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March 11, 2026

Centreville Spy

Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Centreville

6 Arts Notes

Studio B Art Gallery Opens “Wanderlust” Exhibit During Easton’s First Friday Gallery Walk

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Studio B Art Gallery is proud to announce the opening of its latest exhibit, “Wanderlust,” which will debut during Easton’s First Friday Gallery Walk on June 2. This event marks the gallery’s newest “Art Salon Opening,” featuring stunning artwork inspired by worldly travels and exploration.

The “Wanderlust” exhibit is a celebration of the adventurous spirit, showcasing the art of the gallery’s globe-trotting artists who have captured the essence of their travels and experiences in their works. Visitors to Studio B Art Gallery will be treated to a visual journey that will transport them to various locations with inspiring new perspectives to spark the imagination.

“Paris in the Rain” – 9×12 Jove Wang

Gallery artist Charles Newman will be at Studio B Art Gallery for the First Friday Art Salon. Charles was selected as the top 25 finalist for PleinAir Magazine’s 12th Annual $33,000 Plein Air Art Competition; he also just won second place at the Wayne Plein Air Festival.

“We are thrilled to present Wanderlust as our latest exhibit and excited to have Charles join us for June’s First Friday Gallery Walk,” said gallery owner, Betty Huang. “Our artists have truly captured the spirit of adventure and we can’t wait to share it with our community during the month of May.”

Studio B Art Gallery also has spots open for a 3-day Plein Air Workshop with Master Jove Wang on Sunday, July 16 – Tuesday, July 18, 2023. This is an amazing opportunity to learn from a master artist in this immersive three day workshop experience, and you are invited to work with Jove on location in Easton, Maryland. Jove will hold daily demos, lectures, and hands-on sessions as he explains his painting processes for creating his amazing works of art.

“Yvoire, France” – 11×14 Jove Wang

The “Wanderlust” exhibit will run through June and is open to the public during regular gallery hours. The “Plein Air Workshop with Master Jove Wang” is filling fast. Visit www.studiobartgallery.com for information on registering and learn more about the gallery, the events, and featured artists. You can also send an email to [email protected] or call 443-988-1818 to register for the workshops or arrange a private showing this spring.

Studio B Art Gallery is located at 7 B Goldsborough Street in historic downtown Easton, Maryland. The gallery represents nationally and internationally known painters Hiu Lai Chong, Bernard Dellario, Ken DeWaard, Betty Huang, Qiang Huang, Charles Newman, Daniel Robbins, Master Jove Wang, and sculptor Rick Casali.

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DrinkMaryland: Centreville Celebrates Maryland Makers on June 17th

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When a group of 24 Main Street volunteers gathered in 2016 to create a new signature event to attract visitors to Centreville little did they know that their efforts would lead to the production of an event that not only attracts about 1,800 visitors from seven different states in addition to Washington, D.C., and Maryland, but also that the event would be equally popular with locals.

The event concept went from idea to fruition when Centreville Main Street approached the Maryland Wineries Association in 2017 to partner with the Town to celebrate Maryland’s craft beverage makers, artisans, and entertainers. Now in its sixth year, DrinkMaryland: Centreville – A Maryland Makers Event will be hosted on Lawyers Row and Broadway on Saturday, June 17 from noon to 5 p.m.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Moore

Admission to the event is free and attendees over the age of 21 (ID required) may purchase tasting passes to explore local wine, beer and spirits. Tasting passes are available for $20 in advance at drinkmaryland.org for $25 on the day of the event at the check-in tent on the corner of Broadway and N. Commerce Street.

This year’s event will feature nearly 40 Maryland makers, including live performances by Chesapeake Sons, led by band founder Jason Morton of Chester, and Philip Dutton and The Alligators, led by front man Philip Dutton of Worton. Emceeing the stage and engaging the audience with a special tasting session will be certified sommelier, national speaker and “edutainer” Laurie Forster of Easton.

Chesapeake Sons will be performing their signature blend of Southern rock. The band has toured throughout the United States as well as at a special international music festival in Lithuania, and has shared the stage with renowned music legends such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Eric Church, ZZ Top, Kid Rock, and Shooter Jennings. Chesapeake Sons was back in studio in Nashville, Tenn., writing and recording new music in mid-May, so the DrinkMaryland: Centreville audience may be treated to some brand new tunes.

