The Cake opens our 34th Season this Weekend!

The Cumberland Theatre will open its 34th Season this weekend with the touching and topical dramatic comedy The Cake. The show will run February 10th – 20th with Thursday, Friday and Saturday performances at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm. Following the official opening night on Friday, February 11th will be a complimentary champagne reception to honor Dr. Peter Halmos for his contributions to the theatre. The show is being sponsored by Doug Schwab and Betsey Hurwitz-Schwab.

Written by Bekah Brunstetter (who is also a writer and producer on the famed television show This Is Us), The Cake is currently one of the most produced plays in regional theatres throughout the country. It centers around a vivacious, conservative North Carolina baker named Della who faces a crisis of conscience when Jen - whom she loves like a daughter - asks her to bake a cake for Jen's lesbian wedding to her partner Macy. Della prides herself on making cakes, not judgment calls – those she leaves to her husband, Tim, but for the first time in her life, Della is forced to re-examine her deeply held beliefs, as questions of morals, judgment and family swirl around them all.

Heading the cast as Della is local veteran actor Nicole Halmos. Recent CT appearances include Mrs. Peacock in Clue and several roles in A Christmas Carol. Also returning to CT as Della’s husband Tim is Shawn Cox, who was last seen as Colonel Mustard in Clue.

Making their Cumberland Theatre debuts will be New York based actor Olivia Billings as Jen and DC actor Ariana Caldwell as Macy. Billings has been seen in such productions as The Wolves (#8), Natural Shocks (Angela), and Matilda (Mrs. Wormwood). Caldwell is graduate of the University of Maryland's Theatre program. Her credits include Where Butterflies Go in the Winter (Zora), Noises Off (Belinda), and Citizen: An American Lyric (Citizen 1).

The show is under the direction of CT Artistic Director Kimberli Rowley. The design team includes Artistic Director Rhett Wolford (set design), Jennifer Clark (costume and prop design) and Brendon McCabe (lighting design). Other members of the creative team include Hayden Kline (stage manager), Eric Ringler (assistant stage manager), Caitlin Weems (props assistant), and Elizabeth Mudge (wardrobe assistant).

Tickets are available at cumberlandtheatre.com or by calling 301.759.4990. There will be a wine and cupcake tasting Friday, February 18th at 5:00 pm on the set of the show for a separate ticket price. More information is available on the theatre’s website. The VIP Star Box with food, beverages and balcony seating for eight people is also available to reserve by emailing kim@cumberlandtheatre.com.

Masks are required at all times inside the building.

A Christmas Carol comes to CT

The Cumberland Theatre will conclude their 33rd Main Stage Season with the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol. The show opens this weekend and ru

ns through December 19th. The show tells the familiar story of the notoriously grumpy miser, Ebenezer Scrooge who, after being visited by ghosts from his past, present and future, the Ebenezer has a true meaning-of-life question on his hands. Should he continue to live as a wretched miser or join the world around him as a decent, caring human being?

The show features several veteran actors – both local and visiting – as well as a few new faces to the CT stage. Heading the cast as Ebenezer Scrooge will be Cumberland native Bill Dennison, who recently returned to the area. Playing his faithful clerk Bob Cratchit is local actor and teacher Marty Jellison. Both actors were last seen in October’s production of CLUE on Stage.

Playing the Ghosts of Christmas Past and Present will be Kimberli Rowley and Sean Besecker. Rowley is the Co-Artistic Director of the Cumberland Theatre and Besecker was last seen on the CT stage in The Great Gatsby. Both will also be featured in several other smaller roles throughout the production. Returning the CT stage as both Jacob Marley and nephew Fred will be Hagerstown actor Seth Thompson who was previously seen in last summer's Moonlight and Magnolias.

The Cratchit family will feature Johnna Leary (Mrs. Cratchit), Brielle Windle (Martha), Ava Breighner (Ellen), Thomas Kifer (Peter) and Lennon Windle, who is making his CT debut, as Tiny Tim.

Playing a bevy of supporting roles and telling the story as narrators will be Frank Asher, Kerala Bannister, Nicole Halmos, Hayden Kline, Brendon McCabe, Connor McCabe, Oliver Nau, Josh Ruppenkamp and Olive Wolford.

