while coming face-to-face with her own powerlessness in a man's world. Both funny and poignant, The Cover of Life is a deeply affecting story about the struggle for self-worth. The show is being sponsored by Doug Schwab and Betsey Hurwitz-Schwab.

The Cover of Life is being directed by Jennifer Virts of Garrett County, MD. Virts appeared on stage earlier this season in The Rose Tattoo.  The Cover of Life will be her directorial debut with CT. Also making their CT debuts will be Lisa Podulka as Sybil and Mae Burrus as Weetsie. Podulka hails from New York City and Burrus currently resides just outside Philadelphia.  Returning to the CT stage after a long absence will be Wendy Snow Walker as Aunt Ola. Walker has been working in theatre, film and television throughout the east coast for the past many years and recently directed the CT production of Sideways. Also returning to CT will be Grace LaCount as Tood, Ashley Snow as Addie Mae, Connor McCabe as Tommy Cliffert and Kimberli Rowley as Kate Miller.

The second play offering will be Neil Simon’s classic Biloxi Blues, a semi-autobiographical play. It portrays the conflict of Sergeant Merwin J. Toomey and Arnold Epstein, one of many privates enlisted in the military stationed in Biloxi, Mississippi, seen through the eyes of Eugene Jerome, one of the other soldiers. This play is the second chapter in what is known as his Eugene trilogy, following Brighton Beach Memoirs and preceding Broadway Bound and won the Tony Award for Best Play. A film adaptation starring Matthew Broderick and Christoper Walken was released in the early 1980s.

Biloxi Blues is being directed by Seth Thompson, who recently directed this summer’s Merchant of Venice for CT’s Shakespeare in the Park series. The show features local actors as well as newcomers to the CT stage.

Heading the cast as Eugene will be Mark Worth who appeared in this season’s The Play That Goes Wrong, Jesus Christ Superstar and Sideways. Also returning the stage are Connor McCabe (Carney), Pierce Bunch (Hennessy), Grace LaCount (Daisy) and Brian Records (Selridge).

Making their CT debuts will be Corey Reiter as Sergeant Toomey, Lisa Podulka as Rowena and Jesse Kortus as Arnold Epstien.

The production teams consist of Trevor McCabe (stage manager), Brendon McCabe (stage manager), and Jmonet Hill (assistant stage manager). The design team for the shows includes Rhett Wolford (set and lighting designer), Jennifer Clark (costume designer), Cody Gilliam (costume designer), Jaiden Courrier (sound designer), Anthony Tagliaferro (props team), Kimberli Rowley (props team) and Trevor McCabe (props team).

The Cover of Life will be performed September 5th, 6th, 14th, and 21st at 8:00 pm and September 15th and 22nd at 2:00 pm. Biloxi Blues will be performed September 7th, 12th, 13th, and 20th at 8:00 pm and September 7th and 21st at 2:00 pm.  Patrons can enjoy both shows in the same day on Saturday, September 21st with Biloxi Blues performing at 2:00 pm and The Cover of Life performing at 8:00 pm.

A BOGO ticket deal will be offered on Thursday, September 5th and Thursday, September 12th.  Patrons purchasing tickets to both shows in the same online transaction will also receive a discount. More information on discount codes, ratings, group sale, etc. can be found on the theatre’s Facebook page or at cumberlandtheatre.com where single tickets are available for purchase. Reservations can also be made by calling the box office at 301.759.4990.

Cumberland Theatre to Announce 2025 Season

Annual Launch party to be held on June 20th

The Cumberland Theatre will be holding their annual Season Launch Party to announce plans for the 2025 Season on Thursday, June 20th at 7:00 pm. Patrons are invited to be the among the first to know what's coming in 2025 as the CT staff and Thespian Society reveal the exciting line-up of shows for next year's 37th Season! Announcements include the shows in our 2025 Main Stage Season ...and a few more exciting developments!  There will also be special announcements involving the Stars of Tomorrow youth program - which will also reveal its 2025 line-up as well.