Philip Dutton and The Alligators will perform some lively original and cover music that will evoke the sounds of New Orleans, and for good reason. Philip Dutton was born and raised in Louisiana and developed his musical chops from influences such as bayou two-step dancing music and the music of Zydeco pioneer Clifton Chenier.

Corporate Sponsors

DrinkMaryland: Centreville – A Maryland Makers Event is produced by event partners Maryland Wineries Association (MWA) and the Town of Centreville and is executed by a group Centreville Main Street volunteers and MWA staff and volunteers. The signature event is funded in part through the generosity of its corporate sponsors.

At press time corporate sponsors include: Platinum Sponsor: Shore United Bank; Support Services/Stage Production Sponsor: Queenstown Bank; Gold Sponsors: CR Realty and Rosendale Realty; Silver Sponsors: Joseph W. McCartin Insurance, Inc. and Rural Maryland Council; and Bronze Sponsors: Chesapeake Real Estate Associates LLC, Prime Lending, and Queen Anne’s County Library.

Chesapeake Sons

Artisans and food vendors

In addition to live performances and the chance to explore Maryland wine, beer and spirits offerings, attendees can check out a diverse selection of artisan wares. At press time, event artisans include:

  • Beltway Merch: Handmade Maryland themed belts, dog collars & leashes, cat collars, key chains, and hair accessories;
  • Brackish Wooder: Carved wooden signs and décor;
  • BroHo Sauce Company: Small batch hot sauce;
  • Chesapeake Shoppe: Handcrafted jewelry and unique designs;
  • Crafty Ness: Camping buckets, floral arrangements & more;
  • Emailine: Mirror sun-catchers & earrings;
  • Hometown Rustics: Handmade burlap wreaths & décor;
  • J and S Creations: Gourds; hair accessories; wood crafts & more;
  • KaitMadeDesign:  Handmade polymer clay jewelry and accessories such as hair clips & beer can glasses;
  • The Moonlit Shell: Handmade jewelry, crafted with hand-collected seashells, pearls, and shark teeth recycled from oceans in the United States and abroad;
  • Pope’s Leather: Handmade leather belts, bags, wallets & accessories; and
  • Resouled/Marilyn DiMarco: Reclaimed vintage doors and nautical charts transformed into unique wall art.

Philip Dutton and The Alligators

When the afternoon’s festivities work up an appetite, attendees will have an eclectic selection of food offerings to satisfy their hunger. Food vendors include:

  • BBQ Bueno: Chopped chicken, pulled-pork and sliced brisket, burrito bowls, sandwiches, tacos, nachos plus mac & cheese;
  • Carrie Sue’s Cupcakery: Cupcakes & sweet treats;
  • Paul Gunther’s Catering: BBQ chicken, pit beef & more;
  • Jimmy’s Fat Rolls: Lobster, filet mignon, chicken and shrimp rolls, cheesy bacon taters;
  • Lucky Heart Bakery: Featuring the launch of a limited edition Old Bay soft pretzel as well as pies, cookies, artisan breads, and cinnamon buns;
  • Kent Island Crab Cakes: Crab cake sliders, crab topped pretzels, Smith Island Cakes, and lemon bars; & soft drinks; and
  • A Sprinkle of Magic Cupcakes: Cupcakes & baked goods.

To purchase a tasting pass for DrinkMaryland: Centreville – A Maryland Makers Event, visit drinkmaryland.org. For artisan or sponsorship information, contact Carol D’Agostino, Centreville Main Street manager, at [email protected] or (410) 758-1180, ext. 17 or search for “DrinkMaryland” at townofcentreville.org.

All photos are supplied by Centreville Main Street, Chesapeake Sons/Jason Morton and Philip Dutton/Philip Dutton and The Alligators, which provide consent for publication purposes.

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Artists in Dialogue with Landscape Outdoor Sculpture Invitational on View at Adkins Arboretum

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Many stories are woven into the landscape at Adkins Arboretum. This spring, five artists from the mid-Atlantic region brought some of them to light with their sculptures on view June 1 through Sept. 30 in the Arboretum’s 11th biennial Outdoor Sculpture Invitational—Artists in Dialogue with Landscape. The artists will talk about the stories that inspired their artworks during a reception and guided sculpture walk on Sat., June 3 from 2 to 4 p.m.

