72 HOURS Aug. 3, 2023

BINGO CROSSED WITH THEATER

What do you get when you combine bingo with the Maryland Ensemble Theatre? A game like no other, filled with performances along the way, as singers will be called onstage as their piece is selected until someone yells “bingo!” and claims their prize. Musical Bingo Cabaret, a fundraiser for the theater company, is on Aug. 4 and 5 at the MET in downtown Frederick. Get a ticket or a whole table and enjoy live performances, onsite concessions and drinks, and a chance to win.

FOR THE KIDDOS

Other Voices Theatre brings SpongeBob to the Frederick stage this week in “SpongeBob: the Musical,” which runs through Aug. 20. Based on the TV show, the fast-paced musical takes the audience on a journey. As director Steve Cairns put it, “There is a lot of general craziness.” Also check out Imagination Stage’s 2023-2024 season announcement. The theater company in Besthesda is planning a season comprising of all their most popular children’s shows through the years.

FIRST SATURDAY, FIRST SUNDAY

It’s a First Saturday weekend, so expect to see Frederick’s downtown streets filled with music and activity. This also means several of the local art galleries will host receptions Saturday, as well during the Sunday Gallery Walk. You can catch Homer Yost from 4 to 8 p.m. Aug. 5 at Gaslight Gallery, where he is showing his drawings, some of which have never been hung in a gallery setting, as the longtime Frederick artist is known primarily for his sculptural work. A few blocks up North Market Street, TAG/The Artists Gallery will host its annual variety show, “Le Salon,” with more than 120 works by guest artists on display and a reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Aug. 5. And if you need to cool down, the Potters’ Guild has you covered with its all-day Brain Freeze event at 14 S. Market St., where you can get a bowl of South Mountain Creamery ice cream served in a ceramic bowl hand-made by a local artist, and your purchase will support the Frederick Rescue Mission.

HELP GUINNESS CELEBRATE FIVE YEARS

Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Halethorpe is celebrating its fifth anniversary with festivities throughout the week. Listen to the most recent UnCapped podcast to hear host Chris Sands talk with Todd Perkins and Sean Brennan from the brewery about what’s in store for the celebration.

REMEMBERING WHAM!

Netflix recently produced the new music documentary “Wham!,” which tells the story of the two boys who stole the hearts of all the girls in the early ’80s through their catchy pop songs played on Top 40 stations. If you know, you know. And writer Crystal Schelle, for one, knows. Read her column in this week’s issue as a prerequisite for streaming the new documentary and taking a trip back in time, when life here on planet Earth seemed a lot more simple.

BE UNSTOPPABLE.

MASTER’S DEGREES MADE FOR THE FUTURE

READY TO TAKE YOUR CAREER TO THE NEXT LEVEL OR THINKING ABOUT A CAREER CHANGE?

Hood’s Graduate School offers 19 master’s degrees, two doctorates and 13 graduate certificate programs.

Accounting | Bioinformatics | Biomedical Science | Business Administration

Computer Science | Counseling | Curriculum and Instruction | Cybersecurity

Educational Leadership | Elementary STEM | Environmental Biology

Financial Management | Geographic Information Systems | Humanities

Information Technology | Management Information Systems | Mathematics Education

Multidisciplinary Studies in Education | Nutrition Science | Organizational Leadership

Project Management | Reading Specialization | Thanatology and more!

COMING SOON: Health Informatics (M.S.), Spring 2024

Creative Writing (MFA), Summer 2024 | Nursing (MSN), Fall 2024

LEARN HOW HOOD CAN HELP YOU REACH YOUR GOALS!

Graduate School Virtual Admission Café

Thursday, August 10 | noon or 5:30 p.m.

Register at hood.edu/gradevents

UNCAPPED

Guinness Open Gate Brewery celebrates fifth anniversary this week

In this episode of the UnCapped podcast, host Chris Sands talks with Guinness marketing manager Todd Perkins and head brewer Sean Brennan about what is on the horizon with Guinness in Baltimore. They discuss Guinness’ recent announcement that they would be moving the production of Guinness Blonde to another facility, however, the innovation brewery, taproom and restaurant will all remain operational. Here is an excerpt of their talk.

UnCapped: Let’s kick off by addressing the elephant in the room. A few months ago, Guinness made what was taken as a huge announcement but misunderstood by many. I think we should set the record straight on what’s happening at this location.

Sean Brennan: As it was announced, the production site for Blonde is closing. It’s moving to third party. We’re still very much involved in the brewing process. Our brewmaster, Peter, is over there handling quality. Really, the main focus is the taproom. That’s what we’ve always been driving on here. Part of us coming to Maryland was innovation, so that’s what we’re gonna keep focusing on, everything we do here at the taproom and enjoying delicious beer with all our fans.

UnCapped: So Guinness is still very much open in Maryland. They’re very much still brewing beer in Maryland — maybe not as much, but it’s still being brewed here. So functionally, what’s happening in this barrel room within the taproom hasn’t changed at all, right?

Brennan: No, not at all. If anything, it’s actually given us a little bit more opportunity to put a lot more focus on different crazy innovations, from beers we’ll probably talk about today to everything we’re doing over the summer. We get to really have fun.

UnCapped: From what I understand, one of the most recent innovations has been beer slushies.

Todd Perkins: That is my expertise. I thought it would just be cool to offer the customer something on a hot, 95-degree day in Maryland. Why not? A beer slushie. It sounds delicious. It’s refreshing.

UnCapped: They are really good. I could’ve sworn though, I remember six or seven years ago when Flying Dog had them at the Maryland Craft Beer Festival, you specifically gave me a ton of crap because I got one and was drinking one.

Perkins: That was Todd six or seven

GUINNESS OPEN GATE BREWERY

5001 Washington Blvd., Halethorpe guinnessbrewerybaltimore.com

Perkins: Right. Not the temporary taproom.

UnCapped: So reflecting back, how have the last five years been?

Perkins: Went by really quick, it feels like. Sean and I joke when we look at pictures of ourselves from when we started; we didn’t have gray hairs. I still had hair. It’s been a wild ride. It’s been pretty fun to be a part of it.

UnCapped: A few things have happened in that timeframe. The craft beer industry has completely changed.

Brennan: Yeah, it’s done a whole flip.

UnCapped: It’s gotta be kind of weird still operating, with the decisions that were made then to what’s going on now.

Brennan: Yeah. Slushy beers.

Perkins: No one would have known how the pandemic would have shaken things out. It’s interesting to see how just that has helped mold what we do today.

UnCapped: On a regular basis, it’s still packed here, right?

Perkins: We’re definitely still very busy.

Brennan: We’re busy, so we’ve extended to open on Wednesdays now, too.

years ago, so let’s put that on him. Todd is a totally different person today. My kids have beat me down.

UnCapped: That does happen. you stop caring about almost everything. As long as there isn’t a little dictator yelling at you about something, then everything else is good.

Perkins: Mmm-hmm.

Brennan: Most of Todd’s life is slushies now.

UnCapped: So the taproom’s still open, the innovation brewery is still there, the huge lawn …

Brennan: Oh yeah, the beer garden’s still out there, we still have celebrations, we still have events, and 20 different beers on at a time.

Perkins: The Arts and Drafts Festival with the Baltimore County Arts Guild was a huge success this year. It was our biggest numbers we’ve seen so far, so that was pretty cool. We have the [fifth] anniversary Aug. 3 to 6, and ofter that, we’re looking at Oktoberfest, and we’re gonna blow that one out this year and have the largest tent we’ve ever had on the lawn. So we’re doing big things.

UnCapped: That’s the anniversary of the grand opening of this building, right?

Perkins: That’ll probably be probably just through the summer into the fall, then probably in the wintertime we’ll shut that back down to just Thursday through Sunday.

UnCapped: Being able to focus totally on the innovation brewery, are you putting out more beers now, or are you at the same kind of pace?

Brennan: It’s the same pace, [but] we have a couple other brains that had not been on the innovation side … we’ve added other people in, so different thoughts come in, we’re playing with different things, we get forced to figure out a beer for slushies … . It’s been good. The five years have been amazing. We’re coming up on 500 different beers we’ve brewed. We’re still moving.

This excerpt has been edited for space and clarity. Listen to the full podcast at fnppodcasts.com/uncapped. Got UnCapped news? Email csands@newspost.com.

Courtesy photo

Morgan’s American Grill adds Nana B. Sweets homemade bakery items on select days

It all comes from Nana B., according to Zach Taulton, head chef at New Market staple Morgan’s American Grill and leader of its new extension: a homemade sweet treats shop called Nana B. Sweets. It’s open at Morgan’s on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to sell-out. “We have lines out the door,” said restaurant owner Shannon Blackway. Also chef at the restaurant, Taulton began to bake to honor the legacy of his grandmother, avid home baker Nancy Bixler, in March 2021 with his aunt, Diana Smith. They made Bixler’s “old-fashioned” sweets, such as homemade donuts. It eventually grew too large for Taulton’s house, so he moved it into Morgan’s in January, he said. “It was a winwin,” Taulton added. The bakery took up space in the restaurant that was not being utilized well, and its sweets are also sold in the dining room, Blackway said. “It’s a real compliment” to Morgan’s, Blackway added. Bixler herself (Nana B) even came in once. “Oh, she’s just as proud as can be. I don’t know how many times she said that,” Taulton said. He recalled using her handmade books filled with recipe cards, newspaper clippings and recipes she took from other family members or sources, to develop the sweets. Blackway said her favorite thing about the restaurant is its social coziness. “Some of our customers have been coming here since the day we opened, and if we don’t know their names, then they know each other. On a Saturday night, you have people table hopping, chatting with each other, buying each other a dessert or a drink.”

— Gabrielle Bienasz

NANA B. SWEETS AT MORGAN’S AMERICAN GRILL

11717 Old National Pike, New Market

301-865-8100

Hours: 9 a.m. to sell-out on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays

Price range: $9 to $40, due to the variety of menu items

The restaurant recommends: from the main menu, the seafood pasta. It has white wine and garlic, and it’s made from three types of seafood, lobster, lump crab, and shrimp, and the base pasta changes daily, Blackway said. “It’s not heavy with the cheese,” Blackway said. On the dessert side, in the main room, the restaurant recommends the almond joy bread pudding, think roasted almonds, chocolate and coconut, with a whiskey sauce, a la mode, Blackway said. (Though the bread pudding flavor changes every couple of days, but she recommends the dessert as a general rule.)

Staff photos by Bill Green

From left, Zach Taulton, head chef at New Market, with restaurant owner Shannon Blackway.

