industry entertainment founded 1988 headquarters cumberland maryland area served western maryland key people mr. stuart czapski president mrs. pam griffith vice president mrs. karen persons treasurer mrs. kim cendo secretary services theatre website www.cumberlandtheatre.com the cumberland theatre is western maryland s only regional professional theatre . 1 it is located in cumberland maryland and stages a wide variety of musicals plays and dramas . it is a nonprofit organization founded in 1988 and relocated in a formerly empty church in 1991 . contents 1 history 2 accommodation 3 management 4 productions 4.1 past productions 5 references 6 external links history edit started as a project of frostburg state university as a way to rejuvenate the summer theatre program the theatre has since become independent from the university . three of the founders were president reinhard dr. press and dean phillip allen . it was incorporated in 1987 after frostburg president herb rinehard expressed concern about the absence of summer theatre in cumberland which led to the cooperation of current theatre professor david press and dean phillip allen in founding the cumberland theatre with a view to stimulating the local economy . a board of trustees was later established chaired by shirley giarritta . this board included members from the university county and city administration local businesses and local residents . the new summer theatre started in 1988 and 1989 as a rotating repertory theatre . dr. press acted as the artistic director as well as the producing director . in the next season dean allen assumed the role of executive director and the producer while dr. press remained the artistic director . by the third season the first full time producing director and general manager mr. pat julian was selected . the theatre group performed in a borrowed storefront in the schwarzenbach building on the downtown mall until 1991 when with assistance from the state of maryland mrs. giarriatta and mr. nicholas giarriatta bought and renovated a disused assembly of god church on johnson street . mr. don whisted was engaged in 1992 as artistic director and remained in that position assisted for many years by mr. gary goodson associate producer until his retirement in october 2016 . in 2003 william h. macy an emmy award winning actor agreed to serve on the board of trustees . that same year the auditorium was named the nicholas and shirley giarritta playhouse to honour their many contributions to the theatre . the newly selected theatre management team consists of wendy snow managing director and co artistic directors kimberli rowley & rhett wolford . accommodation edit the theatre s present location is at 101 north johnson street formerly an assembly of god church . the building houses the costume and scene shops and storage as well as the theatre house . the theatre seats 198 patrons . the bev walker gallery serves as the lobby of the theatre with an art show on display with each production . management edit the cumberland theatre is owned and operated by a volunteer board of trustees and is a 501 c 3 non profit organisation . the theatre is also supported by volunteers who serve on various committees and work as front of house staff . the theatre is supported by donations from residents of the city of cumberland along with patrons such as allegany county maryland arts council allegany county the city of cumberland and the allegany arts council . productions edit the cumberland theatre produces a variety of plays . the artistic director posts a brief synopsis of the play and usually a subjective rating based on the language and themes contained in the shows . the wide variety of genres include comedy drama horror thriller musical colonial autobiographical romance crime and mystery . over the years musicals have proven to be generally the most popular followed by comedies and thrillers . furthermore the theatre has produced many shows featuring stories specific to different minorities . some examples are the diary of anne frank ain t misbehavin hairspray the all night strut and to kill a mockingbird . past productions edit past productions date show credits july 2013 2 the producers by mel brooks and thomas meehan july 2012 the pirates of penzance book by w. s. gilbert music by arthur sullivan april 2012 romeo and juliet by william shakespeare february 2012 boeing boeing december 2011 every christmas story ever told by michael carleton jim fitzgerald & john k. alvarez october 2011 little shop of horrors by alan menken & howard ashman july 2011 rent by jonathan larson april 2011 the importance of being earnest by oscar wilde february 2011 the last of the red hot lovers by neil simon nov dec 2010 robert louis stevenson s treasure island by ken ludwig october 2010 the rocky horror show by richard o brien july 2010 3 hairspray book mark o donnell & thomas meehan music & lyrics marc shaiman lyrics scott wittman 2009 4 dirty blonde by claudia shear fiddler on the roof book by joseph stein lyrics by sheldon harnick music by jerry bock laughter on the 23rd floor by neil simon the complete works of william shakespeare abridged by adam long daniel singer & jess winfield plaid tidings by stuart ross 2008 jekyll & hyde conceived for the stage by steve cuden & frank wildhorn ; book & lyrics by leslie bricusse music by frank wildhorn copenhagen by michael frayn the glass menagerie by tennessee williams a christmas carol by charles dickens adapted for the stage by tony reich 2007 the full monty music & lyrics by david yazbek book by terrence mcnally the man who came to dinner by moss hart & george s. kaufman shirley valentine by willy russell ten little indians and then there were none by agatha christie cinderella