“News Alert—Dinosaur Tracks Discovered at Adkins Arboretum!” is Yardley, Penn., artist Elizabeth McCue’s take on how the Arboretum may have looked in prehistory. Set in a curving path, her trackway of huge sauropod footprints marches off into the forest beyond.

The Arboretum’s present-day paths prompted Marcos Smyth of Alexandria, Va., to create “Revelator.” Spanning a path under the trees, it creates an unexpected barrier, forcing walkers to enter its wheelchair-accessible U-shaped tunnel. Inside, it reveals itself as a place of dappled light and shadow where one is largely concealed from the outside world but can see through the latticework of sticks and burlap that form its walls. It’s an invitation to pause, look around and open to the peace and revelations the forest offers before moving on.

“Revelator,” a sculpture by Marcos Smyth

Stephanie Garon, of Clarksville, Md., also took up the theme of traveling with three towering figures made of bundles of willow saplings that seem to stride across the Arboretum’s South Meadow. After learning that this land was the home of the native Choptank people until colonization forced them to migrate, Garon began to consider how people around the world are being displaced as climate change makes their homes uninhabitable through sea level rise and intensified weather patterns.

In her travels as an art handler moving art for museums and galleries across the U.S. and Canada, Laurel, Md., artist Melissa Burley often witnesses the effects of increasingly severe storms caused by climate change. Also disturbed by the discarded water bottles and tattered plastic bags caught in fences along the highways, she was inspired by Chief Seattle’s famous words, “Man does not weave a web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web he does to himself.” A startling bright blue in the green of the forest, her sculpture, “Caught in a Web,” is an intimate tableau made of a picket fence and litter with a mirror behind a silvery web that reflects the viewer’s own face.

Another aspect of the same web is revealed by colorful flags set in a patch of delicate ferns surrounding a large tree. “All Together,” a second sculpture by McCue, evokes the Wood Wide Web popularized by Suzanne Simard’s book Finding the Mother Tree. Only recently discovered by scientists, the mycorrhizal network that trees use to communicate and forge symbiotic relationships is hidden underground, but McCue has made it visible by marking its interconnected patterns with hundreds of multicolored flags radiating from a “Mother Tree.”

For Towson, Md., artist Bridgette Guerzon Mills, it was natural to let the forest’s trees tell their own stories. Gathering acorns, seedpods, bark, lichens, moss and leaves, she stitched them onto the pages of a large handmade book where they form a gentle meditation on trees’ role in the forest ecology. As well as containing the seeds of the next generation of trees, such “forest litter” provides food for animals and nutrients for the soil and is crucial to the health of the forest.

A powerful awareness of such intricate interconnections runs through all these artists’ works. In their various ways, they explore the realization that in our ever-changing world, the interconnections humans share with all of nature are crucial to the web of life on earth.

This show is part of Adkins Arboretum’s ongoing exhibition series of work on natural themes by regional artists. It is on view June 1 through Sept. 30 at the Arboretum Visitor’s Center located at 12610 Eveland Road near Tuckahoe State Park in Ridgely. Contact the Arboretum at 410-634-2847, ext. 100 or [email protected] for gallery hours.

A 400-acre native garden and preserve, Adkins Arboretum provides exceptional experiences in nature to promote environmental stewardship.

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The 3D Jazz Trio Return to the Mainstay

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On Saturday, June 17th at 8 pm, the Mainstay in Rock Hall, MD is excited to welcome the return of one of its most requested acts, the 3D Jazz Trio. The trio features Amy Shook on upright bass, Sherrie Maricle on drums, and Jackie Warren on keyboard. The three performers met in May of 2014 while playing in the internationally acclaimed 15-piece, all-women DIVA Jazz Orchestra. From their first shared downbeat, they became kindred-swinging spirits and the resulting musical synergy was fast and fierce…or as the New York Times put it…”blistering hot!”

Fiercely swinging, this powerhouse trio plays original, traditional, and contemporary standards from many different genres of music. Their distinctive style and innovative arrangements are super-charged by their boundless musical joy, gratitude, and enthusiasm.

Since its inception, 3D has performed at many of the world’s most prestigious venues and festivals, including: The Blue Note (NYC) Dizzy’s Club (NYC), Mezzrow (NYC), Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors (NYC), Blues Alley (D.C.), and at the Festival Internacional de Música La Guarapachanga in Cuba.