Also, once again, we have let you - our audience - select one of the play choices for our Main Stage Season - our annual Christmas show! ....and we will continue letting you vote until the Launch Party officially starts! Cast your vote for this year's "Audience Choice" by visiting our Facebook page and clicking the link provided.

2025 will be another exciting year for the Cumberland Theatre and we want to include our loyal patrons and sponsors as much as possible. There will be food, an open bar and entertainment provided by some of our local performers, as well as prizes and games throughout the evening.

Please join the CT staff and board of directors for an evening filled with performance, gratitude, good food and exciting announcements about the future of Cumberland Theatre! Tickets are only $25 and include open bar, hor d'oeuvres and entertainment. Get your ticket at cumberlandtheatre.com.

**please note, 2024 Season Pass Holders and Show Sponsors will be admitted to the event for no charge – as a special thank you! Please RSVP to kim@cumberlandtheatre.com

CT PRESENTS SIDEWAYS

Comic romp through wine country up next at CT

The Cumberland Theatre will continue their 36th Season with the comedy-drama Sideways based on the popular 2004 film. The show will run June 6th – 23rd for a total of ten performances. The show is being sponsored by Perineologic.

Written by Rex Pickett, who also penned the best-selling novel of the same name – which has spawned three sequels, the show centers around unpublished writer Miles Raymond s and his friend Jack Manse who are embarking on a wine-tasting road trip to salute the final days of Jack’s bachelorhood. The trip careens woefully sideways as two friends hit the gas en route to mid-life crises. The comically mismatched pair, who share little more than their history and a heady blend of failed potential and fading youth, soon find themselves drowning in wine and women. Miles wants to spend the week relaxing, playing golf, and enjoying good food and wine. However, much to Miles' annoyance, Jack wants to have one last sexual fling before getting married. Emerging from a haze of Pinot Noir, wistful yearnings, and trepidation about the future, the two inevitably collide with reality.

The film version starred Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church and Virginia Madsen. The film drew attention and increased tourism to the Santa Ynez Valley wine-growing region in Santa Barbara County and California's Central Coast. During the film, Miles speaks fondly of the red wine varietal pinot noir while denigrating merlot.[2][3] After the film's U.S. release in October 2004, merlot sales dropped 2% while pinot noir sales increased 16% in the United States.

The CT rendition of Sideways stars Bill Dennison as Miles and Seth Thompson as Jack. Dennison was last seen as Chris/Inspector Carter in The Play That Goes Wrong. Thompson was last seen as Alvaro in The Rose Tattoo. Also appearing as Maya and Terra – the women who cross their path – will be Jenn Levi and Kimberli Rowley. Levi currently resides in Orlando, Florida where she as appeared both on stage and on film. Rowley is the current Artistic Director of CT and was last seen onstage as Serafina in The Rose Tattoo.

The supporting cast, who play a large variety of diverse characters, are Erik Alexis, Michaela Hale, Grace LaCount, Savannah Tagliaferro and Mark Worth.

The show is being directed by Wendy Walker. The design team consists of Anthony Tagliaferro (set design), Walker (costume design), Trevor McCabe (props design), Reed Simiele (lighting design), Brendon McCabe (sound design), Brian Records (fight director) and Marty Jellison (projection design). The run crew is comprised of Katie Zimmerman (stage manager), Thompson (fight captain), LaCount (wardrobe assistant) and Jaiden Courrier (assistant stage manager).

A preview performance will be held Thursday, June 6th at 8:00 pm. Following the preview, performances are June 7th – 19th with Friday and Saturday performances at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm. An opening reception is included in the ticket price for Friday, June 7th.

VIP Bar Seating is also available, which includes bar seating up front with complimentary wine flight and snacks as well as additional tastings served during the show.

More information on ratings, group sale, etc. can be found on cumberlandtheatre.com where single tickets are available for purchase as well as 2024 Season Passes. Reservations can also be made by calling the box office at 301.759.4990.

Please note, the show contains strong language, some violence and sexual situations. It is not intended for younger audiences.