The show is being directed by guest director Matt Kurzyneic who was last seen as Wadsworth in CLUE on Stage and has also appeared at CT in Assassins and Meteor Shower. Originally from Michigan, Matt now resides in New York City where he has worked in many venues including the Gershwin Theatre.

Creative team members include Danny Durr (choreography), Nicole Mattis (dialect coach), Rhett Wolford (set design), Jennifer Clark (costume design), Trevor McCabe (prop design), Bill Dennison (stage manager/assistant director), and Hayden Kline (assistant stage manager).

The show is being sponsored by Mary Splain Shrout with additional funding from the Queen City Creamery and MIXX Boutique. It is being performed December 2nd - 19th with Thursday – Saturday performances at 8:00 pm and Sunday shows at 2:00 pm. On Friday, December 10th, a holiday wine tasting will be held before the performance for an additional fee. Tickets can be purchased at www.cumberlandtheatre.com or reserved by calling 301.759.4990.

Get a "CLUE" at CT this October!

The Cumberland Theatre will continue it’s 33rd Main Stage Season with the comedy CLUE on Stage, opening this Thursday, October 7th and playing for three weekends. Based on the popular Hasbro board game and the 1985 film starring Tim Curry and an all-star cast, the show is a hilarious farce-meet-murder mystery.

The tale begins at a remote mansion, where six mysterious guests assemble for an unusual dinner party where murder and blackmail are on the menu. When their host turns up dead, they all become suspects. Led by the Wadsworth - the butler, Miss Scarlett, Professor Plum, Mrs. White, Mr. Green, Mrs. Peacock and Colonel Mustard race to find the killer as the body count stacks up.

The show is being directed by Darrell Rushton, whose CT directing credits include Fool for Love (2018) and A Streetcar Named Desire (2019). The cast features familiar faces as well as a few debut performances.

Leading the cast as Wadsworth the butler (a role made iconic by Tim Curry in the film) will be New York based actor Matt Kurzyneic who has been seen on the CT stage as Norm in the comedy Meteor Shower and Guiseppe Zangara in the musical Assassins. Playing Yvette the Maid and making her CT debut will be Rachel Lawhead. Originally from Vienna, VA and now residing in Brooklyn, NY, Lawhead’s on stage credits include Louise (Always Patsy Cline), Lavinia (Titus Andronicus), and Mrs. Lovett (Sweeney Todd).

Playing the six iconic board game characters will be Shawn Cox (Colonel Mustard), Bill Dennison (Mr. Green), Nicole Halmos (Mrs. Peacock), Kimberli Rowley (Mrs. White), Ashley Snow (Miss Scarlet) and Gregory Stuart (Professor Plum).

Cox was last seen on the CT stage as Mr. Macy in A Miracle on 34th Street. He has also appeared as Callahan in Legally Blonde the Musical and the sheriff in Night of the Living Dead Live. Dennison recently appeared in this season’s Moonlight and Magnolias as screenwriter Ben Hecht. Halmos has appeared in many roles at CT since returning to the area. Recent appearances include Sara Jane Moore in Assassins, Nat in Rabbit Hole and Mama Rose in Gypsy.

Rowley serves as the Co-Artistic Director of the theatre and recently appeared in The House of Yes (Jackie-O) and Moonlight and Magnolias, which she also directed. Snow returns to CT after appearing in this season’s The Great Gatsby as Jordan. Stuart, a professor at Frostburg State University, is making is CT debut.

Also appearing in CLUE in a wide variety of diverse supporting roles are Morganne Chu, Marty Jellison and Seth Thompson.

The creative team includes Rhett Wolford (set design), Jennifer Clark (costume design), Joshua Taylor (lighting design), Chris McCabe (music director/accompanist), Trevor McCabe (props master), Hayden Kline (stage manager), Jellison (assistant stage manager) and Ebony Gennes (assistant stage manager).

CLUE on Stage is being performed October 7th – 24th with Thursday – Saturday shows at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm. Masks are required to be worn by audience members at all times while in the building. The show contains mild language and light inuendo. Parental discretion is encouraged.

CLUE is being sponsored by Mary Splain Shrout with additional financial assistance provided by Rocky Gap Resort and Sam and Pam Griffith. For tickets, please visit www.cumberlandtheatre.com or call the box office at 301.759.4990.