Speaker Series #6 ~ Monuments Men

Sotterley Plantation is proud to partner with 

The Boeing Company in announcing 
the upcoming 2014 Speaker Series 

presentation entitled:

Michael J. Kurtz, Ph.D.

“Monuments Men”

Wednesday, September 17  |  7:00 p.m. in the Barn

In the long saga of cultural looting and destruction, the Nazi war was unprecedented in its ideological ferocity and brutal effectiveness on Europe’s cultural heritage. Yet, in the midst of the destruction wrought by the Nazis, a band of men and women serving in the U.S. military during World War II, known as the Monuments Men, fought a valiant struggle to preserve what could be saved and to restore precious objects to devastated communities.  This presentation will explore why the Nazis sought to obliterate the cultural heritage of the Jewish people and others who were considered “inferior races.”  Front and center will be the work of the Monuments Men, who fought to counter Nazi depredations and the successes they achieved.  From the 1930’s until today the story of cultural restoration continues! 

This event is FREE to the public. 
Advance reservations are required due to limited seating. 
Call 301-373-2280 to make your reservation.

Because of the generous grant and continued support from The Boeing Company, Sotterley Plantation is able to offer this important community outreach, fulfilling its mission to preserve, research, and interpret Sotterley Plantation’s diverse cultures and environments and to serve the world as an educational, cultural, and community resource.

Speaker Series #5 ~ Admiral Stephen Rochon

Admiral Stephen Rochon

“Called to Serve: 
Over 40 Years Journey from 
The Customs House to The White House & Beyond”

Wednesday, August 27  |  7:00 p.m. in the Barn

Admiral Rochon has had a long, impressive career; from being a highly decorated military officer, to his work as Chief Usher of The White House, and recently, The White House consultant and advisor for the #1 box office hit movie, Lee Daniels’ “The Butler.” In his presentation at Sotterley, ADM Rochon will speak about his personal journey as both Head Usher during the Bush and Obama administrations and his consultation on this well-known film. He is now a private consultant, speaker, and writer.  

This event is FREE to the public. Advance reservations are required due to limited seating. Call 301-373-2280 to make your reservation.

Because of the generous grant and continued support from The Boeing Company, Sotterley Plantation is able to offer this important community outreach, fulfilling its mission to preserve, research, and interpret Sotterley Plantation’s diverse cultures and environments and to serve the world as an educational, cultural, and community resource.

With Gratitude to Many for Mambo in Miami!

The 5th Annual Gala in the Garden was held last night in the Sotterley Colonial Revival Gardens and was a truly memorable and marvelous event! In keeping with the theme of “Mambo in Miami” attendees wore bright blues and pinks as the garden resonated with the distinctive South Beach Art Deco influences and the rhythms of the Miami Sound Machine & the Buena Vista Social Club. Exceptional Latin and Cuban infused cuisine brought a right amount of spice! Guests were wow-ed and generously bid on the incredible Silent & Live auction items.

The Gala in the Garden is our second largest fundraising event of the year, which allows Historic Sotterley, Inc. to continue our mission of preserving, researching, and interpreting our diverse cultures and environments and to serve the world as an educational, cultural, and community resource. This could not be possible without the generous support of the following:

Thank You

Thank You

Thank You

2014 Gala Sponsors

Gold Sponsorship - $2,500

Cherry Cove Hospitality and Brian & Kim Norris

John Felicitas and Christine Wray

MedStar Health, Inc.

Skip and Ellen Zahniser

Silver Sponsorship - $1,000

Baldwin & Briscoe, P.C.

Dave and Erna Brown

Community Bank of the Chesapeake

Lockheed Martin Corporation

SAIC

Bronze Sponsorship - $500

Askey, Askey & Associates, CPA, LLC

Jan and Tom Barnes

Jan Mandel - Weitzel and Harry J. Weitzel, Jr.

Don and Jean McDougall, Jr.

Resource Management Concepts, Inc.

Nancy Ruyle Dodge Charitable Trust

Sabre Systems, Inc.

Special Thanks
Michael Whitson and Lynn Erwin

Our Auctioneer, Dan Raley

Carol and Tom Davis, Your Journey Studios

Maryland Country Caterers

Wentworth Nursery

(for the magnificent plants & flowers)

Bailey’s Party Rentals

Busy Corner Buggies

Mark Bailey

Communications Facilities

Sotterley’s Maintenance Staff

&

Top Hat Party Design

Live & Silent Auction

Donors

Asahi Restaurant

Bob & Jane Aldridge

Alexander Chiropractic

JaeNee and Paul Ausley

Baldwin & Briscoe, P.C.

Baltimore Orioles

Bollywood Masala

Bonnie Briscoe

Breton Bay Golf & Country Club

Jan Briscoe and Sam Baldwin

Brome Howard Inn

Bernadette Brooks

Dave and Erna Brown

Café des Artistes

Calvert Marine Museum

Mary Ada and Jack Candela

Cassie the Black Lab

Linda and Mike Colina

John Cook and Eve Love

Betty Currie

VADM Joseph Dyer and Susan Dyer

Nancy and Alan Easterling

Evolve Yoga & Wellness

Marian and Jack Fegeley

Fiesta Americana Hotels & Resorts

John F. Gardiner, III

Missy Geimer

Frank and Patricia Greenwell

Sheila Gibbons Hiebert and Ray Hiebert

Glenn Guy & Guy Distributing

Hilton Garden Inn

Historic St. Mary’s City Foundation

Sarah Houde

Loic and Karleen Jaffres

Bert and Beverly Johnston

Becky Kozak

Karl Mattis

Morris Point

Picker’s Paradise

Pink Beach

Michelle Radez

Joe and Sherri St. Clair

St. Mary’s College Arts Alliance

St. Mary’s College River Concert Series

Salsa’s

Spider Hall Farm

MaryAnn Stamm

Katherine Stormont

Rick and Paula Tepel

The Front Porch

The Light House Inn Restaurant

The Right Mix

The Ruddy Duck Brewery

The Sharper Cut Landscapes, Inc.

The Vintage Source

Megan Thomas, Scentsy Consultant

Top Notch Grooming

Traditions of Loveville

Travel Leaders

Linda Tucker Jones

Walt Disney World

Washington Capitals

Washington Mystics

Washington Nationals

Washington Redskins

Washington Wizards

Jan Mandel - Weitzel

Ellen and Skip Zahniser

The 2014

Gala in the Garden

Committee

Ellen Zahniser, Committee Chair

Jan Briscoe

Linda Colina

Nancy Easterling

Marian Gardiner Fegeley

Joe Goldsmith

Sheila Gibbons Hiebert

Linda Tucker Jones

Eileen Miller

Katherine Stormont

Mellanie Teed

&

the Sotterley Staff

and to all of the volunteers

that helped the day of the event!

NEW DATE!!! Two-Stepping the Night Away!

Two-Stepping!

Line-Dancing!

Swing-Dancing!

Need a fun family-friendly night out with live music and dancing? “The Country Memories Band” will be at Sotterley on Friday, August 22, 2014 with the goal of delighting you and yours with traditional country favorites and golden oldies … and getting you all out on the dance floor! This Southern Maryland band has earned a strong following over the past 14 years; once you hear them, you will become part of the following.

Did you know? 

Sotterley’s very own Joe Goldsmith 

is one of the band members!

So come on down Sotterley Lane and let your hair down with family and friends, as you enjoy songs made famous by Merle Haggard, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Conway Twitty, Patsy Cline, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynne and many other country legends.

Admission: $5.00 per person at the gate.

See you at Sotterley!

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