3D Jazz Trio

From her drum set, Sherrie Maricle also leads The DIVA Jazz Orchestra, and her jazz quintet FIVE PLAY. She is the recipient of numerous awards and distinctions, including The Kennedy Center Alliance Award for Outstanding Achievements in the Arts, a Doctoral Fellowship from New York University, the New York City Music Educator’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and was twice selected New York University “Music Teacher of the Year.”

Amy Shook has performed numerous times at the Mainstay at the invitation of various jazz headliners. She has appeared on stage with an incredible roster of jazz icons including Lionel Hampton, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, the Scott Silbert Big Band, Hubert Laws, and Kurt Elling to name a few. She has performed at the Kennedy Center, Blues Alley, Dizzy’s Club the Blue Note NY, Washington Women in Jazz Festival, and at the White House twice by special invitation. In addition to her work as a performing and recording artist, and a multi-instrumentalist (acoustic bass, electric bass, violin, viola, and cello), Amy is also an accomplished composer.

Pianist Jackie Warren performs regularly as a soloist, but also has another jazz trio, with bassist Peter Dominguez and drummer Ron Godale.  She also arranges and plays salsa and Latin jazz with percussionist Sammy Deleon y suorquestra.  In addition to these groups, Jackie has performed locally and nationally with such artists and groups as David Fathead Newman, Clark Terry, the Spirits of Havana, Jimmy Heath, Tito Puente, Jr., Percy Sledge, and the Jazz Heritage Orchestra.

All three women are experienced and enthusiastic educators. They’ve presented workshops and clinics at numerous universities, colleges, and high schools throughout the country. Ever since the summer of 2019, they’ve served as virtual and in-person artists-in-residence for the Maryland Summer Jazz event in Rockville, MD.

Tickets are $20 in advance of the show and can be purchased online at mainstayrockhall.org. Phone reservations are accepted by calling (410) 639-9133 (tickets reserved by phone are $25 when paid at the door). The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall.

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Forest Music Returns to Adkins Arboretum June 15

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Music will once again lilt through the trees when Adkins Arboretum hosts Forest Music on Thurs., June 15 from 2 to 4 p.m. Presented in partnership with Chestertown’s National Music Festival, Forest Music is a unique performance art event that brings young musicians and their mentors from the Festival to play in the forest for visitors who travel from near and far to hear them.

Since its inception in 2014, Forest Music has become a highly anticipated annual event. Positioned individually or in small groups along a circuit of wooded paths, musicians play their individual selections simultaneously so that their music can be heard up close or at a distance as visitors walk through the forest. Sometimes harmonizing between one group and the next, sometimes creating strangely magical dissonances, they play in concert with birdsong, the rustle of leaves in high branches and, occasionally, a chorus of frogs.

Over the years, participating musicians have come with violins, clarinets, horns, bassoons, double basses and even steel drums to play everything from Bach to the Beatles to original compositions developed specifically for the Arboretum forest. Held during the National Music Festival’s two-week run, Forest Music draws many of its visitors from the Festival itself while also attracting a large local audience from the Arboretum’s members and friends.

Musicians from Chestertown’s National Music Festival play in the woods during Forest Music at Adkins Arboretum. The 2023 Forest Music performance is Thurs., June 15 at the Arboretum in Ridgely.

The event will also feature the opportunity to bid on a parlor-size acoustic/electric guitar, generously donated by PRS Guitars. Bids will also be accepted through June 30 at adkinsarboretum.org.

Forest Music is $10 per person. Light refreshments will be served, and wine will be available for purchase. All are welcome; advance registration is strongly encouraged at adkinsarboretum.org or by calling 410-634-2847, ext. 100.

This event is generously sponsored in part by the Caroline County Council of Arts, PRS Guitars and Unity Landscape Design|Build.

A 400-acre native garden and preserve, Adkins Arboretum provides exceptional experiences in nature to promote environmental stewardship.

The National Music Festival brings together inspiring mentors and the next generation of gifted musicians, providing education, scholarships and affordable, adventurous public performances in and around Chestertown, Md. Visit nationalmusic.us for more information.

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Young Artist’s Harp Seminar Returns to Washington College

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Now in its 21st season, the Young Artist’s Harp Seminar (YAHS) returns to Maryland’s Eastern Shore this July. Over 50 of the world’s top young harpists will reside at Washington College for two weeks of intensive study, coaching sessions with renowned instructors, and concert performances open to the public.