MUSIC Netflix’s new Wham! documentary took me straight back to middle school in the ’80s

They burst into the American music scene in the summer of 1984 with their catchy pop song “Wake Me Up Before You GoGo.” And before I ever saw the faces of Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, aka George Michael, and his best friend Andrew Ridgeley, I was already smitten.

The vocal range of Michael’s singing lead and Ridgeley harmonizing cut through the radio waves of that year. Wham had an energy that was different from the spunky Cyndi Lauper and was far removed from the brooding of Prince or Duran Duran. These young men, dressed in Fila sports casual wear, were a little more boy-next-door compared to the Culture Club, their flamboyant fellow Brits.

We only had Wham for three albums and four years, but they created some of the most catchy pop songs of the ‘80s and catapulted Michael into a musical icon. Netflix’s new documentary, “Wham!,” recounts the rise of the boys from Bushey, England, to stardom, or as I like to refer to it, “My Favorite Middle School Musical Memories.”

In the documentary, we hear Michael and Ridgeley tell their story off-camera. The voiceover work was mostly cut from interviews over the years. Michael died Dec. 25, 2016, so I applaud this choice because it made it seem like he was still here.

I was entering middle school when their second album, “Make It Big,” hit U.S. stores. Things didn’t seem to go my way that year. I lost my single bedroom when I became a big sister for the third time. Puberty was not kind to me. And this shy, chunky kid was getting ready to go into the largest middle school in my county. I was petrified that I would get lost or, worse, bullied.

But then I heard, “You put the boom-boom into my heart/ You send my soul sky-high/ When your lovin’ starts.” When I finally got to see the video, the entire group of Wham!

(also made up of backup singers Shirlie Holliman and Helen “Pepsi” DeMacque) were wearing white that turned neon in the dark.

But what I loved the most? They were having the time of their lives, and it showed. At one point in the video, Michael and Ridgeley wore white T-shirts with Choose Life in black letters. The meaning wasn’t backing pro-lifers but about embracing life. And I desperately wanted some of that goofy happiness in my own life.

Wham’s three studio albums all contained catchy singles — 1983’s “Fantastic,” with hits such as “Young Guns (Go for It),” “Wham Rap” and “Club Tropicana”; 1984’s “Make It Big,” with “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” “Credit Card Baby” and “Careless Whisper”; and 1996’s “The Edge of Heaven,” with “Last Christmas” and “I’m Your Man.”

It would be a while before I could buy “Make it Big.” But my sisters and I made up for lost time by playing and replaying the cassette tape so much that I was afraid it was going to break. And before the internet was around to help us decipher the words, we would get out our lyrics notebook, obsessively listen to the record, and write down all the lines of the songs just to memorize them.

I was put to the test while watching the documentary. Even after all these years, I still know all the lyrics to “Wham Rap,” “Freedom,” “Club Tropicana,” “Everything She Wants” and other songs, which surprised me because I couldn’t even tell you what I did last week.

One thing the “Wham!” doc revealed was how controlling Michael was of the music. It was easy to see the correlation between his closeted sexuality and his need to control everything, from the music to lyrics to production.

Michael only told his oldest friends, Ridgeley and Holliman, that he was gay. But they encouraged him not to tell his Greek-Cypriot father. They were still teenagers and more afraid of what his dad might do than about what the fans’ reactions might be. Michael was torn between telling the truth and the chance he would lose fans, friends and family.

Sure, Boy George thanked the 1984 Grammy Award audience for knowing “a good drag queen when you see one.” But Michael didn’t really have any great LGBTQ role models to turn to at the time. And this was the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. President Ronald Reagan didn’t even mention AIDS publicly until 1985.

Musicians who we know were gay managed to keep their private life private. Little Richard was raised Christian and struggled with admitting his own sexuality until he told David Letterman in 1982 he had been gay all his life. Elton John told Rolling Stone magazine in 1976 that he was bisexual, but he didn’t publicly tell Rolling Stone that he was gay until 1992. Movie star Rock Hudson publicly said he was gay in July 1985; a month later, he died of AIDS complications. Liberace never admitted he was gay, even before he died of AIDS complications in 1987.

At the heart of Wham was Michael and Ridgeley’s friendship that started when they were around 10 and 11. In the early days, they wrote many of the songs together, including one of my all-time favorites, “Careless Whisper,” from the ‘84 album “Wake It Big.” When it was released, the song stayed at No. 1 for three weeks in ‘84 and ‘85. Ironically, it would be Michael’s own solo hit, “Faith,” that

would spend four weeks at No. 1 in 1987.

Michael admits that he only saw his worth in the music. He wanted to reach past being a pop artist and desperately wanted to be a respected singer-songwriter. His desperation reminded me of people on social media who desperately want likes to fulfill their lives. Michael needed hits in the same way.

Even though Ridgeley allowed Michael to take control, it had to have hurt. After all, this was their childhood dream. But Ridgeley never really showed it. In current online interviews with a much older, silver-haired Ridgeley, it’s clear that he loved his friend he called “Yog,” enough to step back and let Michael have his dreams officially come true.

Wham didn’t have an official breakup. Instead “Careless Whisper” did exactly what it was supposed to do: launch Michael’s solo career. And like many Wham fans, I followed that solo career. He gave us the up-tempo “Faith,” which some critics called the best rock song ever written, the haunting cries of 1996’s “Jesus for a Child,” 1997’s duet with the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin “I Knew You Were Waiting for Me,” songs about an unbalanced relationship like 1997’s “Father Figure” and so many more.

Although Michael had an amazing voice and was an incredible songwriter, his later work was tinged with sadness that even earlier works, like “Last Christmas” and “Careless Whisper,” didn’t have. And regrettably, we lost him way too soon.

Still, these nearly 40 years later, when I hear any Wham song, it just makes me happy. Like down to your toes, tingle to your fingernails, smile from ear-to-ear happy. We needed that carefree poppy music in ‘84, in ways we couldn’t have even understood then. And as the world turns a little angrier, I realize that I need more Wham in my life than I could have ever realized. Because for me, Wham will always be the band that put the “boom-boom into my heart.”

Crystal Schelle is a journalist whose work has been published locally, regionally and nationally. She enjoys trivia, cats and streaming movies.

Courtesy photo

CRYSTAL SCHELLE

Shepherd University School of Music: 10-week jazz workshop

Shepherd University’s Community Music Program will offer a new 10-week jazz workshop for middle school age to adult students beginning Aug. 17.

The jam session-style performancebased workshop is open to all levels of improvisers, from new to advanced. Students will learn jazz standards, history and jazz improvisation. Kevin Pace, adjunct professor of jazz, will teach the workshop.

The workshop will also meet on Aug. 24 and 31; Sept. 14, 21 and 28; Oct. 19 and 26; and Nov. 9 and 16 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Frank Arts Center. Tuition is $130.

To register or for more information, contact communitymusic@shepherd. edu or visit shepherd.edu/jazz-comboworkshop.

Courtesy photo

Imagination Stage announces 2023-2024 season of ‘Greatest Hits’

Imagination Stage, the metro D.C. region’s largest professional theater dedicated to young audiences, announces its six shows for 20232024 season of “Greatest Hits,” celebrating 20 years in its theater arts center in downtown Bethesda.

The international hit “The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show” kicks off the season in September, with one-quarter of its performances in Spanish and three-quarters in English, best for ages 3 to 8. Next up are three for the elementary-age crowd, “A Year with Frog and Toad,” “Cinderella: A Salsa Fairy Tale” and “Miss Nelson is Missing!” For the youngest audiences, ages 1 to 4, the two beloved returning shows are “Mouse on the Move” and “Inside Out,” multi-sensory, interactive productions that will be held in the intimate Reeve Studio Theatre.

Founding artistic director Janet Stanford, who has been with

Imagination Stage since before the move to downtown Bethesda, chose these “timeless stories to speak to key milestones in youth development including imagining new possibilities, appreciating other cultures and traditions, and empathizing with others.”

Discount ticket packages are available for purchase by calling the box office at 301-280-1660. Single tickets go on sale on Aug. 15 for “The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show” and “A Year with Frog and Toad,” and later for shows in 2024.

SEASON DETAILS

“The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show”

Created by Jonathan Rockefeller

Based on Eric Carle’s Books

Directed by Kathryn Chase Bryer

Sept. 22 to Oct. 22

Best for ages 3 to 8

Using more than 70 beautiful,

larger-than-life puppets and original music, this special event follows everyone’s favorite characters from four different Erica Carle books: “Brown Bear, Brown Bear,” “The Very Busy Spider,” “10 Little Rubber Ducks” and, of course, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.”

“A Year with Frog and Toad”

Based on the books by Arnold Lobel

Book and lyrics by Willie Reale

Music by Robert Reale

Directed by Ashleigh King

Nov. 15 to Jan. 7

Best for ages 4 and up

In this hit Broadway musical, two best friends with opposite personalities wake up from hibernation and enjoy hilarious adventures through four funfilled seasons, culminating in their own special Christmas moment. Light-hearted, with a sprinkle of nostalgia, this show is inspired by

the acclaimed children’s books. In its original Broadway run, it was nominated for three Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

As seen on The Bob and Tom Show, Standup in Stilettos, Laughs on FOX, Gotham Live, Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen and more Ryan Reiss

As seen on Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Today Show, Gotham Comedy LIVE, Net ix and more

Imagination Stage

“A Year With Frog and Toad”

“Mouse on the Move”

Written and Directed by Kathryn Chase Bryer and Janet Stanford

Music by Tim Guillot

Jan. 13 to Feb. 11

Two adventurous mice are ready to explore the world beyond their tiny mouse-hole. They decide to go to the moon, since it is cat-free and made entirely of delicious cheese, or so they’ve heard. In this multisensory experience, children receive a small suitcase of props with which they help the actors tell the story.

“Cinderella: A Salsa Fairy Tale”

Book and lyrics by Karen Zacarías

Music by Deborah Wicks La Puma

Directed by Nadia Guevara

Feb. 15 to April 5

Best for ages 5 and up

What will happen to Cinderella at the ball … game? That’s the surprising question in this contemporary Latin-American Cinderella musical that weaves subtle lessons on empathy, sportsmanship, and respect into an exciting, high-stakes story. An Imagination Stage original that broke new ground in bilingual children’s theater.

“Inside Out”

Written and Directed by Kathryn Chase Bryer and Natasha Holmes

Music by Tim Guillot

March 3 to 30

It’s bedtime, and two children use their imaginations to turn their room inside out, into a wonderland of mess. While playing dress-up, a glove becomes a dancing fish, a shirt becomes a fantastical creature, and a sock dance rocks the closet.