music by richard rodgers book & lyrics by oscar hammerstein ii 2006 camping with henry & tom by mark st. germain joseph and the amazing technicolor dreamcoat music by andrew lloyd webber lyrics by tim rice hay fever by no l coward deathtrap by ira levin twelfth night by william shakespeare 2005 tru by jay presson allen the sound of music music by richard rodgers lyrics by oscar hammerstein ii book by howard lindsay & russell crouse pippin book by roger o. hirson music & lyrics by stephen schwartz the diary of anne frank by albert hackett & frances goodrich a christmas carol by charles dickens adapted by tony reich 2004 my way by david grapes & todd olson play it again sam by woody allen shenandoah book by james lee barrett peter udell & philip rose ; music by gary geld lyrics by peter udell frankenstein based on the novel by mary shelley a christmas carol by charles dickens adapted by tony reich 2003 sweeney todd music & lyrics by stephen sondheim book by hugh wheeler the odd couple by neil simon big river music & lyrics by roger miller book by william hauptman harper lee s to kill a mockingbird by christopher sergel a christmas carol by charles dickens adapted by tony reich 2002 guys & dolls music & lyrics by frank loesser book by jo swerling & abe burrows jerry s girls concept by larry alford wayne cilento & jerry herman bye bye birdie book by michael stewart lryics by lee adams music by charles strouse macbeth by william shakespeare angel street by patrick hamilton 2001 forever plaid by stuart ross pump boys and dinettes by john schimmel cass morgan jim wann debra monk john foley mark hardwick annie book by thomas meehan ; music by charles strouse lyrics by martin charnin brigadoon book & lyrics by alan jay lerner music by frederick lowe arsenic and old lace by joseph kesselring 2000 west side story concept by jerome robbins book by arthur laurents music by leonard bernstein lyrics by stephen sondheim blithe spirit by no l coward oliver music lyrics & book by lionel bart dracula by hamilton dean & john l. balderston 1999 dames at sea book & lyrics by george haimsohn & robin miller ; music by jim wise noises off by michael frayn the king and i music by richard rodgers book & lyrics by oscar hammerstein ii the taming of the shrew by william shakespeare the all night strut by fran charnas dial m for murder by frederick knott 1998 nunsense jamboree by dan goggin who s afraid of virginia woolf by edward albee blood brothers book music & lyrics by willy russell barefoot in the park by neil simon a closer walk with patsy cline by dean regan the woman in black by stephen mallatrat 1997 godspell concept by john michael trebelak ; music & lyrics by stephen schwartz the lion in winter by james goldman the pirates of penzance book by w. s. gilbert music by arthur sullivan moon over buffalo by ken ludwig ain t misbehavin the fats waller musical concept by murray horowitz & richard maltby jr. sleuth by anthony shaffer 1996 the fantasticks book & lyrics by tom jones music by harvey schmidt cat on a hot tin roof by tennessee williams cabaret book by joe masteroff music by john kander lyrics by fred ebb don t dress for dinner by marc canolletti robin hawdon a closer walk with patsy cline by dean regan sherlock holmes by william gillette & arthur conan doyle 1995 forever plaid by stuart ross private lives by no l coward the music man book music & lyrics by meredith wilson story by franklin lacey jacques brel is alive and well and living in paris conception & english lyrics by eric blau & mort shuman ; music by jacques brel rumors by neil simon the mousetrap by agatha christie 1994 nunsense ii by dan goggin greater tuna by jaston williams joe sears & ed howard man of la mancha book by dale wasserman music by mitch leigh lyrics by joe darion love sex and the i.r.s. by william van zandt & jane milmore something s afoot book music & lyrics by james mcdonald david vos & robert gerlach 1993 lettice & lovage by peter shaffer evita music by andrew lloyd webber lyrics by tim rice run for your wife by ray cooney murderer by anthony shaffer 1992 a funny thing happened on the way to the forum book by burt shevlove & larry gelbart ; music & lyrics by stephen sondheim social security by andrew bergman i do i do book & lyrics by tom jones music by harvey schmidt dracula by hamilton dean & john l. balderston 1991 nunsense by dan goggin other people s money by jerry sterner lend me a tenor by ken ludwig 1990 the best little whorehouse in texas book by larry l. king & peter masterson ; music & lyrics by carol hall steel magnolias by robert harling side by side by sondheim music & lyrics by stephen sondheim ; additional music by leonard bernstein mary rodgers richard rodgers & julie styne . continuity by ned sherrin 1989 broadway bound by neil simon promises promises music by burt bacharach book by neil simon lyrics by hal david romantic comedy by bernard slade 1988 brighton beach memoirs by neil simon the pajama game music by richard adler & jerry ross ; book by george abbott richard bissell ; lyrics by richard adler jerry ross the nerd by larry shue references edit cumberland theatre . allegany arts council . retrieved 25 october 2015 . theatre review the producers at cumberland theatre maryland theatre guide three actors equity players head cast of ct s hairspray . cumberland times news . 2 july 2010 . cumberland theatre starts 23rd season saturday . cumberland times news . 5 june 2009 . external links edit theatre website v t e city of cumberland subject areas attractions climate demographics festivals events education geography history media people sports major employers transportation top subjects allegany arts council allegany college of maryland allegany community symphony orchestra allegany magazine