As they get ready to wrap up 2023 with the hilarious family comedy “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” UpStage Artists is already looking forward to 2024 and another year of quality theater for the entire community. In 2024 they will be having a few firsts, their first Shakespearean performance and their first musical! They have chosen Lorraine Hansberry’s Award Winning “A Raisin in the Sun” to kick off their season in February. That will be followed by one of the world’s first romantic comedies, William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing in June. Then during the summer months, they will be working on the children’s show, a musical version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves which will be performed in August. Finally, they will close out their season in early November with Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, the longest running show, of any kind, in the world.
“A Raisin In The Sun” is set on Chicago’s South Side, Lorraine Hansberry's celebrated play concerns the divergent dreams and conflicts in three generations of the Younger family: son Walter Lee, his wife Ruth, his sister Beneatha, his son Travis, and matriarch Lena. When her deceased husband’s insurance money comes through, Mama Lena dreams of moving to a new home and a better neighborhood in Chicago. Walter Lee, a chauffeur, has other plans: buying a liquor store and being his own man. Beneatha dreams of medical school. Hansberry's portrait of one family’s struggle to retain dignity in a harsh and changing world is a searing and timeless document of hope and inspiration.
“Much Ado About Nothing” is one of Shakespeare's best loved comedies that has something for everyone. It is one of the earliest examples of the modern romantic comedy. Everyone can see that confirmed bachelor Benedick and headstrong Beatrice are meant for each other—except for Benedick and Beatrice themselves! While their friends try to trick the bickering pair into admitting they’re in love, their young sidekicks Hero and Claudio start a romance of their own. But will false accusations, broken promises, and even a nutty and bumbling police force prevent a happy ending?
“Snow White and the Seven Dwarves” has all of your old friends, plus a few new ones, in this classic, marvelous musical adaptation. You’ll meet the captivating Princess Snow White, the prince, the evil queen, and, of course, the seven mischievous dwarfs — Sarge, Gabby, Gloomy Gus, Ticklish, Spritely, Snore, and Slowpoke. There’s also a hilarious palace cat and an enchanted vixen — a fox, you could say! Following the traditional storyline, the fairy tale is brought to life with an eclectic score of toe-tapping tunes.
Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap” is The world's longest-running play! After a local woman is murdered, the guests and staff at Monkswell Manor find themselves stranded during a snowstorm. It soon becomes clear that the killer is among them, and the seven strangers grow increasingly suspicious of one another. A police detective, arriving on skis, interrogates the suspects: the newlyweds running the house; a spinster with a curious background; an architect who seems better equipped to be a chef; a retired Army major; a strange little man who claims his car has overturned in a drift; and a jurist who makes life miserable for everyone. When a second murder takes place, tensions and fears escalate. This record-breaking murder mystery features a brilliant surprise finish from Dame Agatha Christie, the foremost mystery writer of her time.
Keep up with all the latest news from UpStage Artists by following them on social media or signing up for updates at their website www.upstageartists.com today. And come on out and enjoy high quality theater in your own back yard. All performances are held at Emmanuel United Methodist Church, 11416 Cedar Lane, Beltsville, MD 20705.