“Miss Nelson is

Missing!”

Based on the book by Harry Allard

Illustrated by James Marshall

Book, music and lyrics by Joan Cushing

Directed by Janet Stanford

June 20 to Aug. 10

Best for ages 4 and up

Meet the fifth graders at Smedley ES, whose poor behavior drives away their sweet teacher, Miss Nelson. Her substitute, the dreaded Viola Swamp, is so strict that she motivates the kids to search for Miss Nelson and try to make amends. An Imagination Stage hit that played at theaters from coast to coast.

Other Voices takes on ‘SpongeBob: The Musical’

BY GINA GALLUCCI-WHITE Special to The News-Post

They say that not all heroes wear capes.

And that’s true.

In this case, the hero wears SquarePants.

Not far from a pineapple home under the sea, the volcano Mount Humongous threatens to destroy Bikini Bottom. SpongeBob SquarePants must rally his friends and community together to save the town they call home. This harrowing tale, “SpongeBob: The Musical,” will be performed by Other Voices Theatre from Aug. 4 to 20 at their South Jefferson Street facility in Frederick.

The show is new to the Frederick theater scene.

“[We thought the show] would be something that would bring in people that would not normally come to the theater,” said director Steve Cairns. Running over two hours with an intermission, the show “moves fast, because it never stops. There are never any slow parts. There is a lot of general craziness.”

While the beloved television show was more episodic, this musical production has a straight story focusing on the importance of trusting your friends and working together to accomplish a big goal. The actors are also not wearing costumes to recreate the characters. Instead, the musical aims to humanize the beloved iconic characters.

Cairns has nothing but praise for his entire cast. “There is a certain creativity that has to come in to play and stepping out of your comfort zone that has to happen when you are playing a cartoon character,” he said. “Everybody knows who SpongeBob is. It is not easy to portray that kind of zaniness where you can’t have all the physical comedy. It is really bringing their energy. A lot of is their creativity and how they want to portray things. … They get to let out

their inner wackiness which you’ve got to be willing to do that.”

Danielle Comer takes on the title role of SpongeBob in this production. A fan of the television show, she was impressed by the depth of the musical. She is also outgoing and childlike brings those qualities into the role.

“The way the show is written and the way Steve directs is we are able to meld ourselves with the character,” she said. “I think people will see some of their most memorable iconic moments of SpongeBob in the character I am playing but also some new things to it as well because I think everyone’s interpretation is different.”

Comer hopes theatergoers take away several aspects from the show. “One that you are never too old to enjoy Spongebob and just how good the musical is because I think a lot of people want to dismiss it. … There is a lot to enjoy in it. I think everyone will find at least one piece to enjoy in it so I hope they come away thinking the musical is good and knowing

SpongeBob is for all ages.”

Dalton Korrell, who plays SpongeBob’s Krusty Krab coworker Squidward, was drawn to the curmudgeon role because “growing up as an adult, you get to see where Squidward is coming from on a lot of the things.” He has most enjoyed the community the cast and crew have built together including little goofs and gags they have on the side.

Randy Stull plays Patrick Starfish, SpongeBob’s devoted best friend. He has loved the Patrick character since he was little. “He has that big dopey vibe to him and he is a big goofball and that is what I am,” he said. “I am just a big funny goofball guy so it really drew me to him the most. … He has so many one liners — a lot of which I get to say in this show — that are classic quotable lines from the show.”

Stull notes the show has really strong messages of acceptance and togetherness. “When you have a bright light that is SpongeBob, when you can band together with people that you love, you can solve even the most destructive, chaotic and cataclysmic events. That speaks to exactly what we face pretty much every day. It is a really nice message coming from the show.”

The crew has been able to bring the ocean onto land through a number of methods including projections, set paintings and props including using pool noodles as kelp and umbrellas as jellyfish. “We are trying to bring as many things that people would think they would see in the sea to the stage and then really using lights and special effects to really make it work,” Cairns said.

With the story heavily driven by musical numbers, Cairns credits music director Paul Rossetti and choreographer Kaitlyn McGuire for their efforts. “A lot of the creativity and things you are seeing on stage is because of a heavy team effort,” he said.

Other Voices Theatre Cast members during a recent rehearsal.

Catoctin Furnace sees return of blacksmithing after century of absence

BY ERIK ANDERSON Special to The News-Post

Thanks to eight years of steady effort by the Catoctin Furnace Historical Society, the rhythmic clanging of blacksmith hammers on anvils is once again a common sound in the old Catoctin Furnace industrial village.

At a traditional “first firing” event in May, 15-year-old amateur blacksmith Tanner Shorb lit the forge of a newly completed blacksmith shop that was built to 19th-century specifications next to the Museum of the Ironworker.

“It was an honor,” he said of the experience. “It was slightly challenging just because I wasn’t used to that type of coal forge, but it went really well.”

Delegate April Miller was in attendance for the firing. Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater and Senator Chris Van Hollen sent representatives from their offices.

Shorb, a Catoctin High School student who has practiced blacksmithing since he was 8 years old, was selected for the honor because he was the youngest of four blacksmiths who had forged ornate iron hinges that went into the construction of the new shop building.

Elizabeth Comer, the president of CFHS, said the project to return a blacksmith shop to the village after more than a century of absence came together with the help of many organizations and individual volunteers. Tens of thousands of dollars in grants were provided through the Rural Maryland Council. A Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area mini grant provided important tools for the shop.

Stephen Dill, the CFHS vice president, drew the plans for the heavy timber building and coal forge. He was inspired by blacksmith shops at the Carroll County Farm

Museum, the Union Mills Homestead, and Colonial Williamsburg. He said historical experts from Colonial Williamsburg reviewed his design and agreed it was consistent with 19thcentury blacksmith shops.

He said he wanted to bring a blacksmith shop to the village so

Where Charm And History Meet Midd letown

visitors would be able to see live smithing demonstrations and walk away with “an appreciation for the amount of work it takes to make something out of steel or iron, so when they view historical items they realize it wasn’t just cranked out in a factory some place.”

Comer said that having a blacksmith shop is an important component of historical education about life in the village when the Catoctin Furnace was producing iron products in the 18th and 19th centuries.

“There had to be a blacksmith

Staff photos by Bill Green

Stephen Dill, a veteran blacksmith, works on a piece of steel in the forge at the Ironworkers blacksmith demonstration at Catoctin Furnace.

there all the time fixing broken wheels, shoeing mules and horses, and fixing bolts and machinery that broke. You had to have a blacksmith, at least one, probably two,” she explained. “Then we started doing the research and found not only did we have blacksmiths at Catoctin Furnace, but there were 16 of them [in northern Frederick County].”

She said the shop will be staffed with volunteer blacksmiths for all of CFHS’s major events, such as the Maryland Iron Festival and the Traditional Village Christmas. She believes volunteers will be there on most of the weekends of the summer when the neighboring museum is open and said visitors should check CFHS’ social media accounts for ongoing announcements. Smithing demonstrations for tour groups are available by appointment. The CFHS is also planning to host beginning blacksmithing classes for small groups in the near future.

Comer said she is really excited about plans to integrate blacksmithing classes into overnight visitor stays at the Forgeman’s House, CFHS’s historic Air B&B rental.

She said five years ago, the home was renovated with the addition of a modern kitchen and

bathroom, but otherwise offers an authentic 1820s dwelling experience. She said the 30,000 artifacts that were recovered from the historic home during archeological digs informed the aesthetic choices made for the home.

Instead of a television, it’s supplied with historic dice and marble games. Guests sleep on reproduction historic rope beds and can make tea in a reproduction historic pot. There’s a transparent floorboard exhibit that allows guests to see what an archeological dig looks like.

“It’s just a really cool immersive stay that is not like your typical Air B&B at all, and people are loving it,” Comer said. “People are giving us five-star reviews and saying really cool things about being in this setting and learning from it.”

Iron products from the blacksmith shop are available for sale at the Museum of the Ironworker. The public smithing demonstrations are performed with the period-accurate forge and bellows, but Comer said the shop also has more modern equipment that enables the smiths to produce popular iron products in quantity.

“We want a blacksmith shop that is both historic and practical. We want to actually be able to produce things, not just show how it’s done,” she said.

She said hooks are the only items they can keep in stock at the museum on an ongoing basis, but the smiths have more elaborate pieces available for purchases at special events. The most popular items include Christmas bells, candlesticks, bookends, and picture frames.

For more information about the new blacksmith shop, visit catoctinfurnace.org/blacksmith.

Erik Anderson is a freelance writer in Frederick who cares about few things more than the history of his community. Email him at erikanderson07@gmail.com.

Chesapeake Bay Balloon Festival

The annual Chesapeake Bay Balloon Festival heads to a new location this year at the Mason Dixon Fairgrounds in Delta, Pennsylvania. The festival will showcase professional balloonists from over 10 states, along with local breweries, wineries, food vendors, artisans, live music and children’s activities.

Tickets must be purchased in advance at chesapeakebayballoonfestival.com. There will be no onsite sales. Gates are open from 4 to 9:30 p.m. from Aug. 4 to 6.

Hot air balloons will be the focus of the multi-day event. The Claw’d the Crazy Crab, Eddie & Rickenbacker, Tiny the Fire Dog, and many more are scheduled to attend. The crowd favorites are

always balloon fly-aways, tethered balloon rides and the after-dark balloon glows.

The three-day festival includes professional hot air balloonists, agri-tourism-based producers and vendors from Harford and York counties and kids activities. An added highlight of the festival are performances by musicians including Nashville recording artist Jimmy Charles, Black Dog Alley, The Mayo Family Band and Blue Train.

For the more adventurous, visit the festival website to make reservations for private balloon flights.

“The magic of ballooning, along with the opportunity to support local producers, makes this event even more unique and special,”

BARB CLINE TRAVEL

240-575-5966

barbclinetravel.com

Courtesy photo

Stephen Dill, a veteran blacksmith, works on a piece if steel at Catoctin Furnace.

TR EASURES OF STAT E COMMUNI TY DAY

Potters’ Guild of Frederick hosts annual Brain Freeze fundraiser

The Potters’ Guild of Frederick will once again host its Brain Freeze event from noon to 7 p.m. Aug. 5, an ice cream social held at 14 S. Market St. in front of the Potters’ Guild Gallery with live music.

Beginning in 2013 until 2019 and then again in 2022, the Potters’ Guild partnered with South Mountain Creamery raising money for the Frederick Rescue Mission.

