Silver Spring Stage Idea Lab

To supplement our season of “mainstage” plays, the Idea Lab will offer a variety of theatrical entertainment options, all virtual, all fun.

Up Next in the Idea Lab:

Idea Lab Script Salon
Sunday, February 7 at 5:00 p.m.
In honor of Black History Month, the next meeting of this play discussion group will feature Black playwright Chisa Hutchinson’s Dead and Breathing. A wealthy, cantankerous Black woman is dying of cancer and receiving hospice care at home. This darkly comic play centers around the relationship between the woman and her hospice care nurse. Register HERE. To view the Frequently Asked Questions about the Script Salon, please click HERE.

Previously in the Idea Lab:
Monologues of Black Authors
Produced and directed by Jacqueline Youm
Saturday, October 17 @ 8pm
Sunday, October 18 @ 2pm
Watch a replay On Demand

Lobby Hero Talkback
Sunday December 13, 4:30pm
Silver Spring Stage will host a discussion of Lobby Hero with special guest Colleen McCrystal, Senior Staff Attorney, Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Coming in mid-December
Co-produced with Talking Fish Podcasts, this enhanced audiobook adaptation will bring the traditional holiday classic to life for the listening pleasure of young and old alike.

Oma’s Bedtime Stories for Big Peoples

First episode available here now
Madame Yurina Babushka, known as Oma, imparts her motherly wisdom while reading bedtime stories to all who will listen.  Hear stories from Hans Christian Andersen, Brothers Grimm, Rudyard Kipling and more.  Oma will delight you with her insights on life and these timeless tales.

Other planned events include:
Cracked by Gwydion Suilebhan
Performed by Maura Suilebhan
Date to be determined
Just another episode of a run-of-the-mill cooking show transforms into an intricate, otherworldly grief ritual as the program’s hostess—or is she some kind of middle-class priestess?—devises increasingly elaborate ways in which to defer the simple act of cracking an egg. When it’s finally time for the demonstration, will she actually be able to just… let go? 

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Aavailable soon on demand
A video rewind of our 2019 production directed by Bill Hurlbut.

Gone Fishin’ by Steve Langley, directed by Michael Reilly
Coming  early 2021
A new video adaptation of an audience favorite from our 2019 One-Act Festival.

If you have a big idea you want to showcase, send a proposal to volunteer@ssstage.org. We also need volunteers to help us stay organized and fill a variety of technical positions. Contact us today!

She Kills Monsters
by Qui Nguyen

Directed by Julia Rabson Harris

July 9-31, 2021

Agnes Evans has lost her family in a car crash and decides to embark on a quest to learn more about her teenage sister, Tilly, who in life had remained a distant mystery to her. When she discovers Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons notebook containing a game scenario she created, Agnes gets a glimpse of the imaginary world that may have provided a safe place for Tilly that she didn’t have in her “real life.” Agnes sees her sister in a way she could have never imagined fighting alongside supermodel elves, nasty ogres, and homicidal fairies. Together with the help of Chuck, Tilly’s friend who Agnes convinces to take on the role of “dungeon master,” these secret warriors give Agnes a chance to celebrate and honor her sister and breathe new life into her own understanding of what is possible for herself.

Producer – Alika Codispoti

Cast:
Agnes – Emma Wesslund
Tilly – Kit Krull
Chuck – Ben Eggleston
Miles/Monsters – Will MacLeod
Kaliope/Kelly – Erica Dilworth
Lilith/Lily – Maya Rizkala
Vera/Monsters – Mallory Shear
Narrator/Gabbi/Monsters – Sarah Luckadoo
Farrah/Tina/Monsters – Gabrielle Minor
Steve/Monsters – Christian Preziosi
Orcus/Ronnie – Noah Haren

Swing – Nathaniel Caspari
Swing – Megan Hastie
Swing – Olivia SE Mitsos

Production Team:
Fight/Intimacy Director – Sierra Young
Stage Manager – Kristen Geatz
ASM – Dana Maksymova
Artistic Liasion – Elenaore Tapscott
Set Designer – Leigh K. Rawls
Master Carpenter – Leigh K. Rawls
Lighting Designer – Stephen Deming
Sound Designer – Megan Hastie
Properties Designer – McKenna G. Kelly
Costume Designer – Stephenie Yee
Choreographer – KT Aylesworth
Composer – Brandon Jackson
Video Producer/Editor – Brad Tehaan

A Doll’s House, Part 2
by Lucas Hnath

Directed by Claire Derriennic

April 16-May 8, 2021

It was shocking for audiences to watch Nora leave her husband and children in Ibsen’s 1879 play A Doll’s House. How shocking is it for us, in 2021, to dive deeper into the reasons behind that fateful choice with playwright Lucas Hnath’s PART 2 of the story? The characters take turns sharing their versions of what could have, would have, or should have happened, and there is unexpected humor to be found in the serious nature of the subject matter. While this play is a kind of deconstruction of the original play, it also stands ably on its own as we get to ask ourselves how much we think life has changed for Nora – and for women who see themselves in her – in a world that continues to have strong ideas about where she belongs.

