The Laurel Mill Playhouse has been more than just a community theatre. It has become a theatre of the community. The Playhouse is the home to Teen Shakespeare, Young Adult One Act Festival and the Children’s Summer Musical. This Sunday it will be the stage for members of the Laurel/Beltsville Senior Activity Center theater class. The instructor for the class is LMP’s very own Maureen Rogers who is both producer and director for the show. The actors and crew are members of the class. Ms. Rogers states, “You don’t really get it [Acting] until you are on stage.” So, after performing and practicing at the Senior Center, the group is bringing the play Love Letters by A. R. Gurney to the Laurel Mill Playhouse stage this Sunday at 2 PM for a single performance. This has been a successful vehicle for Rogers before and is ideal for performers who are getting their stage legs again or for the first time. Love Letters is a series of just that, letters, presented in two acts. The actors do not have to memorize lines which help quell nerves.
Maureen Rogers began the project when she offered an Introduction to Acting class at the Center a couple of years ago. She felt it might help the seniors because acting, “Takes you out of yourself.” Many times the group “laughed until they cried.”
Appearing in the show are Richard Meyersburg and his identical twin Munro. Playing the female lead are Brenda Smiley and Theresa Joyner. Although only a two character play, Rogers will have Rich and Theresa perform in Act I, and then Munro and Brenda in the same roles in Act II to give all a chance to be on stage. Rounding out the group are Ann Smitherman, doing Lights and Sound, and Patricia Yates, doing costumes and house. Both ladies are members of the Senior Center class.
Hopefully, this will lead to other productions with thoughts of taking performances into the community, especially at senior facilities.
Love Letters will be performed one-time only this Sunday at 2:00 PM at Laurel Mill Playhouse- 508 Main Street, in Laurel, MD. For tickets, contact Maureen Rogers at (301) 452-2557, or contact her at [email protected], or purchase tickets online.
Tickets are $20 and $15 for seniors, students (12 and under) and active military members.
