2003 Thurmont Thespians Take 3rd Place in Maryland State Theatre Festival The 18th Annual Maryland Community Theatre Association One Act Play Festival was held at Harmony Hall in Fort Washington, MD, from March 28 to 29. Seven state community theatre groups participated in the competition, including Frederick County's Thurmont Thespians with our presentation of Below The Belt, a satire by Richard Dresser. The Festival winner was Silver Spring Stage's production of Sticks And Bones"by Drew McWeeny and Scott Swan. The winning play was performed again at the Eastern States Theatre Association Region 2 Festival in Voorhees, NJ, from April 4 to 6. The first runner up was the Hard Bargain Players' original script production of Elwyn by Bob Bartlett. The Thurmont Thespians were awarded second runner up, and Thespian Spence Watson was given one of six awards for outstanding peformance in acting for his portrayal of Hanrahan. Watson's award was given by adjudicators Marian Myles of North Carolina, and Charla Rowe of the Tantallon Community Players in Fort Washington, MD. Above: A picture from the cast party for Below the Belt. 2002 Andrew Michael by Doug Benson Music and Lyrics by Doug Benson February 22 to March 17 Andrew Michael was a new experience for the Thurmont Thespians. Playwright Doug Benson asked us to perform the world premiere of his musical, which revolved around a family with an autistic son. Rather than teach theatre with this production, traditional auditions were held and the cast included adults and youth. Sixteen performances were held in Thurmont, Frederick, Damascus, and Washington, DC. The production was met with rave reviews and critical acclaim. We appreciated the opportunity to introduce Andrew Michael to the world, and we hope that other theatre groups will pick up this heartwarming and heartbreaking musical. Above: The cast of Andrew Michael.

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