Our Sincere Thanks to ALL for THE CHOICE!

Our living history performances of "The Choice: Risking Your Life for Freedom" just wrapped up after three years running! The success of this program was due to commitment, talents, time, and effort of so many - from the acquisition of grant funding to the creation of the Sotterley history specific script to time period costume design to auditions to rehearsals to the generous sponsors to on-site volunteers to the fabulous performances by the actors!

 

Applause! Applause!

We thank each and every one of you! Please know that all of the feedback we have received from audiences over these years has been glowingly positive!

Our sincere thanks to the following:

Playwright

Dale Jones, Making History Connections

Dale Jones founded Making History Connections to help museums and historic sites offer meaningful programs. He creates compelling and provocative experiences using museum theatre, living history, and guided tours and has scripted scores of museum productions, including Scenes from 1837 at Conner Prairie and Old Sturbridge Village and The Value of Life for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Director

Dawna Diaz

Dawna Diaz has a long history with Sotterley. As an outstandingly multi-talented volunteer, she has been involved in all aspects of the popular “Ghosts of Sotterley” for the past nine years. When not directing or performing on a stage, she can be found mediating or working her day job on base at Atlantic Test Range.

Costume Designer

Leon Wiebers

Leon Wiebers, an award-winning costume designer, has designed for operas, musicals, and theatre performances for the San Francisco Opera Center, English National Opera, Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, Getty Museum, California Music Circus, Portland Center Stage, and Seneca Theatre. He holds a faculty position at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, is a member of USA 829, and was recently awarded a Fulbright Research Grant to South Korea for the 2012-13 academic year. 

The Cast

John Rousby Plater (guardian of George V and Sotterley)

played by

Stephen Rumpf

and

Trevor Diaz

Elizabeth Plater (John’s wife)

played by

Shannon Ivanchev

Elcie (an enslaved servant and cook)

played by

Shemika Berry

Peregrine Young (an enslaved servant in the house)

played by

Jay Hunter

Commodore Brown (a British naval officer)

played by

Eric Zabiegalski

and

Maryland Heritage Areas Authority

Maryland Humanities Council

Old Line Bank

Southern Maryland Heritage Area Consortium

Star Spangled 200

Students of St. Mary’s College of Maryland

Merideth Taylor

Joanna Woods

 and

Sotterley Volunteers

Pam Parker

Wesley Thomas

Julie Woods

Meagan Woods

Shayna Zabiegalski