Producer – Lennie Magida

Cast:
Nora – Jacqueline Youm
Torvald – David Dubov
Emmy – Sophie Isbell
Anne Marie – Greta Boeringer

Ada and the Engine
by Lauren Gunderson

Directed by Jon Jon Johnson

Virtual live performances January 15-February 6, 2021
Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm
Sunday matinees at 2pm on January 24 and 31

“It is not to be missed.” – DC Metro Theater Arts 
“Very much worth watching.” – Maryland Theatre Guide

At age 18, Ada Byron is fixated on mathematics, music, and the legacy of her absent, infamous father poet Lord Byron. When she meets Charles Babbage — whose conception of the Difference Engine was a critical first step towards the computer — the two begin a long intellectual partnership, with suppressed romantic undercurrents. Ada’s mother works hard to keep her daughter from a marriage of passion to a man significantly older that is sure to provoke scandal and pushes her to marry Lord Lovelace instead. Over time, Ada still finds a way to provide critical insights into the would-be Engine and playwright Lauren Gunderson gives us a glimpse of another woman from history whose life and contributions have been kept out of our public consciousness.

Buy your tickets online.

Producers – Alika Codispoti and Maura Suilebhan

Cast:
Ada Byron Lovelace – Danielle Gallo
Lady Anabella Byron – Dayalini Pocock
Charles Babbage – Kevin Dykstra
Lord Lovelace – Nick Temple
Mary Sommerville – Susan Holliday
Byron – Walter Riddle

Understudies:
Ada Byron Lovelace – Shana Laski
Lord Lovelace, Charles Babbage, and Byron – Diego Maramba
Lady Anabella Byron and Mary Sommerville – Nancy Blum

Production Team:
Stage Manager – Kristen Davis
Assistant Stage Manger – Sophia Menconi
Intimacy Choreographer – Helen Aberger
Lighting Designer – Ian Claar
Sound Designer – Jeff Goldgeier
Costume Designer – Stephenie Yee
Set Designer – Leigh K. Rawls
Dialect Coach – Lena Winter

Lobby Hero
by Kenneth Lonergan

Directed by Rob Gorman

November 20-December 13, 2020

“A pleasure to watch.” – DC Metro Theater Arts
“The performances are top notch” – Maryland Theatre Guide

Jeff, a white twenty-something guy, works as the new lobby security guard at an apartment building in New York City, where the story is set. He is someone who has likely been called a “loser” and by more people than just his own father. He is trying to get his life together and has a lot of respect for his boss, William, a tough, strait-laced African-American guy around his own age. He also idolizes the “real” city cops who work the area surrounding the apartment building… especially the pretty one, Dawn. Dawn’s partner, Bill, is larger than life and gives Jeff another person to look up to. When his boss’s brother gets accused of participation in a robbery-murder and as Dawn works to walk the line between being a “good cop” and standing up to sexual misconduct on the force, the play shines a light on the racial bias and sexism inherent in America’s justice and law enforcement systems with a surprising dose of endearing sweetness.

Producer – Seth Ghitelman

Cast:
Jeff – Conor Patrick Donahue
William – Marquese K. Johnson
Dawn – Kimberly James
Bill – Ronald Ward

Production Team:
Assistant Director – Brooke Friedman
Video Producer, Video Editor, Projections Designer – Brad Tehaan
Stage Manager – Seth Ghiteman
Set Designer – Maggie Modig
Master Carpenter – Narcy Klag
Set Construction – Nancy Davis, Narcy Klag, Jon Landenberger, David Lindsay & Joy Wyne
Lighting Designer – Jim Robertson
Sound Designer – Lori Barringer
Properties Designer – Alika Codispoti
Costume Designer; Hair & Makeup – Lena Winter
Covid-19 Compliance Officer – Bill Hurlbut

Monologues of Black Authors

Produced and directed by Jacqueline Youm

Saturday, October 17 8pm
Sunday, October 18 2pm

Watch a replay On Demand

featuring:
Melvin Smith: “Smile”
Emmanuel Catalan: “America The Beautiful”
Jacqueline Youm: “Flashing Yellow Light”
Marvin Bowser: “They Call Me Plague”
Steve Langley: “Giving back”
Fergie Fergusson-Vaux: “Anthropocene”
Dominique Brown: “Beauty Myth” written by Christine Gomes
Steve Langley: “Plantation Fantasies”
Emmanuel Catalan: “The Needle”
Kanika Savoy: “Wax on or don’t!”
Letha Rremington: “Remember” written by Yvonne Paretzky
Jacqueline Youm: “Skin”