The festivities open on July 10 at Chestertown’s Emmanuel Episcopal Church with a chamber music concert featuring Nancy Allen, principal harpist of the New York Philharmonic, and chair of the harp department at The Juilliard School.

Harpists coming from California, to Canada, to Costa Rica, and everywhere in between, will embark on a two-week course of study with renowned YAHS faculty. A training ground for elite artists, many YAHS alumni have subsequently attended top schools and conservatories, such as The Juilliard School, the Cleveland Institute of Music, the Curtis Institute of Music, the Paris Conservatory, and many others.  YAHS alumni have also claimed top prizes at major international competitions, including France’s prestigious Concours de Harpe Lily Laskine and Japan’s Nippon Harp Competition.

Throughout their two weeks at YAHS, harpists have opportunities to practice performing on stage, in masterclasses, and in a series of simulated orchestral auditions.

Susan Bennett Brady (Principal Harpist with the Atlanta Opera Orchestra) and Kimberly Rowe (editor of Harp Column magazine) founded the YAHS program in 2002 as a way to give young harpists ages 12–26 an intense performance and practice environment with top instruction. In 2008, they launched the international Young Artist’s Harp Competition, and in 2014, the auxiliary one-week YAHS Prep program debuted for harpists ages 8–17. The YAHS is excited to return to Chestertown to join the passionate culture of music on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

Concert-goers will have many opportunities to hear the young harpists—along with faculty and special guests—in action this summer at a series of concert events open to the public.

Most YAHS students are serious about the harp, and many have plans to pursue it as a career path. Some students, however, don’t see a professional harp career in their future, and for Rowe and Brady that’s fine: “Our number one goal is simply to impart a love for music and for the harp.” They are confident the students’ experiences at YAHS will help them meet their goals, whatever they may be.

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Chestertown’s 2023 National Music Festival Includes Something for Everyone

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Chestertown’s renowned National Music Festival has announced its June 2023 concert schedule. From June 4-17, the Festival will bring together 28 of the nation’s most esteemed mentors and 100 promising apprentices, presenting over 30 events, ranging from major symphonies to chamber music, pre-concert talks, and master classes, plus dozens of free open rehearsals. Mentors are professional musicians who teach and perform all over the country; apprentices are young professional musicians on the cusp of their careers. Festival musicians come to Chestertown this season from 10 countries and 30 US states.

Concert schedules, tickets, and Festival Passes are available on the Festival’s website, nationalmusic.us.

Highlights of the much-anticipated 11th season include:

  • Monumental symphonic works, including the 7th Symphonies of Beethoven and Mahler, Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite, and Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun;
  • Performances by audience favorite and acclaimed guitarist Camilo Carrara;
  • Chamber music, including works by Prokofiev, Barber, Messiaen, Bartok, and Haydn;
  • A free Family Concert featuring percussion;
  • Forest Music, a unique performance art event in collaboration with Adkins Arboretum (tickets available at adkinsarboretum.org).

Garnering national and international attention will be the Festival’s performance of American composer Dana Suesse’s Concerto in E Major for Two Pianos, performed by the young Croatian pianists Petra Akrap & Katarina Nera Biondić and orchestra, conducted by Festival Artistic Director Richard Rosenberg.

“Whatever your musical tastes, we have performances you will love,” said Rosenberg. “In addition to our flagship orchestra concerts, try our ‘Lunchtime Chamber Bites,’ our special Family Concert, or our Market Music in Fountain Park and enjoy!”

Lunchtime Chamber Bites are short, free concerts featuring performances and discussion with the artists. The Family Concert and Market Music concerts are also free, as are several other events. All rehearsals are free and open to the public. Venues for concerts and rehearsals range from local churches to Washington College to the Raimond Cultural Center, MassoniArt Galleries, Sumner Hall, and more. Concert and rehearsal schedules are available on the Festival’s website, nationalmusic.us.

For apprentices, the National Music Festival advances the lives and careers of these promising musicians by providing access to world-class mentors and performance opportunities. Apprentices are chosen in a highly competitive process and attend the Festival on scholarship, free of charge. The Festival is a true community effort as Chestertown area residents open their homes as host families for apprentices and mentors, and Emmanuel Church in downtown Chestertown will provide lunches for the musicians on weekdays.

Visit the Festival’s website for the complete 2023 Festival concert schedule and repertoire and to purchase tickets or Festival Passes: https://nationalmusic.us/eventsand-tickets/concert-schedules/. All tickets are held for pick-up at the concerts; no tickets will be mailed. A number of concerts are free, as are all rehearsals.

