Community Calendar

The holidays already are here and your shopping isn’t finished? Or even started? What to give special friends who say they don’t need anything? Church Hill Theatre has an easy and thoughtful suggestion. Consider a 2026 Season Package—with 5 tickets for the price of 4. You get to choose the plays and the dates.

The coming 2026 season opens in March with a Tennessee Williams classic, The Glass Menagerie, and closes in December with A Christmas Carol. In between, there is a great choice of musicals, comedies and more. Consider Between the Lines, an April musical featuring our talented teens, the major June production of Chicago, or the September musical Something’s Afoot, a spoof of British mystery stories. And who could pass on the spooky November show, The Transylvanian Clockworks?

This special $100 package will make a memorable gift and support a cherished local institution. And if you have been very good all through the year, consider treating yourself to an entire season of outstanding shows. This package is available through the CHT office, at 410-556-6003 or online at churchhilltheatre.org.

Church Hill, MD - Church Hill Theatre is pleased to announce that registration for Basic Acting Skills for Students (BASS) will open online on December 10, 2025. BASS offers students in 1st through 8th grades a chance to bask in the glow of the footlights in a series of Saturday workshops. In this program, which begins on January 31, 2026, students learn about improvisation, character development, scene preparation, and musical theatre dance and vocals. The students’ exploration of theatrical scenes, storytelling, movement and song concludes with a performance for family and friends, scheduled for February 28.

In 2026, the program will include two class levels: students in grades 1-4, and students in grades 5-8. The program will be taught by Becca Van Aken, program founder and experienced theater and QACPS educator. Ms. Van Aken will be joined by experienced guest instructors and members of the Church Hill Theatre family.
Classes will be held on Saturdays beginning January 31, running through February 28. The BASS Jr class (1st to 4th graders) will run from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM. The BASS Sr. class (5th to 8th graders) will run from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM. There will be a joint class for both groups on the final day, February 28 from 9:00AM to 1:00 PM, including a brief presentation for families.

The cost of the class is $110. Partial scholarships are available. A 10% discount is offered to families who register more than one child. For more information or to register for the class, interested parents can go to the Church Hill Theatre website: www.churchhilltheatre.org/education, or call the theater office at (410) 556-6003 between 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM Monday through Friday. Registration for BASS closes January 23, 2026.

Arthur and Friends Make a Musical!
Book and Lyrics by John Maclay
Music and Lyrics by Brett Ryback
Based on the Arthur book series by Marc Brown

Directed by Zack Callis
Choreographed by Kiersten Gasemy

Run time: Around one (1) hour and fifteen (15) minutes with no intermission.
This show is appropriate for audiences of all ages.

About: Mr. Ratburn's class is putting on a show – but Arthur's not so sure he's ready! With help from his family and friends, Arthur learns that being yourself is the best part of any performance. A fun, feel-good musical for the whole family!

Arthur and Friends Make a Musical!
Book and Lyrics by John Maclay
Music and Lyrics by Brett Ryback
Based on the Arthur book series by Marc Brown

Directed by Zack Callis
Choreographed by Kiersten Gasemy

Run time: Around one (1) hour and fifteen (15) minutes with no intermission.
This show is appropriate for audiences of all ages.

About: Mr. Ratburn's class is putting on a show – but Arthur's not so sure he's ready! With help from his family and friends, Arthur learns that being yourself is the best part of any performance. A fun, feel-good musical for the whole family!

Marlene Dietrich is quoted as saying, “It’s the friends you can call at 4 a.m. that matter.” Becca, Tammy, and Kim are those kinds of lifelong 4 a.m. Friends with humor and heart and the ties that bind. A myriad of iconic moments, people, and fashion from the 1970s to the present propel these friends as they laugh, fight, argue, support, and love through some of life’s most challenging hurdles -- growing from their teens to their sixties. You know, just like you might do with your own 4 a.m. Friends.

4a.m. Friends runs from Saturday, April 18th through Tuesday, April 21st at the ESPloft (16 East Patrick Street, Frederick, MD, 21701) and Thursday, April 23rd through Tuesday, April 28th at Sky Stage (59 South Carroll Street, Frederick, MD, 21701).

Please note that our Tuesday, April 21st performance will feature a special post show discussion with the playwright.

Tickets are available on a pay what you will basis starting at $0 with general admission seating. Tickets can be reserved online at www.esptheatre.org or in person immediately prior to the start of a performance.

THE CRUCIBLE

BY ARTHUR MILLER
DIRECTED BY JULIE HERBER

APRIL 3 – 26

Preview April 2
ASL Interpreted Performance April 10

A group of teenage girls creates mass hysteria as they accuse fellow villagers of witchcraft in the rigid Puritan society of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. The accused face the choice of maintaining their ideals or conforming in order to survive in this play about the dangers of unchecked fear, the fragility of justice, and the consequences of history.

Based on the beloved Newbery Medal- and National Book Award-winning novel—and the hit 2003 film starring Shia LaBeouf, Sigourney Weaver, and Jon Voight—this theatrical adaptation is a thrilling ride for audiences of all ages. When teenager Stanley Yelnats is hit by a pair of falling sneakers, his unlucky family curse strikes again. Wrongly convicted of stealing the sneakers and sent to the mysterious Camp Green Lake, Stanley joins a ragtag group of boys digging endless holes under the blistering sun—all in the name of building character. But as the layers of dirt pile up, so do the secrets buried beneath them. Part mystery, part adventure, and packed with heart, Holes is a wildly imaginative tale about friendship, fate, and the courage it takes to rewrite your story. Holes is “a fast-paced and inventive family show that works on every level” (The Stage).

1999 Newbery Medal
1998 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature
1999 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction

Arthur and Friends Make a Musical!
Book and Lyrics by John Maclay
Music and Lyrics by Brett Ryback
Based on the Arthur book series by Marc Brown

Directed by Zack Callis
Choreographed by Kiersten Gasemy

Run time: Around one (1) hour and fifteen (15) minutes with no intermission.
This show is appropriate for audiences of all ages.

About: Mr. Ratburn's class is putting on a show – but Arthur's not so sure he's ready! With help from his family and friends, Arthur learns that being yourself is the best part of any performance. A fun, feel-good musical for the whole family!

Step into the shimmering world of The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams’ haunting and beautiful memory play that has captivated audiences for generations. This deeply moving story, rich with longing, fragile dreams, and unforgettable characters, reflects the heart-tugging tension between hope and reality—perfectly resonant for anyone who’s ever chased big dreams while holding tight to family ties. As the Wingfield family navigates love, loss, and the tug of the past, you’ll be drawn into a world as delicate and stunning as the glass menagerie itself. Join us at Church Hill Theatre for an evening of poetic drama and emotional depth that will stay with you long after the curtain falls. Don’t miss this regional favorite!

THE CRUCIBLE

BY ARTHUR MILLER
DIRECTED BY JULIE HERBER

APRIL 3 – 26

Preview April 2
ASL Interpreted Performance April 10

A group of teenage girls creates mass hysteria as they accuse fellow villagers of witchcraft in the rigid Puritan society of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. The accused face the choice of maintaining their ideals or conforming in order to survive in this play about the dangers of unchecked fear, the fragility of justice, and the consequences of history.