To close out the 2009 season, the New Embassy Theatre presents Larry Shue's fish-out-of-water comedy The Foreigner.  Set sometime in the 1980s in rural Georgia, two British fellows wind up concocting a scenario in which one of them, the terribly shy Charlie Baker, pretends not to speak English so that he doesn't have to interact with strangers.  But in the process, Charlie learns intimate details about the lives of others in the boarding house where he's staying, and sinister dealings are afoot to have the house of Betty Meeks condemned so that it can be used for more nefarious purposes than lodging guests.  Charlie must help his new friends find a way to outwit their foes, but how?

Come to the New Embassy for one of nine shows from Nov. 6-22 and learn for yourself!  And don't forget to listen for "The Phrase That Pays" in this podcast for discounted tickets.

Running time: about 17 minutes.

Wagons Ho!  The year is 1919, the setting is Cumberland, Maryland, and Dr. Generosity is bringing his show to towns along the old National Pike, the first federally funded road, which began right in the heart of what is now downtown in the Queen City.  From September 25-October 4, the New Embassy presents the original production "Dr. Generosity's National Pike Tent & Medicine Show," written by the Embassy's own Jerard Puckett and Mark Baker.  In this stage show with musical accompaniment, the characters of nearly a century ago give praise to the Conestoga wagon that helped blaze the trails westward on the road that went through western Maryland, cementing the region's place in history.  Vaudevillians, a Native American "princess," and two wise-cracking teamsters regale you with tales of the National Pike's past, not just as a history lesson, but first and foremost as entertainment.  The New Embassy is once again proud to present a program that celebrates the culture of our area while making you laugh out loud, tap your toes, and sing along.

Ticket prices for this two-weekend event are discounted to $12, but if you can remember "The Phrase That Pays" somewhere in the podcast, your price will be only $10.  Friday and Saturday showings are at 7:30 pm, Sunday showings at 2:30 pm.  Click the POD link above and wait a few minutes for the podcast to download.  Enjoy!

Running time: about 17 minutes.

Pictured at right are, standing: Susan Zoller, Virginia England, Adam Pomeroy, Stephanie Gainer, Dan Cope, Richard Wydro, and Rebecca Zoller. Kneeling: Joe Pendorf, Brent Sterling.

As summer winds down, the New Embassy Theatre is presenting the late 1800s three-act British comedy Engaged by W.S. Gilbert (of Gilbert and Sullivan).  In this whimsical look at a man who is quick to profess his love for almost any woman he meets, the audience is taken to the Lowlands of the Scottish borderland, where Cheviot Hill (played by Tom Shanklin, center) asks not one, but three women to marry him -- Minnie Symperson, Maggie MacFarlane, and Belinda Treherne (left to right: Cyndi Pownall, Kedra Gowans, and Marta Fiscus).  But because the laws in Scotland are different than in England, when Cheviot and one of the women simply say in front of witnesses that they are husband and wife, they actually are legally married although they don't know it.  But wait!  Is the cottage where they made this announcement really in Scotland after all, or is it just across the border in England?  You'll find out in this hilarious take on social mores of the British Isles in days gone by.  We also hear from Peter Schmitz, a visiting actor from New York, who portrays Minnie's father, about his theatrical experiences and what he thinks of performing in the Cumberland area.

Show dates are August 7-9, 14-16, and 21-23, with Friday and Saturday shows at 7:30 and Sunday matinees at 2:30.  Regular ticket prices are $18 adults, $16 students and seniors, but if you listen during this podcast for "The Phrase That Pays," mention it at the ticket window or when calling (301) 722-4692 for reservations, and your show tickets will be discounted to $12!  Click the POD link above and your download should take just a few minutes.

Running time: about 23 minutes.

As part of Cumberland's "Friday After Five" entertainment series, the New Embassy Theatre is proud to present the tri-state area's only original sketch comedy group, "Those Guys."  Primarily under the aegis of Richard Wydro and Tom Shanklin with additional direction by Jerard Puckett, the group writes and performs their own material during three Fridays in June (5th, 12th, and 19th) at 7:30 and 9:00 pm.  With a cover charge of only $5, it's a great, funny way to spend an hour down on the mall.  It's new material every week, so don't think you've seen it all if you've only come by once!

Click the POD link above to learn more about "Those Guys" and hear a sample from a live show.

Running time: about 18 minutes.