The National Music Festival is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council (msac.org) and the Kent Cultural Alliance (kentculture.org). For more information about the Festival, visit the website at nationalmusic.us or contact [email protected] or (443)480-0221.

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Church Hill Theatre Seeks New Directors for the 2024 Season

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Church Hill Theatre, in Queen Anne’s County, has been Delmarva’s premier venue for live drama for more than thirty years. CHT is actively seeking new talent to grow its reputation for excellence. If you have substantial theater experience and can commit the necessary time and attention, CHT would love to hear from you.

The Church Hill Theatre season, which will be announced in mid-June, usually includes four main stage shows (a mix of musicals, comedies, and dramas, each running for three weekends, an established summer camp for children, and occasional smaller productions. Directors receive a modest honorarium, but all the actors and crew members are volunteers. An estimated budget is created for each show’s set, costumes, and props, with musicals receiving a larger budget for musician stipends. Directors are responsible for managing the productions from auditions through the final performance, arranging an appropriate rehearsal schedule and recruiting a crew of set builders, costumers, light & sound designers, etc. CHT keeps a roster of willing and experienced volunteers for these positions but does not maintain a standing production crew.

Potential directors are invited to send contact information and a full theater biography and resume to the Theater Business Manager at [email protected]. Once the 2024 season is announced, applicants will be invited to present detailed proposals for the show or shows they would like to direct. Applicants who are unfamiliar with the theater facilities may arrange to inspect the stage, check out the sound and lighting systems, and discuss any other concerns by calling 410-556-6003. The CHT website, churchhilltheatre.org, has additional information about the organization and past productions.

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Authors & Oysters: Michael Stang

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Michael A. Stang

The Bookplate is happily continuing their popular Authors & Oysters event series at The Retriever Bar in 2023. Author Henry Corrigan was featured in the most recent Authors & Oysters event on May 3rd. Next up on Wednesday, May 31st at 6pm, all are invited to The Retriever to welcome author Michael Stang as he discusses his collection of short stories, “The Monster of the Gunpowder River and Other Fabrications”.

Michael A. Stang has written over forty plays, many of which have been produced in the U.S. and Australia. His love of the short story began in grade school and was rekindled during Covid, when this collection was written. Dr. Stang is a retired emergency physician who came to Baltimore for his residency and remained. Besides writing, he enjoys travel, biking, fly-fishing and woodworking. He lives in Baltimore with his wife.

“Michael Stang’s magic-carpet stories fly us beyond the bounds of the real, into a world similar to this one but more magical, more coherent, and much kinder. Take the trip. A visit will do you good.” –William deBuys, Pulitzer finalist and author of The Trail to Kanjiroba

“The stories in The Monster of the Gunpowder River and Other Fabrications are a moving and elegant display of Dr. Stang’s abilities as a chronicler of history, place, character, and the nuances of time on the subjects on which he chooses to turn his knowledgeable gaze—in this case, the surrounds of the Gunpowder River in Baltimore County. The pieces bring to life real symbols, icons, and landmarks filtered through the author’s vivid imagination, at times melancholic and wistful, other times bawdy and outrageous. His tales are a balm for our current, challenging times.” –Dr. Hortense Gerardo, playwright, screenwriter, and Director of the Anthropology, Performance, and Technology (APT) Program at the Jacobs School of Engineering at the University of California, San Diego.

“Behold 7 wonder stories, each structured upon a skeleton of geographic and historic truths, made flesh by their able and tender physician/writer and gifted breath by the pure power of his imagination – together forming a kind of benevolent Golem to snuggle up to each night. Bravo!” –Rebecca Alban Hoffberger, Founder/Director American Visionary Art Museum

For more event details contact The Bookplate at 410-778-4167 or [email protected]. This event is free and open to the public and reservations are not required, however the event on 6/14 with Smithsonian curator, Eleanor Harvey, will require reservations to guarantee a seat. Reserve your space by calling the shop at 410-778-4167. The next Authors & Oysters is scheduled for 6/7 with local favorite, Jamie Kirkpatrick. All events are held in the back room of The Retriever, located at 337 ½ High Street in Chestertown, Maryland. 