To raise funds, the Guild sells tickets that enable people to choose from a selection of handmade bowls donated by Guild members and receive a bowl of farm-fresh ice cream donated by the South Mountain Creamery.

Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under and are available through the day of the event.

The Guild is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote high standards in expressive and functional ceramic art and stimulate community interest in the ceramic arts. The Guild is involved in the ceramic arts community, supporting area studios, clay education, demonstrations and galleries, and its community outreach includes education, fundraising, donations and demonstrations.

“We are so happy to be hosting this event once again to support the important work of the Frederick Rescue Mission,” said Annamarie

Poole, president of the Guild.

South Mountain Creamery in Middletown is farmer operated and family owned, and it also has an ice cream shop along the Creek in downtown Frederick.

The Frederick Rescue Mission has served the city and the surrounding areas for five decades. Established as a nonprofit Christian ministry in 1964, the Mission is a Christcentered ministry providing residential recovery programs to men and women experiencing homelessness or substance abuse

disorder, food to the hungry and clothing to those in need. The Mission is located at 419 W. South St. Additional information about the mission will be available at the event.

“Brain Freeze is another wonderful example of the community coming together to care for the needy among us,” said Jasmine Sneed, partnership development director at the Rescue Mission.

“We are grateful for the Potters’ Guild sharing their talent and resources to raise funds that enable us to provide food to the hungry.”

Courtesy photo

Ann Hobart, founder and first president of the Potters’ Guild of Frederick, serves ice cream during a past Brain Freeze event.

Acrylic paintings by Jim Klumpner — through Aug. 6, Links Bridge Vineyards, 8830 Old Links Bridge Road, Thurmont.Klumpner creates surrealist art, and this show features more than 20 untitled creations — untitled because half the fun is analyzing the painting and forming an interpretation of what it means to you. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends and weekdays by appointment. 301-466-2413, linksbridgevineyards.com.

“10x10” — through Aug. 12, Gribs Gallery and Studio, 208 Main St., New Windsor. Each piece is 10 inches square and for sale. Gallery hours are 4 to 6 p.m. Fridays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays or by appointment. Hours are 4 to 6 p.m. on Fridays and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. 443-5369198.

”HUE: An Ode to Color” — through Aug. 25, Gallery 44, 44 S. Bentz St., Frederick. Multimedia art exhibit that explores color in art in a myriad of ways by seven DMV area artists. Open by appointment only. gallery44south@gmail.com or gallery-44.com.

”Over 70 Show” — through Aug. 27, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Works in a variety of media. A signature of the Delaplaine’s Creative Aging Month, this annual exhibition celebrates local artists over age 70 and showcases a wide range of styles, techniques, and interests. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. 301698-0656 or delaplaine.org.

”Heavy Metal” — through Aug. 27, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Oil paintings by Raymond Burns. Easily mistaken as merely utilitarian and unattractive, Burns hopes to elevate the character and the beauty that exists in the form, color and texture of railroad equipment, engines, cabooses, boxcars, and railroad structures in various states of use and decay. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine. org.

“Truth” by Robin Davisson — through Aug. 27, DISTRICT Arts, 15 N. Market St., Frederick.. Featured artist Robin Davisson’s lyrical, process-driven work is rooted in eclectic curiosity and the material surprises she discovers working with her finely-developed visual vocabulary. Rooted in relentless curiosity and a love for the visceral qualities of the materials themselves,

artist talk 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 18. 301528-2260 or blackrockcenter.org.

”Landscapes & Legends of Norway: William Singer & His Contemporaries” — through Sept. 17, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, 401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown. This exhibition uses Singer’s work and that of his contemporaries in the museum collection to look at the impact of Norway on the imaginations of various artists. A series of watercolors depicting Norse legends (yes, Loki and Thor) by American artist Frank Morse Rummel are also a highlight of the exhibition. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-7395727 or wcmfa.org.

Homer Yost shows ‘The Solitary Figure’ at Gaslight Gallery

A beloved artist in the Frederick community, Homer Yost has drawn and sculpted for more than four decades. His work is a love affair with the human form, the classical subject of artists for centuries. Narratives about his personal world and the larger world are conveyed in the subtle gestures or posture of his subject.

Work by Phyllis Mayes and Lily Sellers, daughter of gallery member Annie Quinlan, will be on exhibit at NOMA Gallery, 437 N. Market St., Frederick, from Aug. 4 to 27, with an opening reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Aug. 5 and an artist talk from 5 to 6 p.m. Aug. 12. Shown here, “Reaction. Response,” by Sellers.

her work seeks to create knowledge in visual form. Opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Aug. 5. districtarts. com/robin-davisson.

”On Beauty and Revolution” — through Aug. 27, Blanche Ames Gallery, 4880 Elmer Derr Road, Frederick. Featuring the work of Sasa Aakil. For gallery hours, call 301-4737680.

Crestwood Gallery Spring Exhibit — through Sept. 8, Crestwood Center, 7211 Bank Court, Frederick. Original artwork including photography, watercolors, oil, acrylic, mixed media and wood carvings by Frederick artists. Hours are 8 a.m.

to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. 240-215-1460, frederickhealth.org/ crestwoodart.

”Mandy Chesney is gaudy” — through Sept. 10, Black Rock Center for the Arts, 12901 Town Commons Drive, Germantown. Baltimore resident’s first solo show, born in Mississippi. Hours are 10 a.m. to

6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, noon

to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Reception and

”Treasures of State: Maryland’s Art Collection” — through Oct. 22, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, 401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown. This collaborative exhibition, co-organized with the Maryland State Archives, features over 90 American and European paintings, sculptures, works on paper, and decorative arts from 1750 to present. Notable artists represented include the Peales, Jasper Cropsey, Thomas Wilmer Dewing, George Inness, Hugh Bolton Jones, Eastman Johnson, Giuseppe Ceracchi, and Giovanni Battista Piranesi. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-7395727 or wcmfa.org.

“Bedwetter” — Aug. 4 to 27, NOMA Gallery, 437 N. Market St., Frederick. Work by Phyllis Mayes and Lily Sellers, daughter of gallery member Annie Quinlan. Noon to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Opening reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Aug. 5, artist talk from 5 to 6 p.m. Aug. 12. 240-3679770, nomagalleryfrederick.com.

Pat Scull: “Outside-In, Inside-Out” — Aug. 5 to 27, with an artist talk at 2 p.m. Aug. 5. With influences from fossils, crystals and bones and an examination of the forced life of insolation and interruption in the pandemic, Pat Scull’s paintings and sculptures use both the microscopic and telescopic resources of human perception to think about where humanity fits within the cosmos. Hours: hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. 301-698-0656, delaplaine.org.

His solo exhibition “The Solitary Figure” will be featured at Gaslight Gallery in downtown Frederick from Aug. 5 to Oct. 1.

An opening reception will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Aug. 5, and Yost will give a talk at 2 p.m. Aug. 6. Another reception will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Sept. 2, and visitors will have the opportunity to meet Yost at 2 p.m. Sept. 3.

Yost describes his work as “figurative humanism” and captures more than a representational likeness; he captures the essence of their spirit in drawings and sculpture.

“This exhibition is a retrospective of my drawings and sculptures,” Yost states. “Many of the drawings have never been exhibited on gallery walls. All my work in this exhibition is of solitary female figures. For more than four decades I have worked with women, exploring the forms of their bodies, their psychology and their character. To some of my work, I have attached mythological or Biblical themes, usually leaning toward the tragic. For instance, I did a series of sculptures of Iphigenia, the daughter of the Greek King Agamemnon. She was sacrificed by her father, so that he could be victorious against the Trojans. I can say that I have never been bored or complacent with the female figure as the core of my artistic inspiration.”

Yost received his undergraduate degree in humanities at Upsala College in East Orange, N.J., in 1977. He then studied figure drawing and sculpture with Sigmund Abeles at the University of New Hampshire Durham in the late 1970s. In the 1980s, he studied with the New York sculptor Peter Agostini at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he completed his MFA in 1984. Yost was an artist-in-residence in Cortona, Italy, with the University of Georgia at Athens in 1986. He has completed many private commissions, as well as commissions for churches. He has exhibited his work at galleries and colleges in many states around the U.S., as well as in England and Italy.

Learn more about the artist at homeryost.com.

Gaslight Gallery is at 118 E. Church St., Frederick. See gaslightart.com for additional information.

Courtesy photo

Homer Yost

Work by Homer Yost.

BY JOSEPH PETERSON Special to The News-Post

ndrew Schenck is fairly new to playing pinball competitively. Or for that matter, playing it at all. But three months ago, he joined a competitive pinball league at Spinners Pinball Arcade on East Street in Frederick and hasn’t looked back since.

Schenck was first introduced to the sport while on a birthday trip to Astoria, Oregon. His buddies took him out to a “barcade” to play a little underground pinball, as he called it. For Schenck, the conversion was instant, driving him to go on the hunt for a pinball arcade back home in Maryland.

He didn’t have far to look. As luck would have it, Schenck lived just down the street from Spinners, home of one of the biggest competitive pinball leagues in the state.

“I didn’t know about leagues,” he said. “I’ve lived here for two years and didn’t even know.” He’s enjoyed it so far. “It’s pretty cutthroat though,” he added, cracking a smile.

That could be because competitive pinball is growing in popularity, and with highly organized league associations at the state and international levels hosting competitions where obsessive dedication and monumental skill along with a fair bit of luck combine to create a world-class base of competitors, competition can be fierce. But what is it about pinball that has people eager to dedicate several hours every week to compete in these cutthroat games?

THE COMPETITION

“Thank you for reaching out to us and wanting to spread the sweet gospel of the silver ball,” reads the email I received after speaking with Spinners’ arcade manager, Cat Hodge.

Hodge, the quick-witted manager with a roller derby vibe that is very much at home in a pinball arcade, has played pinball for about six years. She was “just someone who hung out at stinky dive bars that had pinball machines,” as she put it, “then had friends that were into it and started to learn.”

Hodge said there are two ways to compete in Frederick. One is to join a league, like Schenck did, and dive right in the deep end. But the league lasts 10 weeks and is a big commitment, so last year, Spinners developed weekly tournament one-offs that are open

Inside the . high-stakes world of competitive pinball

to anyone, which provide a taste of competitive pinball at a lower bar of entry.

“We wanted to encourage people to come and play as many games as possible. And that’s always the goal — fit as many in as possible. No one is going to be picked last or kicked out,” Hodge said.