Opening at Cumberland's New Embassy Theatre on May 8 and running for nine performances through three weekends, The Seven Year Itch is a hilarious and touching 1950s comedy that examines the wonders and worries that come along with a certain level of complacency in a marriage.  Mark Ashby, the host of this podcast, portrays Richard Sherman, a husband caught between his love for his wife of seven years, Helen (played by Marta Fiscus, at right) and his desire for a little extramarital activity with the new upstairs neighbor, only identified as "the Girl" (played by Kedra Gowans, at left).

Richard weaves in and out of reality and his own memories and fantasies as he attempts to come to grips with his conflicting feelings as a husband and father whose wife and son have taken a summer trip to the beach and as a ladies' man who still wishes to see himself, at age 38, as still having what it takes to attract women of all types (like his secretary, a friend of Helen's, or a casual acquaintance).  In the meantime, a pompous psychiatrist/author helps Richard sort out his emotions, and a male friend of the family tries to move in on Helen, prompting all sorts of jealousy on Richard's part.  The play is somewhat different from the famous Marilyn Monroe movie of the same name, but trust us when we tell you that you'll laugh even harder at this version!

Show dates are May 8-10, 15-17, and 22-24, with Friday and Saturday shows at 7:30 and Sunday matinees at 2:30.  A special brunch by Sara Bella Catering is also available on Sundays at 1 pm for an additional charge.  Regular ticket prices are $18 adults, $16 students and seniors, but if you listen during this podcast for "The Phrase That Pays," mention it at the ticket window or when calling (301) 722-4692 for reservations, and your show tickets will be half-price.

Click the POD link above and please wait a few minutes for the file to download.

Running time: about 21 minutes.

For this podcast, we take a listen to the three short productions that make up this year's one-act play festival at the Embassy, the fourth installment.  These contest-winning scripts are being staged for two weekends - April 3-5 and 9-11.  First is Ralph E. Riley's comedy "Who's the Hostage?", in which an escaped criminal infiltrates a spinster's home in hopes of making a getaway, but instead he finds himself in a Catch-22 of hilarious proportions.  In the middle is Scot Walker's second-chance drama "Molasses Toast and French Fried Eels," where a man who wakes up from his slab in the morgue after being dead 30 minutes now has a strange new power, with which he can uncover some interesting facts.

Finally, Blair Llewellyn's "The Oldest Profession" showcases (pictured) Cindy Pownall, Jay Atkinson, and Angela Merrithew in a tale of a senator, his wife, and a madam's little black book.  Just how much is a person's past worth?  You'll find out when you come to the New Embassy's one-act festival in April!  In this podcast, you'll hear from "Who's the Hostage?" personnel, and "Oldest Profession" playwright Llewellyn about their productions, as well as excerpts from all three plays.  Also, don't miss a new feature to the podcast, "The Phrase That Pays!"  Click the POD link above and wait a few minutes over broadband for the download.

Tickets for the show are $18 adults/$16 seniors and students.  Performances are 7:30 pm Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 2:30 pm Sunday.

Running time: about 22 minutes.

Welcome to the first podcast for the New Embassy Theatre, a historic entertainment venue on the downtown mall in Cumberland in the hills of western Maryland.  These podcasts will let you know about all the events featured at the New Embassy, starting in this episode with the kickoff to the 2009 season, Arthur Kopit's farcical "Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mama's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feeling So Sad," running from March 19-29.

Set in late 1950s Havana, the play features the eccentric antics of Madame Rosepettle, her infantilized grown son Jonathan, the bellboys she abuses relentlessly, the oversexed babysitter Rosalie, and Commodore Roseabove, owner of the biggest yacht in Havana's harbor.  While Madame Rosepettle secludes her son from anything in the outside world she doesn't want him to see (which is almost everything), Jonathan uses his homemade telescope to spy on Rosalie from their room.  When Rosalie tries to seduce him, Madame steps in to put an end to all that, while simultaneously pursuing the Commodore, driven by her own twisted idea of love.  By turns hilarious, moving, and disturbing, the Embassy cast will take you into a truly dysfunctional situation and bring you out the other side entertained and enlightened.  Daniel Cope and Linda Julien (pictured) portray the Commodore and the Madame, with Tom Shanklin as Jonathan, Chelsea Davis as Rosalie, and Charro McMillan and Richard Wydro as the bellboys.  Click the POD link above (wait a few minutes for download over broadband) to hear excerpts from the performance, plus an interview with Julien to get insights into the characters and their motivations.

Tickets for the show are $18 adults/$16 seniors and students.  Performances are 7:30 pm Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 2:30 pm Sunday.

Running time: about 18 minutes.