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

A new play by Simon Stephens, based on the novel by Mark Haddon

Buy Your Tickets Online

Directed by Kristyn Lue

Postponed

Christopher is a 15-yr-old autistic boy with a pet rat who  loves math and is incapable of telling a lie. We meet him where he lives with his dad — a working-class neighborhood in a town called Swindon, England — after his neighbor’s dog, Wellington, has just been mysteriously murdered. The story unfolds as we travel with Christopher on his journey to uncover the truth behind this terrible crime and grapple with the secrets he uncovers as he bravely risks leaving the care of his trusted teacher to travel via train to London, with all of its overwhelming sound and activity. A story that is equal parts hero’s journey and heartwarming family drama, this production is one that invites you to reconnect with your senses, remember the humanity that unites all of us at our core, and reflect on the myriad of ways in which we navigate through this messy and curious universe.

Producer – Maura Suilebhan

PRODUCTION TEAM
Stage Manager – Denise Gilmore
Lighting – Stephen Deming
Sound – Rich Frangiamore
Properties – Mary Ghitelman
Costumes – Stephanie Yee
Dialect Coach – Gary Sullivan
Movement Consultant – Erin Bone Steele
Artistic Liaison – Jeff Mikoni

Lobby Hero
by Kenneth Lonergan

Buy Your Tickets Online

Directed by Rob Gorman

Postponed

Jeff is the new lobby security guard at an apartment building in New York. Jeff respects his hard-nosed boss William and idolizes the “real” city cops, especially a pretty female cop named Dawn, out walking the beat with her charismatic senior partner Bill. William’s straight-and-narrow path gets thorny when his brother is accused of a horrible robbery-murder and asks William to lie and be his alibi. Dawn discovers that Bill is not so noble and upstanding in his conduct, but Bill threatens to tank Dawn’s career if she speaks up about it or if she refuses his romantic demands. From his position in the lobby, Jeff hears everything but his tendency to say exactly the wrong thing at the wrong moment, or do the right thing for the wrong reason, means he’s probably never going to be a “real” hero. And maybe he’s okay with that.

CAST
Jeff – Conor Patrick Donahue
William – Marquese K. Johnson
Dawn – Kimberly James
Bill – Ronald Ward

Silver Spring Stage has been closely monitoring events and updates on the coronavirus for the last week. Our primary concern is with our community of patrons, actors and volunteers.  It is with great sadness that we have to cancel the remaining performances of Perfect Arrangement.

After much examination and consideration, it was clear to us that for the safety and well being of our audience as well as our actors and technicians it was best to cancel the remaining performances of this great show.

For patron with tickets to the remaining performances, you have the following options:

• You may exchange your tickets to another performance in the current season.
• You can receive a voucher for your tickets that can be redeemed at any time, no expiration date.
• You can convert your ticket into a tax-deductible donation to Silver Spring Stage.
• You may request a refund for your ticket(s).

Please email boxoffice@ssstage with the your preferred option.

Perfect Arrangement
by Topher Payne

Buy Your Tickets Online

Directed by Leigh K. Rawls

February 21 – March 14

Topher Payne’s award-winning play originally premiered at DC’s Source Festival in 2013 and was remounted in 2017 to rave reviews! It’s 1950 in Washington, DC, and new colors are being added to the Red Scare. Two U.S. State Department employees, Bob and Norma, have been tasked with identifying sexual deviants within their ranks. There’s just one problem: Both Bob and Norma are gay, and have married each other’s partners as a carefully constructed cover. Inspired by the true story of the earliest stirrings of the American gay rights movement during the “Lavender Scare”, madcap classic sitcom-style laughs give way to provocative drama as two “All-American” couples are forced to stare down the closet door.

Producer – Lennie Magida

CAST
Millie Martindale – Maryanne Henderson
Bob Martindale – Nicholas Temple
Norma Baxter – Emma Wesslund
Jim Baxter – Brian E. Wright
Barbara Grant – Pamela Wilterdink
Kitty Sunderson – Joy Gerst
Theodore Sunderson – Greg Garcia

PRODUCTION TEAM
Assistant Director – Atticus Brody
Stage Manager – Jennifer Smith
Assistant Stage Manager – Courtney Edwards
Board Operator – Jules Gross
Set Designers – Leigh K. Rawls & Spencer Knoll
Master Carpenter – Spencer Knoll
Set Construction – Spencer Knoll, Jeff Asjes, Davia Craumer, Kyle Dimock, Matt Geary, Alex Knoll & Jake Nye
Lighting Designer – Steve Deming
Assistant Lighting Designer – Jules Gross
Sound Designer – Rich Frangiamore
Properties Designer – Leigh K. Rawls
Costume Designer – Leigh K. Rawls
Wig Designer – Tommy Malek
Photographers – Harvey Levine & Jon Goell
Intimacy Choreographer – Emily Sucher
Artistic Liaison – Matt Ripa