The Little Theatre of Alexandria

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Thank you to Jim Hartz for putting this together!

LTA rings in the holiday season with a return of the classic by Charles Dickens. Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly Victorian humbug, travels with ghostly guides through Christmas past, present, and future to find the true meaning of the holidays. Complete with special effects, Victorian carols, and Tiny Tim, A Christmas Carol is a must for the entire family. Written by Charles Dickens Adapted and Directed by Rachael Hubbard Produced by Lloyd Bittinger and Eddy Roger Parker Photo by Doug Olmsted Meet the Cast! Mark Lee Adams (Charles Dickens) Nikki Amico (Martha) Ashley Amidon (Mrs. Cratchit) Clare Baker (Belinda Cratchit) Elliot Bales  (Ebenezer Scrooge) Melanie Bales (Mrs. Fezziwig/Laundress) Emma Canfield (Lillian) Alexander Collins  (Young Scrooge/Ghost of Christmas Future) Brian Downie  (Henry Cratchit/Robert) Cillian Farrell (Tiny Tim) Saoirse Farrell (Spirit of Christmas/Child Soloist/Belle's Oldest Daughter) Penelope Gallagher  (

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Here is the fourth video in a series of video blogs for Cantorial.  In this video, you learn more about Cantorial's set and meet cast member James Myers. Thanks again to Jim Hartz for his outstanding work on these videos!

     I was first introduced to the works of Ira Levin in fourth grade through a cousin who loved horror novels. Rosemary’s Baby was a must read. You can only imagine the letter home to my parents from the school concerning my choice of reading. My mom’s response was, “You mean he’s actually reading a book!”      Having directed area productions of Stephen King’s Misery, Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House and Bram Stoker’s Dracula, I was excited at the prospect of adding a work by Levin to my résumé. And as I read Cantorial for the first time, I kept turning the page waiting for that moment like Rosemary walking down the long hallway to see her baby for the first time.      I don’t think I’m giving anything away by stating that the moment never came! From the mastermind behind Rosemary’s Baby (and its unfortunate sequel), The Stepford Wives, Deathtrap and The Boys from Brazil is this realistic story. Yes, a “ghost story,” but only because there’s a gho

Heather Benjamin (Lesley Rosen) is happy to return to LTA after playing Rose in Enchanted April in 2008. Recent work includes The Confines of Flattery at the 2012 Capital Fringe Festival and Stage Door at American Century Theater. Heather has also performed with Quotidian Theatre, Adventure Theatre, Embassy Players, New Old Theater and Silver Spring Stage, among others. Recent film roles include Sarah Haynsworth Gayle in a documentary about Francis Scott Key, Proof Through the Night, and a lead in the short film The Pardon. Her next project will be directing Copenhagen at Rockville Little Theatre in March 2013.  Heather Benjamin John Franklin (Philip Quinn), an accomplished trainer, Toastmaster and award-winning public speaker is returning to the stage after a long absence with his LTA debut in Cantorial. Past performances have included Thornton Wilder’s The Skin of Our Teeth and numerous dramatic interpretations, including Neil Simon’s The Star-Spangled Girl and Woody Allen’s

Here is the third video in a series of video blogs about Cantorial!  Director C. Evans Kirk continues his talk about Cantorial's set design along with set dressing. Thanks again to Jim Hartz for putting this together.

Here is the second video in a series of video blogs about Cantorial. Director C. Evans Kirk talks about the set design and costumes. Thanks again to Jim Hartz for continuing to do great videos for us!

Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol has been cast and rehearsals started for this year annual production of the classic at The Little Theater of Alexandria. This year will feature an all-new adaptation by Donna Ferragut and directed by Rachael Hubbard. The show runs from November 30 to December 16.  And it features choreography by Grace Machanic who returns this year for her 22 season.  In this segment, which is a part of a longer documentary for the theater, she shows how easy it is for the adult actors in A Christmas Carol to learn the steps. Thanks to Jim Hartz for putting this video together.

The Little Theater of Alexandria’s next production, Cantorial (October 27-November 17), is a play by Ira Levin ( Rosemary’s Baby, Deathtrap, No Time for Sergeants ).   C. Evans Kirk returns to direct the play, which is billed as a “ghost story.”  A dead cantor returns to a former synagogue on New York’s lower east side, but that’s only a small part of the story.  Here is the first in a series of video blogs about Cantorial.  Background from Director Kirk. A special thanks to Jim Hartz for putting this video together.