The message has been received. Between 20 and 30 people show up nearly every week for the open tournament each Monday, starting at 8 p.m. and often lasting until midnight. While anyone can play, these tournaments also give league members yet another competition to earn whoppers. That’s the main thing to know about the competitive pinball circuit: It’s all about the whoppers. That’s what they call the ranking points, which determine advancement into bigger tournaments with championship players.

Essentially, whoppers are earned

through a complex combination of time spent playing in competitions and the relative success at victory at those events. Whoppers are awarded on a sliding scale based on how many competitors are at the tournament. This ensures that most participants get some fraction of points to add to their running total.

“For both the league and the tournament, people are working on points to go toward the International Flipper Pinball Association,” Hodge said. “That is what you need to be registered with to go to your state championships, your nationals and even your world championships, if you make it that far.”

Under the IFPA is the Free State Pinball Association, the regional umbrella to host tournaments and leagues. Yes, there are that many levels of competition or, said another way, a well-greased funnel for talent development. “It’s amazing we’re not on ESPN Sports at this point,” Hodge said.

THE CAUSE

Joe Said is the founder and executive director of the arcade’s nonprofit, Pinball EDU, which is the organizing force behind the tournaments and other events at the arcade. He is also, as the first ever IFPA state champion, as close to competitive pinball royalty in Maryland as it gets. His name, along with nine other champions that have been crowned, hangs memorialized from ceiling banners at Spinners, elevating the ambience from arcade to bonafide sports venue.

Said has seen up-close the growth of the pinball circuit.

“When I first started, there were less than 10,000 people playing, and now I think there’s more than 100,000 active players,” he said, checking a database on his computer that tallied the number of registered participants in an IFPA tournament in the past three years.

Andrew Schenck, a league member, competes on 1970’s vintage pinball machines during a recent competition at Spinners Pinball on North east Street recently.

But it’s not all fun and games. These tournaments have an altruistic angle as well. When Said saw an autism awareness poster in 2012, a lightbulb went off for him.

“I needed to open a place that could cater to the mainstream public but would also be able to invite underserved populations,” he said. “That’s when I came up with pinball EDU. I just wanted more events, more people to get involved, and for the disability community to be able to engage in something that I thought would give them access to friends and things we maybe take for granted.”

Then Robert Emilio Gagno, a 27-year-old man with autism, won the 2016 pinball world championship, validating for Said the importance of establishing inclusive spaces and events for everyone who might want to participate.

“The competitive aspects are kind of crucial,” Said told me. “Play therapy

IF YOU GO

week,” she said. “So we get some big players in here.”

That’s why having a code of conduct is so important.

“Generally people are there to have fun, however,” she said. “I mean, I want to win. Everyone wants to win! So you’ll get some frustration, you’ll get some shoving of the machines, you’ll get some cuss words.”

And if that doesn’t sound like any other sport, there’s also a major self improvement element to it. More than just a screwball of a time trying to get lucky pushing the flipper buttons fast enough to keep the silver ball in play, pinball league players view their game as a personal challenge to put their mind to something and steadily get better at it. For that kind of dedication to improve, you need competition.

and the competitive nature of things allows players to stretch their skills and to grow. Then COVID happened, and now kids need social opportunities more than ever.”

THE CAMARADERIE

With a need for replenishing the ranks of competitors with fresh recruits, Hodge posts to social media frequently but also relies on word of mouth.

“Word of mouth is pretty powerful,” she said. “People will bring friends and then the friends get hooked,” she said.

“The bigger our league gets, the more popular the tournaments get. The goal is to have the biggest tournament and the biggest league, so there’s always room for growth.”

The competition remains fierce, but Hodge said there is a code of conduct league members are expected to follow, and ultimately friendship and a sense of belonging can be the lasting prize.

“A lot of people like the league just for the sheer camaraderie, that you get to come and play against your friends every week for 10 weeks, and a lot of people go out across the street to Oscars [Alehouse] afterwards,” she said.

Many league members have forged friendships that have lasted years, regardless of what happens on the playfields of the pinball machines.

“A lot of these people go out of town together,” Hodge said. “People are forming friends here, and then that’s carrying on into other parts of their life. And then they have [pinball] to share as well.”

So how can it get so cutthroat?

Hodge goes straight to the data: “Out of the top 16 that go to state as of right now, I had one … two … three … four … five … six … seven playing on Monday, and then right below that I have quite a few more. There are probably 10 that were in the top 30 that were playing here [at Spinners] last

“You want to play competitively where there’s a little bit of stakes to challenge yourself and help yourself get better,” Said said. “Playing with your friends is just not the same as playing with some of the world’s best players. When you get deep in the game and have a good ball, it’s magical. You still have that superstition, you’re giving [your competitor’s] ball the evil eye, but ultimately you enjoy watching someone play at an amazing level.”

THE CULTURE

Those new to pinball quickly learn there’s a lot to learn, both in terms of skill and how the competition works, but also in the broader history and pop culture world pinball inhabits, itself a rich tapestry of art, intrigue, history and scandal.

“There’s a lot of game knowledge required, and it’s not easy to know,” Schenck said.

Walking through Spinners is as close to a time machine as you can get. Pinball machines, from brand new to ancient relic, are in near-chronological order. Many of the new machines are aligned with popular fandom today, with names like Avengers, Deadpool and Mandelorian. These state-of-theart contraptions with LED screens and

(See PINBALL 21)

Staff photos by Bill Green recently.

The Pinball League’s fall season starts Sept. 28. Learn more at spinnerspinball.org.

Carroll Arts Center Announces 23/24 Season of Live Performances

The Carroll County Arts Council announces its upcoming season of live entertainment at the Carroll Arts Center, highlighting local, regional and national talent.

pianist from the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Lura Johnson, acclaimed Israeli cellist Amit Peled, David Kreider of Chamber Music on the Hill and others.

BrewHaHa Comedy Series: Every month, hilarious comedians take the stage in this new series on select Friday nights at 8 p.m. Pipe the Side Brewing Company of Hampstead will host a preshow happy hour before every show at 7 p.m. This series is for ages 21 and up only. Featured comedians this season include 98 Rock’s Justin Schlegel, Blaire Postman, Hayden Arrington and Jim Bryan.

Musical Bingo Cabaret fundraiser at the MET

Recognized as one of Frederick’s Top 50 Innovative Businesses, Maryland Ensemble Theatre continues to surprise audiences with a variety of theatrical experiences — and the upcoming Musical Bingo Cabaret is no exception.

Each evening of the event will include prizes for bingo game winners as well as a raffle.

MET provided dauber to work while enjoying food and beverage from the MET’s concession stand, including charcuterie trays, candy, chips, beer, wine, hard seltzer, soda and water.

Headliner Series: An eclectic series of concerts from national and regional musical acts. Headliner performers this season include Baltimore legends like Andy Bopp and June Star, a holiday musical celebration from Motown & More, and punk rocker J. Robbins.

Swingin’ Songs and Story Nights: Local musician Monte Leister hosts a series of concerts alternating between his namesake jazz group, The Leister Quartet, and his new Americana duo, Steel String Storytellers. The Leister Quartet entertains with a repertoire of classic and original jazz compositions and guest musicians; the Steel String Storytellers perform original songs inspired by small town life with a nostalgic mix of acoustic guitar, mandolin, and silky harmonies. A portion of the proceeds from each concert will benefit a local nonprofit.

Common Ground Downtown concert series: This partnership between the Arts Council and Common Ground Downtown presents roots, bluegrass,and Americana musicians. This year’s acts include The Weber Brothers, Bryan McDowell, and Walt Michael and Co.

Musical Bingo Cabaret is a creative combination of bingo and performances from some of the MET’s most cherished talents including MET ensemble members Jennifer Pagano, Jeremy Myers, Karli Cole, Lauren Johnson, Mallorie Stern, Melynda Burdette Wintrol, Molly Parchment, Ray Hatch and Tori Weaver. Joining the lineup are Anya Randall Nebel (Detroit ‘67), Gifty Amponsem (“South & Saints”), James Meech, Kecia Deroly, Matthew Baughman (“Angels in America”), Nicole Halmos, and Victoria Causey (“South & Saints”).

Director Melynda Burdette Wintrol, also MET’s production manager, calls the event “a captivating symphony of numbers and notes, where every daubed square brings you closer to a melodic triumph. … This event will be a blast, combining fun and games with Frederick’s greatest musical theatre talent and a varied repertoire spanning from ‘Hello, Dolly’ to Dolly Parton and beyond.”

The MET’s newest fundraiser, Musical Bingo Cabaret will be held at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 4 and 5 in The Frank Greene Stage 2 at the MET, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick.

Sunday Classics Series: These monthly concerts on Sunday afternoons at 2pm feature acclaimed chamber

In addition to these performance series, this season will also feature special live events like “The Nutcracker” with the Ballet Theater of Maryland, Teelin Irish Dance Company, and a Carroll Arts Center birthday celebration with the Kelly Bell Band.

Tickets are available at carrollartscen

Accompanist Aaron Thacker will make his MET debut while producing artistic director Tad Janes and Bill Dennison (“Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley”) lead the festivities as the bingo callers.

Singers will be called upon as their piece is selected. Bingo players will then mark the singer and song off of their bingo card. With over 45 songs in the hopper, each evening promises a varied setlist.

Patrons who wish to improve

General admission tickets including show ticket, one bingo card, one bingo dauber, and one raffle ticket for $40 each. Tables for two ($100) and four ($180) include admittance to the event for your party of two or four respectively as well as one bingo card, one dauber, one raffle ticket and one concessions voucher (alcoholic beverages excluded) per person. Proceeds from the event will benefit the MET.

Tickets and tables can be purchased at marylandensemble.

Maryland Ensemble Theatre

Carroll County Arts Council J. Robbins with Truth Cult will perform on May 25.

Carroll County Arts Council Lura Johnson will perform in the Sunday Classics Series on Feb. 11.

‘Asteroid City’: You’ll need a map to find your way out of this one

BY MICHAEL O’SULLIVAN The Washington Post

To explain Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City,” an ambitious yet mystifyingly dysfunctional meta-movie, in terms of both form and content, it may be helpful to walk a prospective viewer backward, outward from the center of this most puzzling — and, most puzzlingly, ponderous — of puzzle boxes.

Set in 1955, against a robin’s-egg-blue sky that looks like it has been juiced up with an Instagram filter, and featuring the filmmaker’s signature fabulous yet fussy production design, the main action takes place in the titular mid-20th-century Western American town: a desolate desert outpost with not much more than a cluster of motel cabins and an auto body shop, so named because it is the site of an asteroid fall years earlier. The preserved, volleyball-size rock itself is hardly something to instill awe, but it somehow attracts an annual gathering of young space enthusiasts and their families for a few days of science-camp fun.

