At its annual members’ meeting on June 17, Church Hill Theatre reviewed a successful year, elected four new board members and announced an exciting roster of productions for the 2026 season. And, in an exciting new twist, the meeting concluded with live performances of several songs from the current and upcoming season.
Board Chair Kathy Jones and committee representatives shared lots of good news about financial vitality, the near completion of a major campaign for new stage lights, growing audiences, an incredibly strong youth program, and plans for ongoing improvements. The Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Carrie York for years of dedicated service and outgoing board members Rory Flood, Shelagh Grasso and Christopher Wallace were thanked for their many contributions. All will be recognized with nameplates on the new theater seats.
Four new and very talented members were then elected to the board for three-year terms: Tom Blackiston, Sharon Herz, Tess Jones and JW Ruth. All have strong backgrounds in multiple aspects of on-stage and back-stage theatre experience. Since CHT has only two part-time paid employees, all the board members serve on several committees and share front-of-house assignments. As always, willing volunteers are encouraged to become part of the immediate Church Hill Theatre family.
The main event of the evening was the revealing productions for the 2026 season followed by the surprise of short musical performances.
January A star-studded cabaret fundraiser
February A commemoration of the 1963 March on Washington and Black History Month
March Lend Me A Soprano, a mad-cap comedy about an opera performance gone very, very wrong
April A 2-weekend musical show featuring our teen performers
June Chicago, the high-energy, much-loved musical
September Something’s Afoot, a witty musical spoof of a classical British mystery in a remote British mansion
November The Transylvanian Clockworks, a terrifyingly spooky vampire tale set in the time of Jack the Ripper
December A Christmas Carol, a classic CHT holiday offering
The annual meeting concluded with short performances by Erin Bradley and Matt Rein from The Bridges of Madison County, by Jane Copple from next year’s Something’s Afoot, and by JW Ruth, who brought the house down with “When You’re Good to Mama,” from Chicago.
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