The volunteers who worked backstage for Sweeney Todd, The Little Theater of Alexandria’s opening show of the 2012-2013 season, were singled out for special praise by several local critics.  Jordan Wright of The Alexandria Times wrote: Countless elements contribute to the realism of the show. Art Snow adds much in terms of special effects including designing blood-spurting razors synchronized to the slashing of Todd’s victims’ throats, a chair that sends victims sliding into an abyss, and a dungeon-worthy oven billowing smoke and flames. The technical complexities of the show are impressive: the two double-decker turntable stages rotate an astonishing 64 times. Add to that the 80-plus sound cues and dozens of mood-shifting lighting cues designed by the WATCH Award-winning team of Ken and Patti Crowley, and you have a tremendously dynamic stage set. Audiences seldom applaud sets and props but the mechanical barber chair that sent Sweeney’s victims rocketing through a tra

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Gayle Nichols-Grimes (Betty Johnson) and Charlene Sloan (Jean Perkins) Erik Harrison (Henry Perkins) and John Shackelford (Bill) Charlene Sloan (Jean Perkins) and Marisa Johnson (Slater) Photos by Doug Olmsted

The LTA Awards are presented Annually in October at a formal gala to honor the best productions, directors, actors, and designers from the prior season. In addition special awards are handed out to volunteers who have made a significant contribution to The Little Theatre of Alexandria.  Below are the nominations for the 2011-2012 LTA Season. Sound Design David Correia and David Hale for Hairspray David Correia and David Hale for 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee David Correia for All the King's Women Props Design Nicole Zuchetto for Rabbit Hole Benjamin and Heather Norcross for Noises Off Eddy Roger Parker for 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Costume Design Jean Schlichting and Kit Sibley for Hairspray Susan Boyd for Witness for the Prosecution Bobbie Herbst and Nicole Zuchetto for All the King's Women Lighting Design Ken and Patti Crowley for Rabbit Hole Chris Hardy for Noises Off Nancy Owens and Liz Owens fo

What do you find appealing about your character and this show? Henry is a man who has been moderately successful at a career he likes but doesn't love, with a pretty house and a pretty wife, and not a lot else. I've been in that sort of place myself. Funny Money is a little bit like wish fulfillment for me - what would happen if you were given the chance to completely change your life? What have you learned about yourself in playing the role of “Henry”? You mean, what have I learned other than how bloody bad I am at memorizing lines? I think Henry has been a real challenge for me as an actor, but that's all boring inside baseball stuff. What I've learned as a person is that the theatre, the chance to perform for others - that's my briefcase full of money. Henry wants out of his hum-drum daily life. My daily life can be pretty hum-drum as well, but in the evening I get to go play make believe with other adults who never grew up. Then after a

What do you find appealing about your character and this show? I play Jean Perkins and she is a really great character to play. She goes through a huge emotional journey in the show and that makes her so complex and exciting to portray. She does take a lot of energy and even though it can be exhausting at times it has been so rewarding.  Funny Money is just such a fun show to work on. The script is hilarious and we laugh through rehearsals as we discover more and more about our characters and the ridiculous situation they find themselves in. What have you learned about yourself in playing the role of “Jean Perkins”? Hmmm. I think I have just learned how to emote more. In my real life I don’t always feel comfortable showing emotions like anger, fear, or sadness, so I was afraid that might limit me in terms of showing the range of emotions that the character Jean Perkins feels. Of course, I still feel those emotions, so I learned to just be free, trust my director and cast mate

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Photos by Shane Canfield

You may recall seeing Sam Jones on stage last summer as Link in LTA's Hairspray.  He is now joining the cast of LTA's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Baber of Fleet Street, this summer! Sam Jones in Sweeney Todd What do you want the audience to experience from Sweeney Todd? I want the audience to both be scared and to laugh.  There are parts of the show that are very dark, in a truly frightening way, and the cast has worked really hard to be as terrifying as possible.  However, this horror story is also a black comedy.  It is a funny, funny show.  I have very fond memories of watching this show and the movie version and laughing until I couldn't breathe, while Sweeney is killing his customers.  I would love for the audience to have the same experience. How does this show differ from other shows you have worked on? This show probably has the hardest music of any show I've done.  How Sweeney differs from last summer's Hairspray is that Sondheim really does not c

Ric Andersen and Jennifer Finch Jennifer Finch, Robin Parker, and Sarah Holt Jennifer Finch, Ric Andersen, and Robin Parker Jennifer Finch and Robin Parker Sarah Holt, Ric Andersen, and Robin Parker Photos by Doug Olmsted