And yet this yellowing vintage postcard from the past is presented, in the context of the screenplay Anderson has devised from a story dreamed up with longtime collaborator Roman Coppola, not as a movie, although it clearly looks like one, but as a “play.” The action is framed within the context of a blackand-white television show that is being narrated by a Rod Serling-like host, played by Bryan Cranston. At one point, as if to remind you that you are watching a piece of staged artifice — as if that were necessary in any Wes Anderson movie — Cranston’s character shows up on the set of the “Asteroid City” drama, in color, having accidentally wandered in from the wings

WAREHOUSE CINEMAS

NEWS AND EVENTS:

$7 TUESDAYS

Any movie, including Dolby Atmos. All day. Anytime.

TAPPY HOUR

WEDNESDAYS - 50% OFF all beers and ciders on the self-serve beer wall. All Day.

of the TV show.

To makes matters even more meta, that TV show — which plays more like a play than the teleplay it purports to be staging — centers on the act of creation itself, as we watch a writer, Ed Norton’s Conrad Earp, perhaps a stand-in for Anderson himself, compose the action of “Asteroid City” on what looks like a stage set. When one character attending the Asteroid City gathering, Scarlett Johansson’s movie star Midge Campbell, asks another, Jason Schwartzman’s war photographer Augie Steenbeck, why he has just burned his hand on a griddle he was using to cook a grilled cheese sandwich, he replies that it’s in the script.

Speaking of script, the characters in this latest outing by Anderson, ever the aficionado of kooky names, are especially distracting here — Dr. Hickenlooper, Schubert Green, Lucretia Shaver, Linus Mao, Walter Geronimo — as if they had been culled from the Toontown phone book.

The main story concerns the relationship — if that’s even the right word, in a tale in which everyone seems to be merely going through the motions — between Augie and Midge, who are chaperoning their respective kids

(Jake Ryan and Grace Edwards) at the space camp. That’s set against the backdrop of a quarantine that the government has imposed on Asteroid City after an alien spaceship arrives and its pilot — looking like E.T., courtesy of stop-motion animator Henry Selick — steals the asteroid. A subplot involves the disposal of the cremains of Augie’s late wife, which he is carrying around in a Tupperware container. When Augie’s fatherin-law (Tom Hanks) shows up to help wrangle Augie’s three young daughters, Andromeda, Pandora and Cassiopeia, played by triplets Ella, Gracie and Willan Faris, their grandfather helps them bury their mother’s ashes temporarily — pointing out that they may not have the legal rights to use the space encampment as a burial plot. “I would question whether it even is a plot,” says Augie, in a line that sounds suspiciously like Anderson acknowledging his own film’s flaws.

“Asteroid City” does have its moments, but they are few: Jeff Goldblum in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo as the human actor portraying the alien (who opines that, in his interpretation, the alien is actually a metaphor) and several cast members of “Asteroid City” spon-

taneously breaking into song with “Dear Alien (Who Art in Heaven),” a delightfully daffy ditty written by Anderson with Jarvis Cocker and performed by a band that includes Brazilian musician and “The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou” veteran Seu Jorge. It’s the only spontaneous, joy-inducing thing about “Asteroid City.”

Maybe the whole endeavor is some kind of self-portrait of an artist who doesn’t know what he wants to say anymore, or how to even say, “I don’t know how to say what I want to say anymore.” Toward the end of the film, during an acting exercise being conducted by an acting teacher named Saltzburg Keitel (Willem Dafoe), the chant, “You can’t wake up if you don’t fall asleep” is repeated, over and over, as if it meant something.

Some of the dialogue does resonate, I’ll admit. When Matt Dillon’s auto mechanic turns to Augie to tell him that he still can’t get Augie’s car to start, he puts it in a way that once more sounds like Anderson critiquing his own elaborate but inert material: “Everything’s connected, but nothing’s working.”

Rated PG-13. Contains brief graphic nudity, smoking and some suggestive material. 104 minutes.

BPtrivia Live

@ Warehouse Cinemas

Monday, August 7 from 7:00-9:00 PM

Join the first Monday of each month for a live trivia game hosted by BPtrivia.

UPCOMING FILMS THIS WEEKEND:

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem”, and “Meg 2”

Warehouse Cinemas is an independently owned cinema that offers a unique, premium movie going experience by providing first- run movies + retro films, leather recliner seating w/ seat warmers, high-quality picture and sound, including Dolby Atmos, a modernindustrial décor, and premium food and drink options, including movie themed cocktails, wine and a 28-tap self-serve beer wall. Visit us at warehouscinemas.com or scan the QR Code for this week’s feature films.

Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features

From left, Jake Ryan, Jason Schwartzman and Tom Hanks in “Asteroid City.”

Local Mentions Local Mentions

CAR SHOW AUG. 19

Francis Scott Key

Antique Car Club

38th Annual Benefit Show at Rose Hill Manor Museum and Historic Park

1611 North Market Street

Frederick, MD

Sat August 19th, Rain: 8/20

Registration 8 a m -12 p m

Voting 10:30 a m -12:30 p m

Awards approx 2 p m

Spectators admitted free!

Special attraction: Frederick County Fire and Rescue Museum (mini-muster)

Antique and current fire apparatus on display.

Rose Hill WW II Encampment, music, food, tours, money raffle, 50/50 drawing

Fun for the whole family!

FAMOUS LEWISTOWN RURITAN CHICKEN BARBECUE

August 6, 2023

Serving 10am until sold out

Carry-outs only

CASH/Check only

Pavilion at the intersection of Fish Hatchery and Rte 15 Northbound near Lewistown

For bulk orders of 20 or more chicken BBQ halfs, place orders 8 days prior to scheduled

BBQs by calling 301-898-5650 or 301-8987344

HOLIDAY CRAFT AND VENDOR

EVENT

Hosted by Vigilant Hose Co

Activities Bldg , 17701 Creamery Rd

Emmitsburg, MD

Sat. Dec. 2nd, 9 to 3

Sun Dec 3rd, 9 to 2

Many Crafters and Vendors including Fresh wreaths, plants as well as silk floral arrangements

And much more!

Food available for purchase

Visit with Santa Saturday and Sunday

Photos Available for sale

Bring families, children and pets!

For more info contact: Sharon Keeney 410746-8776, MaryLou Little 240-285-3184 or Kenny Cevinger 240-393-0758

Local Mentions Services

Middletown Vol Fire Co

Auxiliary Sponsors the 13th Annual Car, Truck, Motorcycle, Tractor, and Specialty Vehicle Show

Sat Aug 19 • 10AM-3PM

Rain Date: Sun Aug 20

Deadline for Reg : Noon Awards: 3PM

Reg fee: $15 00

Goody bags to the first 100

Food available to purchase on site, breakfast & lunch

No alcohol permitted Flea Market & Yard Sale tables avail

1 Fireman's Lane, Middletown, MD

Contact: Janie 301-471-9604

PIT BEEF/PULLED PORK PLATTER SALE

SATURDAY, AUG 19, 2023

Carry-out or Eat-in

Pit Beef or Pulled

Pork Sandwich

Au Gratin Potatoes, Green Beans, Cole Slaw, and Drink

$18 00 per platter

Pre-order by August 16th

Pick up August 19 from 4 to 7pm Order Call 301-834-6165 or 301-401-2692

Jefferson Ruritan Club

4603B Lander Rd, Jefferson, MD 21755

PRYOR'S ORCHARD FREESTONE PEACHES

Sunhigh, Harmony, White Lady

Peaches running 2wks early Earligold Apples

Sweet Plums, Nectarines

Tomatoes, Melons, Lopes

Sweet Corn, Green Beans

Cucumbers, Pickles Red Beets, Zucchini

Patty Pans, Yellow Squash

Honey, Jellies, Sparkling Cider

Call FIRST - 301-271-2693

2 mi West of Thurmont off Rt 15 Take 77W

1 mile to Pryor Rd

www PryorsOrchard com

SCENIC VIEW ORCHARDS

Sweet Corn

Red Clapp's Favorite & Sugar Pears

White & Yellow Nectarines

Peaches: Sunhigh & Contender, White Lady

Blackberries, Plums

Lodi Apples, Blueberries

Cantaloupes, Green Beans

Squash, Eggplant, Kale, Tomatoes, Pickling Cucumbers

Onions, Cabbage, Beets

Red & Yukon Potatoes

Honey, Canned Fruits & Vegetables, Jams and Jellies

16239 Sabillasville Rd

Sabillasville MD

Open daily 10:00-6:00

301-271-2149

www.scenicvieworchards.com

Frederick Farmers Market

1215 West Patrick St

Saturdays 10:00-1:00

YMCA Farmers Market

1000 North Market St

Tuesdays 3:30-6:30

YARD SALE

Sat Aug 5, 2023

8 a m to 2 p m

Pleasant Grove UMC, 3425 Green Valley Rd, Ijamsville, Rt 75 nr Hyattstown

Longaberger, purses, jewelry, toys, and much, much more Call 301-865-5443 or email: pgumc21754@gmail com for more info

Livestock

6-Yr.-Old THOROUGHBRED

MARE w/FOUL by side (born: 5/4) and

UNBROKEN 2-Yr.-Old GELDING

Call (703) 489-5943, pls lv VM if no answer

EXCAVATING SERVICES

Track loader and dozer work Foundations, building pads, septic systems, electric conduit installation, driveways, and other backhoe and skidloader work

Free Estimates. Lic. & Insured. Call 301-371-5344

Best time after 6 p.m. or LM; will return call

AND SONS!!!

Home Repair & Improvements

301-694-9630

LIC #74117

Serving Frederick for 34 Years!

CUSTOM WOOD FENCING & DECK REPAIRS

Pressure-Washing & Staining

FREE estimates

TLC Fencing

License #91801

Call 240-306-6601

Pets & Supplies

PUPPIES FOR SALE

AKC Registered Lab Puppies; Black, Chocolate, Yellow; Family-raised; Vaccinated; Vet-checked; Dewormed; $595; Ready to go 8/14; 301-791-3957; No Sunday Calls

Thursday Aug. 3

ETCETERA

Stitches Through Time: Women’s Work from Farm to Fashion — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Museum of Frederick County History/Heritage Frederick, 24 E. Church St., Frederick. Explores one story of women’s work, interpreting the history of textile production up to the 1950s. It features a beautiful selection of hand-sewn quilts and clothes from the 1800s; equipment, advertising, photographs and ephemera from the factory era; and selections of mid-20th century clothing by Claire McCardell that reflect the department store culture that emerged after World War II. Ten wedding dresses spanning 100 years showcase the themes in our story. $12, $10, $8. Tonya@FrederickHistory.org. frederickhistory.org.

