CUMBERLAND — The Cumberland Theatre will continue its 36th season with two plays in September — the first time in its history that two different theatrical offers will be performed at the same time.
“We are excited to try something new at CT,” said board president BettyJo Gehauf. “It is both a challenge and a joy to offer our patrons not one, but two fabulous plays that tell two very different but amazing stories.”
Both plays, “Biloxi Blues” and “The Cover of Life,” are set in the southern United States during World War II; however, the stories come from two different viewpoints — one from a group of young men in basic training and the other from a group of women facing the challenges of carrying on in a man’s world while the men are overseas.
Opening first will be “The Cover of Life” by R.T. Robinson. The play focuses on Tood, Weetsie and Sybill who are brides in rural Louisiana in 1943. Each married a Cliffert brother. The men are off to war and a local news story about these young wives keeping the home fires burning intrigues editor Henry Luce. He decides that they belong on the cover of Life magazine and assigns Kate Miller to the story. Kate has been covering the war in Europe and, though she views doing a “women’s piece” as a career setback, she accepts because it will be her first cover story. Kate spends a week with the Cliffert women, and her haughty urban attitude gives way to sympathy as she begins to understand them while coming face-to-face with her own powerlessness in a man’s world.
The show is being sponsored by Doug Schwab and Betsey Hurwitz-Schwab.
The play is being directed by Jennifer Virts of Garrett County, who appeared on stage earlier this season in “The Rose Tattoo.” The show will mark her directorial debut with Cumberland Theatre.
Also making their Cumberland Theatre debuts will be Lisa Podulka as Sybil and Mae Burrus as Weetsie. Podulka hails from New York City and Burrus resides near Philadelphia. Returning to the stage after a long absence will be Wendy Snow Walker as Aunt Ola. Walker has been working in theater, film and television throughout the East Coast and recently directed the Cumberland Theatre production of “Sideways.”
Also returning will be Grace LaCount as Tood, Ashley Snow as Addie Mae, Connor McCabe as Tommy Cliffert and Kimberli Rowley as Kate Miller.
The second play will be Neil Simon’s classic “Biloxi Blues,” a semi-autobiographical play. It portrays the conflict of Sgt. Merwin J. Toomey and Arnold Epstein, one of many privates enlisted in the military stationed in Biloxi, Mississippi, seen through the eyes of Eugene Jerome, one of the other soldiers. The play is the second chapter in what is known as the Eugene trilogy, following “Brighton Beach Memoirs” and preceding “Broadway Bound,” and won a Tony Award for Best Play. A film adaptation starring Matthew Broderick and Christoper Walken was released in the early 1980s.
“Biloxi Blues” is being directed by Seth Thompson, who recently directed this summer’s “Merchant of Venice” for the theater’s Shakespeare in the Park series. The show features local actors as well as newcomers to the Cumberland Theatre stage.
Heading the cast as Eugene will be Mark Worth, who appeared in this season’s “The Play That Goes Wrong,” “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Sideways.” Also returning are Connor McCabe (Carney), Pierce Bunch (Hennessy), Grace LaCount (Daisy) and Brian Records (Selridge).
Making their Cumberland Theatre debuts will be Corey Reiter as Sgt. Toomey, Lisa Podulka as Rowena and Jesse Kortus as Arnold Epstien.
The production teams consist of Trevor McCabe (stage manager), Brendon McCabe (stage manager) and Jmonet Hill (assistant stage manager).
The design team for the shows includes Rhett Wolford (set and lighting designer), Jennifer Clark (costume designer), Cody Gilliam (costume designer), Jaiden Courrier (sound designer), Anthony Tagliaferro (props team), Kimberli Rowley (props team) and Trevor McCabe (props team).
“The Cover of Life” will be performed Sept. 5, 6, 14 and 21 at 8 p.m. and Sept. 15 and 22 at 2 p.m.
“Biloxi Blues” will be performed Sept. 7, 12, 13 and 20 at 8 p.m. and September 7 and 21 at 2 p.m. Patrons can see both shows on the same day on Sept. 21, with “Biloxi Blues” at 2 p.m. and “The Cover of Life” at 8 p.m.
A buy one, get one ticket deal will be offered on Sept. 5 and 12. Patrons purchasing tickets to both shows in the same online transaction will also receive a discount. More information can be found on the theater’s Facebook page or at cumberlandtheatre.com, where single tickets are available for purchase. Reservations can also be made by calling the box office at 301-759-4990.