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The Garfield Center’s Annual Short Attention Span Theatre Opens June 23

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Presenting a diverse set of short plays ranging from the outrageous to the hilarious, this year’s edition of the Garfield Center’s Short Attention Span Theatre received over 1000 script submissions from local, national and international playwrights. SAST opens for live performances starting June 23rd. Produced by Mark Sullivan, and mounted in collaboration between a large cast and crew of local performers, directors and technicians, SAST will once again feature 8 ten-minute plays, some of which will be appearing on a stage for the first time.

Directed by GCA Executive Director Steven Arnold, “On Queue” is a modern, comedic take on “Waiting for Godot.” Written by Morey Norkin, a resident of Japan who has Maryland roots, the director has cast J.W. Ruth and James Fordi in the play. Ruth was seen in GCA’s “The Play That Goes Wrong” as Max, as Chicklet in “Psycho Beach Party,” and in the title role in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” Fordi is a local resident, a current Washington College student, and a participant in the college’s theatre program.

In “Oh, No! I Flew Too Close to the Sun!,” a comedy by Oregon playwright Rand Higbee, a Roman-era convict attempts to clear his record by appearing as Icarus in a performance at the Colosseum – but there’s a catch! The director is Shannon Carter, who was Fiona in “Shrek,” Sandra/Florence in “The Play That Goes Wrong” and performed in a variety of acting and singing roles all over the Eastern Shore. Carter’s cast features Brianna Johnson, who appeared in GCA’s “Psycho Beach Party” and “Prescription: Murder,” Robert Walton, who performed in last year’s “SAST,” “The Play That Goes Wrong” and “Shrek,” and Ian Stotts, who portrayed Judah in GCA’s “Joseph.”

Police murder procedures meet “Whose Line is it, Anyway?” in “Annnd Scene (of the Crime),” directed by Brianna Johnson. The play, written by Ohio-based John Busser, features Adrienne Wrona, who appeared in “The Play That Goes Wrong,” “Shrek” and “SAST,” Dominic Delcoco, who performed in 2022’s “SAST” and as “Gingy” in “Shrek,” and Ian Stotts.

In “Quack,” directed by Jennifer Kafka Smith, a method actor constantly inhabits his current character role much to the annoyance of his wife and her sister. Smith, who directed “Annie” and “Shrek” for the GCA, has cast newcomer Audrey Roberts from Cambridge, newcomer Lydia Clark from Worton, and Gil Rambach, who appeared in “Shrek,” “SAST” and directed 2019’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” for the GCA.

In a fantasy kingdom’s distant past, a tailor asks the Queen to break tradition by determining his own preferred surname. His chosen name, “Dragonslayer,” is also the title of North Carolina playwright Clinton Festa’s comedy. Directed by Patrick Pearce, who has appeared on the GCA stage in “The Play That Goes Wrong,” “Psycho Beach Party,” “Prescription: Murder” and “SAST,” the show features a large cast of performers, including Amanda Fry, who has multi-year “SAST” credits, Ian Stotts, Robin Wood, who played FDR in “Annie,” Kyleigh Batchelor, who appeared in the children’s chorus in “Joseph,” Gil Rambach, Robert Walton, and J.W. Ruth.

J.W. Ruth directs “Evolution,” by St. Louis playwright Marjorie Williamson. Set in the dawn of civilization, it imagines that even prehistoric cave dwellers can resist change. The cast includes Colleen Minahan, who recently appeared in Church Hill Theatre’s “Sense and Sensibility” and “The Outgoing Tide,” and Pennsylvania resident and GCA newcomer Craig Stump.

Mark Sullivan is the director and playwright for “That Sounds Like Murder.” Hilarity and confusion abound on a dark and stormy night as three actresses attempt to solve a mystery but are thwarted by an unlikely source. Sullivan has cast Amanda Fry, Shannon Carter, and Adrienne Wrona.

“Game Day” is by local playwright and Live Playwrights’ Society participant Jon Clark. In this comedy, a man is facing a life-or-death situation but his dilemma is overshadowed by an argument with surprising revelations. Directed by Adrienne Wrona, the play features Shannon Carter, Dominic Delcoco, and James Fordi.

Performances begin June 23rd and run at 8 PM on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 PM on Sundays through July 9th. Tickets are $20.00 for general audiences and $10.00 for students and can be purchased online anytime at www.garfieldcenter.org or by calling the box office at 410-810-2060 Wednesdays through Fridays from 10 AM to 3 PM.

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