“The Fashion of Claire McCardell” — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, 401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown. Features 12 of the designer’s fashions. McCardell, a Frederick native, was a designer who redefined American women’s fashion during the 1930s to the 1950s. She designed casual sportswear for women that was comfortable yet stylish. 301-739-5727. cschelle@wcmfa.org. wcmfa.org/claire-mccardell-on-display/.

Duplicate Bridge Games — noon to 4 p.m. at Church of the Transfiguration , 6909 Maryland Ave., Frederick. Looking for a competitive mind sport? Frederick Bridge Club duplicate games allow you to hone your skills and make new, like-minded friends. All are welcome, no membership requirements. We’ll even guarantee you a partner on the first Monday and Thursday of every month. $7. 301-254-4727. sharonwcox@gmail.com. bridgewebs.com/frederick.

Pour House Trivia — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Champion Billiards Sports Bar, 5205 Buckeystown Pike, Frederick. Come on out with the team and play some Pour House Trivia. 7 p.m. start. Extended Happy Hour from 4 to 8 p.m.  301-846-0089.

frederickchampions.com/weekly-specials.

FAMILY

Summerfest Family Theatre: Can Danny Come Out and Play? — 10 a.m. at Baker Park Band Shell, 121 N. Bentz St., Frederick. Children’s music by Danny Schwartz. Bring a canned food item in lieu of admission to support the Foodbank Program operated by the Frederick Community Action Agency (FCAA). Non-perishable items such as canned meats and vegetables, soups, peanut butter, cereal, rice, and pastas are preferred. celebratefrederick.com.

Wildwood Storytime with CCPL’s Mount Airy Branch — 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Wildwood Park Gazebo, 400 Park Ave., Mount Airy. For ages up to 8. Join us for storytime at the Wildwood Park Gazebo. We’ll share books, stories, rhymes, music, and movement. We’ll talk, sing, read, write, and play together in a format appropriate for young children. In the event of inclement weather, we will meet indoors at CCPL’s Mount Airy Branch. 410-386-4470. ask@carr.org.

GALLERY

The Hagerstown and Frederick Railway Exhibit — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Heritage Frederick, 24 E. Church St., Frederick. From 1896 until 1954, a network of interurban trolley lines were built linking communities across Frederick and Washington counties. This exhibit presents the history of these electric railways and how they changed the landscape and communities of Frederick County.

$12, $10, $8. director@frederickhistory.org. cognitoforms.com/HeritageFrederick1/ stitchesthroughtimeexhibittickets.

MUSIC

Alive@Five: Glamour Kitty — 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Carroll Creek Amphitheater, Frederick. Live music. Outdoor happy hour. Ages 21 and older only, with ID. $6 entry plus $6 drinks. Food available for purchase. 301-698-8118. downtownfrederick.org.

Live Jazz at the Cocktail Lab — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Tenth Ward Distilling Co., 55 E. Patrick

St., Frederick. Get swanky with us every Thursday night for live jazz and your favorite craft cocktails. 21 and older. 301-233-4817. monica@tenthwarddistilling. com. tenthwarddistilling.com/events.

OUTDOORS

Insect ID Walk — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Greenbrier State Park, 21843 National Pike, Boonsboro. What awesome arthropods can we find in the park? Join us for a short hike to find and identify some of the insects who share our park. Meet at gazebo 1 in day use area. 301-791-4656. laura.nalven@maryland.gov. dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/pages/western/greenbrier.aspx.

THEATER

“Twelfth Night” — 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Hood College Hodson Outdoor Theater, 581 Coffman Chapel Drive, Frederick. Due to Unforeseen circumstances, the opening has been delayed to Aug. 3. Endangered Species (theatre) Project presents “Twelfth Night or What You Will” as the mainstage event of its Frederick Shakespeare Festival. A d/hearing integrated production which features a cast of both deaf and hearing actors, in a show that will be accessible to each audience for all performances. Free. 301-305-1405. contact@esptheatre.org. esptheatre.org/fsf-23.

Friday Aug. 4 CLASSES

Goat Yoga at the Farm — 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Goat for the Soul, 10209 Fountain School Road, Union Bridge. All ages welcome. For Friday night classes, feel free to bring your favorite adult beverage. $27. 240-405-2208. christy@gvalleye.com. goatforthesoul.com.

ETCETERA

Community Drum Circle — 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at FAC’s Sky Stage, 59 S. Carroll St., Frederick. A community drum circle hosted

and led by the professional music therapists from Noteable Progressions Music Therapy Services every first Friday through October. All ages and abilities welcome! Bring your own drum or choose a percussion instrument from the array. Free to enter, $5 suggested donation at the door benefits Noteable Progressions’ community nonprofit partners.  301-662-4190.

skystage@frederickartscouncil.org. frederickartscouncil.org/programs/ sky-stage.

Ghost Tours of Historic Frederick — 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Brewer’s Alley Restaurant and Brewery, 124 N. Market St., Frederick. Journey through Frederick’s gruesome and bloody past. Nearly 300 years of war, executions and revenge. True documented stories of the paranormal with Maryland’s oldest operating Ghost Tour. Uncover political savvy and defiant citizens, patriots from the Revolutionary War, beckoning soldiers from the Civil War. Reservations recommended. $15. 301-668-8922. info@marylandghosttours.com. marylandghosttours.com.

FAMILY

Back-to-School Clothing Swap! — 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at The Common Market CO-OP, 927 W. Seventh St., Frederick. This is a great eco-conscious opportunity to do a little backto-school swapping and give your unwanted clothes a new home! To participate in the swap, bring at least 2 articles of clothing. If you do not wish to take any items home, we are happy to take your clothing donations, all remaining items will be donated to the Frederick Rescue Mission. 301-663-3416.

aharmon@commonmarket.coop.

FESTIVALS

Jubilation! Quilt Show — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Calvary United Methodist Church, 403 S. Main St., Mount Airy. Continues Aug. 5. The Four County Quilt Guild’s 2023 quilt show. More than 200 member-made quilts, a “Quiltporium” of hand-made items, demonstrations, raffle baskets, a bargain bin,

CALENDAR

vendors and a light-fare cafe.   $10, under age 3 free. 301-363-5419. president@fourcountyquilters.org. fourcountyquilters.org.

Barnyard Band & Booze with Kelly Bell Band — 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Green Meadows Petting Farm, 10102 Fingerboard Road, Ijamsville. On the first Friday of the month thru October, the farm will be open for a special evening event with a live band, various breweries, distilleries, wineries, food and more. Enjoy an adult beverage purchased from one of our vendors or BYOB. The Animal Barn will also be open. Bring your blankets, chairs and friends.  $15 (credit) for ages 2 to 82. 301-865-9203. info@greenmeadowsevents.com. greenmeadowsevents.com/events/ 2023-event-barnyard-band-booze.

FILM

Movie Knight — 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at FAC Art Center, 5 E. Second St., Frederick. Local filmmaker nights presented and curated by Falling Squares on the first Friday of each month. 301-662-4190. artcenter@frederickartscouncil.org.

GALLERY

The Hagerstown and Frederick Railway Exhibit — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Heritage Frederick, 24 E. Church St., Frederick. From 1896 until 1954, a network of interurban trolley lines were built linking communities across Frederick and Washington counties. This exhibit presents the history of these electric railways and how they changed the landscape and communities of Frederick County. $12, $10, $8. director@frederickhistory.org. cognitoforms.com/HeritageFrederick1/ stitchesthroughtimeexhibittickets.

MUSIC

Friday Nights Live — 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at American Ice Co Cafe, 62 W. Main St., Westminster. Come out to listen and support musicians play every Friday night. The stage behind the café is the perfect place to spend warm summer nights with a glass of wine, bottle of beer, or one of our specialty lattes. 443-952-0552. gabby.aic.co@gmail.com.

FAME Singer-Songwriter Showcase — 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at FAC’s Sky Stage, 59 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Member-musicians of the Frederick Acoustic Music Enterprise are featured in this 4-show series on First Fridays, through October. Features acoustic soloists, duos or bands. Doors open 7 p.m., small concessions available for purchase. All ages. Carry-in food and dog-friendly dogs OK. Free. skystage@frederickartscouncil.org. frederickartscouncil.org/programs/ sky-stage.

Live Music at the Cocktail Lab — 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Tenth Ward Distilling Co., 55 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Every Friday in the Cocktail Lab we’ll be servin’ up our deliciously wild concoctions and some sweet tunes to get your weekend started off right! 21 and older. 301-233-4817. monica@tenthwarddistilling. com. tenthwarddistilling.com/events.

OUTDOORS

Under the Microscope — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Greenbrier State Park, 21843 National Pike, Boonsboro. Look at some interesting natural objects under a microscope. Enjoy a view of the tiny world that surrounds us at the Nature Nook (next to concessions). 301-791-4656. laura.nalven@maryland.gov.

THEATER

“How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying” — 6 p.m. at Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre, 5 Willowdale Drive, Frederick. Power, sex, ambition, greed ... it’s just another day at the office in this classic satire of big business. A clever lampoon of life in the corporate world, “How to Succeed” follows the rise of J. Pierrepont Finch, who uses a little handbook to climb the corporate ladder from lowly window washer to high-powered executive, tackling such familiar but potent dangers as the aggressively compliant “company man,” backstabbing coworkers, caffeine addiction and, of course, true love. Free. 301-662-6600. WOB@wayoffbroadway.com. wayoffbroadway.com.

“Twelfth Night” — 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Hood College Hodson Outdoor Theater, 581 Coffman Chapel Drive, Frederick. Due to Unforeseen circumstances, the opening has been delayed to Aug. 3. Endangered Species (theatre) Project presents “Twelfth Night or What You Will” as the mainstage event of its Frederick Shakespeare Festival. A d/hearing integrated production which features a cast of both deaf and hearing actors, in a show that will be accessible to each audience for all performances. Free. 301-305-1405. contact@esptheatre.org. esptheatre.org/fsf-23.

Saturday Aug. 5

CLASSES

All-Levels Yoga — 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at FAC’s Sky Stage, 59 S. Carroll St., , Frederick. An all-levels yoga class with experienced instructors from Yogamour, a Frederick-based studio and non-profit. Saturdays through October.

$15. 301-662-4190. skystage@frederickartscouncil.org. frederickartscouncil.org/programs/ sky-stage.

