The Damascus Theatre Company will present ”Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” at the Arts Barn Theatre in Gaithersburg on weekends from Feb.10-26.
The musical centers on two con men living the life on the French Riviera — sophisticated Lawrence Jameson, played by Bill Brown of Gaithersburg, and small-time crook Freddy Benson, performed by Gabriel Potter of Gaithersburg.
Brown, an architect by day, has been with the company for years, playing leads in many of its productions, said producer Elli Swink. He was last seen in “She Loves Me” and was nominated for a Washington Area Theater Community Honors Award for his work on set design for that show.
Potter joined the company a few years ago and was most recently seen in “Oliver.” He is up for two WATCH awards for his performances in “Little Shop of Horrors” and ”The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” By day he works in information technology.
“They’ve been in many shows together and have good rapport,” Swink said.
Their two characters meet by chance on a train and work side by side to woo and con the wealthy high-society women of the French Riviera. Both feel they are better than the other, so they make a bet to see who can be the first to swindle $50,000 from young American heiress, Christine Colgate, who will be played by Stephanie Miller of Damascus. Miller performed in many of the company’s productions through her teenage years, when she moved away. She has returned to town to teach music in the public schools and perform with the company, Swink said.
Directed by D. Scott Richards and co-produced by Swink and Carol Boyle, the show is choreographed by Laurie Newton and music direction is by Keith Tittermary.
Admission is $18, $16 for Gaithersburg city residents. For tickets, call 301-258-6394 or visit www.gaithersburgmd.gov/artsbarn. For additional information, call DTC at 301-253-6210 or go to the DTC website at www.damascustheatre.org.
The show contains adult language and themes and is recommended for those ages 10 and older. Parental guidance is suggested.
Performances will be at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays.
The Arts Barn is located at 311 Kent Square Road, Gaithersburg.
For more information, contact Elli Swink at 301-785-8526
Museum needs volunteers
Are you a people person? Are you passionate about local history? Consider becoming a greeter at the Damascus Heritage Museum.
The museum, located adjacent to the Damascus Public Library-Senior Center, is looking for a few additional volunteers to greet visitors.
If interested, come see the current exhibit on country stores and talk to the volunteer on duty. The museum is open noon to 5 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays and by appointment.
Training is minimal, but volunteers will be offered an orientation and will work with an experienced person until they are comfortable. Students can receive community service credit for volunteering. Most volunteers work one day per month.
For more information, call Linda Olsen, president of the Damascus Heritage Society, at 301-253-1811.
A farewell
This is goodbye. After nearly 20 years at The Gazette and more than a dozen years covering the Damascus-Clarksburg area, I am retiring from the paper.
The upcounty is a special place, and I thank all of you for showing a city gal the ropes.
I will never forget Hyattstown’s celebration of its 200th birthday in 1998, with a parade that went down the hill then turned around and went back up the hill again. After months of planning, it appeared Clarksburg never was going to get the chance to celebrate its 250th birthday in 2002, but soon after the Snipers were arrested, the Clarksburg Day committee regrouped and mounted a celebration that has become an annual tradition. Celebrate Damascus has blossomed from small event to highlight local merchants to an annual two-day event with a parade and fireworks that is one of my favorites. I will try my best to be back this July for the Damascus Community Fair, which offers a glimpse into the best of farm life like the Montgomery County Fair — but it’s free.
I want to thank everyone in Damascus, Clarksburg and Hyattstown for allowing me to be a part of your communities. I will miss you.
For now, I plan to relax and update my Facebook page, before moving on to my next career. I will be back to visit when I can.
Copyright © 2012 Post-Newsweek Media, Inc./Gazette.Net