Company Set: Before and After

The Company set, designed by Joann Lee, is FABULOUS!

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Before: the walls are up!

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After: Everything is painted! Only detail work left.
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Stuffed Shirt

COMPANY opens tomorrow! Below are photos of Julie Herber preparing one of the props:

What the heck is this all about? Come see the show!

Comedy Pigs Update

The Comedy Pigs' APRIL'S FOOLS (April 5th and 19th) shows were a success, thanks to a great and energetic house on both nights. The first act of the shows was stuffed with short form improv games, jousting the audience with quick wit and great characters. The second act was a medium form improv set, dubbed "Post-its", a style of long form that's long been a Comedy Pig special. "Post-its" makes use of audience suggestions on (you guessed it) post-its, creating inter-connected scenes offering the performers and the audience a little more time to explore whatever the moment might bring - and that's the fun of improv!

Besides these two shows, the month of April also brought the Pigs two new members: Laura Stark and Tres Dillon. Yes! Two new ladies will be added to the Pigs line-up. They are both very different performers and will bring a refreshing energy to the stage. The Comedy Pigs welcome the new ladies to the troupe!

The Pigs are also busy workshopping and rehearsing new games for their June shows (June 7th & 14th @ 10:30pm), and are knee-deep in writing sessions for their original summer sketch show which runs July 11th thru August 8th, culminating on August 9th with The Comedy Pigs' 15th Anniversary Show. We're old, y'all! Keep an eye out for more info!
Check out the Pigs MySpace!

If you weren't able to make it out last month, enjoy our April 5th show vicariously through the pictures below! (Photo credits: Jon Paul Duvall)

Anne Raugh , Ali Lepelletier & James McGarvey riding the improv bus in "International Transit"

"Moving Parts" with Paula Pitts and James being manipulated by audience volunteers

James & Anne during a scene from "Post-its"

More "Post-its" fun

COMPANY

MET's 10th Anniversary Season comes to a close with Stephen Sondheim's American musical theatre classic: COMPANY. Here a few shots from rehearsals and work calls.

Karen Paone as Marta and Denny Grizzle as Robert. Alison Shafer on piano.

Director Steve Satta and Stage Manager Ken Poisson watch choreographer Jenny Male and cast members Janelle Broderick (Kathy) and Karen Paone (Marta) rehearse a dance.

MET Associate Artistic Director Julie Herber paints the COMPANY set. The set was designed by Joann Lee.

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COMPANY opens May 16th and runs through June 21st. Buy Tickets Here!

Playwright Julie Heifetz

From "A Sparrow's Song" playwright, Julie Heifetz:

As a passionate theater-goer, playwright and actor, you can imagine my joy in discovering that my new home of Frederick, Md. had its own professional theater. That said, I am enough of a theater snob that I was a bit wary of the quality of the productions I might find at the Maryland Ensemble Theatre. I should not have wasted one creative moment worrying.

Over the year and a half I've lived in Frederick, I have attended almost every production and have been thrilled to discover that the choices of scripts, the talent of company members was enough to make me very, very happy. My partner Jack and I have become volunteers, and in addition, have brought many of our weekend visitors from Philadelphia, our previous home, to see the show that has been playing. A journalist who covers theater in Philly, and a writer for opera news, and other sophisticated culture buffs, have been amazed, as I was, that our relatively small town has such a cultural opportunity as we find with the MET.

Because of the quality of this company, I am excited to have "A Sparrow's Song," a play that I have written, about to be produced by the MET. It's such fun being surrounded by professionals who want to reach for new and different experiences, and in doing so, provide much that is new to the community.

A thanks to everyone involved in the performance.
- Julie Heifetz, author of A Sparrow's Song

A Sparrow's Song

On Wedesday, April 3oth, the day before Yom Hashoah (the Holocaust Day of Remembrance), MET will present a staged reading of "A Sparrow's Song," by local playwright Julie Heifetz.

"A Sparrow's Song" is based on the true story of Janusz Korczak, a Jewish writer, physician, educator and director of a Jewish children’s orphanage in Warsaw, Poland before and during the Second World War. Dr. Korczak was beloved by the Polish people, Christians and Jews. When the Nazis came to deport the 200 Jewish children in the orphanage the soldiers recognized Dr. Korczak and offered the opportunity to have his life spared, but Korczak elected to go with his children and was murdered at Treblinka along with them.

Check out the Frederick News Post story for more details about the show and Ms. Heifetz.

The show begins at 7pm and will be followed by a panel discussion. Click here to purchase tickets

Finally Some Prom Photos!

Retro Prom 2008 was held on April 12th at the Talley Rec Center. We think it was our best Prom yet. Here are some images from the evening, taken by Jon Paul Duvall and Ali Lepelletier.

Roxi Starr (aka Susan Mele), our hostess for the evening and Mark Barnhart


Dr. Mark and Shawn Pitts (Shawn is the MET Board of Directors President)

Ensemble members Rona Mensah and Ken Poisson


Prom King Jim Hochadel and Prom Queen Helen Kerr have their first dance


James "Jiggy" McGarvey

The dance floor was packed all night!

Jon Paul Duvall.

Kayte and Joe Williams talk with MET Artistic Director Tad Janes (center)