Growing Up Wild — 9 a.m. to noon at University of Maryland Extension Office, 330 Montevue Lane, Frederick. For educators who work with children from 3 to 7 years old. Adults only. Limited to 25 participants. Growing Up Wild prepares educators to teach young children by building on their sense of wonder about nature through a wide range of activities and experiences. For more info see https://bit.ly/FishWildlifeGrowingWild for details. Participants will receive a certificate, a guide, and (if needed) approved credits. Pre-registration is required. 301-600-1596. strice@umd.edu.

Homesteading: Wooden Spoon Carving with Jason Drevenak — 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at

Fox Haven Farm, Retreat & Learning Center, 3630 Poffenberger Road, Jefferson. Wooden utensils are so much more user-friendly on all types of cookware and even more fun to use when made by your hands! Learn to carve a basic spoon from your choice of black cherry or black walnut using splitting, carving, and sanding tools. Everyone will leave with their own coconut oil-sealed spoon. All materials and tools provided. $47. 240-490-5484. alecks@foxhavenfarm.org. foxhavenfarm.org.

Goat Yoga at South Mountain Creamery — 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at South Mountain Creamery, 8305 Bolivar Road, Middletown. Join the fun: goats, yoga ... and ice cream! All ages welcome.   $40. 240-405-2208. christy@gvalleye.com. goatforthesoul.com.

Freedom BANG Fitness Class — 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Walkersville Branch LIbrary, 2 S. Glade Road, Walkersville. A pre-choreographed fusion of boxing, HIIT, hip hop, world dance, optional weighted gloves and just a touch of attitude. Offering a wide range of intensity options to help you customize your workout. 18 and older. 301-600-8200. fcpl.org.

Life in 96th Pennsylvania Infantry During the Maryland Campaign — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Gathland State Park, 900 Arnoldstown Road, Jefferson. Discover the daily life of Federal soldiers during the Maryland Campaign and the actions of the 96th Pennsylvania Infantry at Crampton’s Gap. Learn about the rifles and equipment used by soldiers during the Civil War. dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/pages/ western/southmountainbattlefield.aspx.

Seed Saving — 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Middletown Branch Library, 101 Prospect St., Middletown. Learn how to harvest and save your seeds for next year’s garden. Master Gardener, Megan Rice will teach us how to save and then share our seeds using the seed library. 18 and older. 301-600-7560. lgrackin@frederickcountymd.gov.

Plaque Your House — 1 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. at Edward F. Fry Memorial Library at Point of Rocks, 1635 Ballenger Creek Pike, Point of Rocks. Learn how to apply for a historic plaque for your 100-year-old + home or building. Along the way you’ll learn more about your home and its history as well as how to document dates and details. The Frederick County Landmarks Foundation has awarded more than 400 plaques honoring historic buildings around the county.  301-663-3885. info@fredericklandmarks.org. fredericklandmarks.org/plaques.

Open Hearth Cooking with Jason Drevenak — 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Fox Haven Farm, Retreat & Learning Center, 3630 Poffenberger Road, Jefferson. Have you ever wanted to cook an entire meal around an open fire or take your BBQ grilling abilities to the next level? This course will teach you how to manipulate fire and cook above, in, and under an open fire pit. The menu will include items such as a protein, potatoes, squash,

eggs, and Damper bread A garden salad will also be provided. As the food is cooking participants will learn how to carve a spoon from a piece of wood. All food items and spoon carving materials included. $35. 240-490-5484. alecks@foxhavenfarm.org. foxhavenfarm.org/events/ open-hearth-cooking-with-jason-drevenak.

ETCETERA

Carroll County Farmer’s Market during the 4-H Fair — 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Carroll County Agriculture Center, 706 Ag. Center Drive, Westminster. The Carroll County Farmer’s Market will bel located on the lower field during the fair. Look for multiple tents on the left-hand side. Local tomatoes and corn are in as well as all of the other local produce that is now available. 410-848-7748. ccfm@comcast.net. carrollcountyfarmersmarket.com.

Foundations of Frederick Walking Tour — 10:30 a.m. to noon at Heritage Frederick, 24 E. Church St., Frederick. Walk in the footsteps of Frederick’s past residents and discover their stories. Experience the history and beauty of downtown as knowledgeable guides share the fascinating stories that make up historic Frederick. Tours are 90 minutes. $12, $10, $8. director@frederickhistory.org. frederickhistory.org/programs/adults/ walking-tours.

Wine Camp — 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Loew Vineyards, 14001 Liberty Road, Mount Airy. Led by our fifth generation winemaker, Rachel! A total fermentation experience. Limited seating available. Includes wine sensory analysis/understanding your palate, sneak peek into 2022 vintage and barrel tasting, vertical tasting of wines and meads from past 30+ years, wine notebooks and glassware, wine pairings, charcuterie box lunch. 21 and older.

$125. 3018315464. rachel@loewvineyards.net. exploretock.com/loewvineyards/ event/409249/wine-camp-august-session.

Brain Freeze — noon to 7 p.m. at Potters’ Guild of Frederick Gallery, 14 S. Market St., Frederick. Farm-fresh ice cream donated by the South Mountain Creamery. Choose a handcrafted bowl to take home. Proceeds will be donated to the Frederick Rescue Mission. Tickets are available at the Potters’ Guild of Frederick Gallery and online. $20 for adult, $10 for child. 571-212-6021. janet.capra@comcast.net. pottersguildoffrederick.com.

19th anniversary celebration of Taneytown History Museum — 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Taneytown History Museum, 340 E. Baltimore St., Taneytown. The exhibit is Taneytown Agri-Culture Then & Now. Eight tractors will be on display. One tractor will power an ice cream machine making homemade ice cream for everyone. Participate in the scavenger hunt and be eligible to win prizes. Tour the museum exhibit featuring several agricultural inventions from the area and the

(See CALENDAR 22)

PINBALL

(Continued from 15)

animated scoreboards feature a more complicated, engaging playfield with more bells and whistles and even more silver balls.

Of these, Schenck said Godzilla is considered one of the best games. The fun of newer machines, he explained, lies in the fact that they engage the player more and teach you how to keep playing in increasingly challenging ways.

Then it’s down through the 1980s and ’90s, with digitized but non-LED scoreboards and games popular still today, like the tornado disaster game Whirlwind and the Mad Max copycat Road Kings. The simplicity of the pinball machines from the ’70s are deceptively hard to win in the competition circuit. Usually containing just one ball, these electromechanical wonders are fairly rudimentary in mechanics, but in competition, therein lies the enduring challenge.

Shenck said the older machines have less things to do and are more straightforward, but that this in turn makes them more unforgiving. Games like Old Chicago — with a theme and back-glass art inspired by the gangster era of the 1930s and by famed gangster John Dillinger — and the very Conanthe-Barbarian-looking Paragon, are considered icons of the game, as well as equalizers among many competitors, bringing down the mighty and the novice alike. “Those two are frustrating,” Schenck said, while also singing their praises.

So much of pinball, particularly the upright back-glass around the scoreboard, has been the canvas for iconic art through the ages that was often pulpy, racy or futuristic. One would be forgiven for making comparisons between pinball machines and slot machines at a casino, especially since at one time, pinball was seen as a gateway to gambling, and indeed was utilized as such, often by the mafia in 1930s New York, where it consequently became outlawed for decades.

But even the most modernized games, despite having a glass top to protect the playfield’s various bumpers, traps and ramps, are different from playing a digitized game of pinball behind the glass top of a smartphone screen. The 3D component isn’t just a carryover from an older time; it’s what makes the game tangible and timeless.

GETTING TILTED

Early into a recent competition, Schenck said, “It’s easy to get in your head with pinball.” This was in response to getting assigned to compete on a pinball machine he usually scores high with. He said

it’s no relief when this happens, since in competition it can backfire spectacularly if you focus too hard on trying to make a difficult maneuver happen. He said sometimes the harder you try, instead of just playing the game and letting good things come to you, the harder it is to achieve it. “And then you get tilted the rest of the night.”

Getting tilted feels like very specific slang for the pinball subculture. It stems from a mechanism in pinball machines, especially the older ones, that senses when the user is tilting the machine to maneuver the ball, triggering a shutdown of play and a forfeit of bonuses for that round. So it’s an apt appropriation of the term to signal when the player is too in their head and can’t recover.

But is there another connotation, a positive one, that speaks to the pinball world as a whole? The near obsession and love of the game that comes from die-hard pinballers is hard to recover from. The only difference is they don’t want to. And why would they? Once someone’s obsession for pinball has tilted, it seems more often than not to turn into an abiding passion for developing skill of play and also learning about its lore, history and culture as an iconic American pastime.

That this pastime can seem antiquated with old games and mechanics still used in arcades and in competition today is no hurdle to overcome. The technological obsolescence of many pinball machines becomes a feature of the sport, not a bug, even as it keeps finding relevance and popularity.

With a glint in his eye, Schenk wanted to talk plunger mechanics when there’s a ball in captivity. How far do you pull back the spring-loaded rod to send that magic silver ball sailing through the chute to the board of pins and lights. “There’s just a little bit of skill in every detail,” he said.

“What I like about pinball, it’s physical, literally, you being there with the thing. It’s real tactile.”

How ironic it is, then, in an increasingly digital society, that the tactile attributes of a thing become its remarkable characteristic of enjoyment. As more and more folks get tilted for the sweet gospel of the silver ball, the takeaway seems obvious: Pinball has lasting power. Pinball is here to stay.

Joseph Peterson can usually be found reading the weathered plaques of obscure monuments he sees while wandering the city. He counts public libraries, public lands and places where local community is fostered among his favorite kinds of places.

•DUTCH APPLEDINNERTHE ATRE

Show:“GUYS &D OLLS”

Lancaster,PA. •Wed.Aug.16•$119.

•MAGICAL MARITIMES

Nova Scotia,New Brunswick &PEI

August 20 –30•Call for Details

•GREEN DRAGONFARMERS MARKET

Ephrata, Pa •Fri.Sept.8 •$87.

•KENNEDY CENTER

Show:“MOULIN ROUGE”

Washington, DC •Sat.Sept.9•$159.

•DUTCH APPLEDINNERTHE ATRE

Show:“MARGERITAVILLE”

Lancaster,PA•Wed.Sept.27• $119.

•ROCKY COASTOFMAINE

BarHarbor, ME.

Oct. 1-5 •Call for Details

•POTOMACE AGLE TRAIN

Romney, WV •Tues.Oct.17•$165.

•SUNFEST –O CE AN CIT Y

Oct. 18 –20•Callfor Details

•FALLINVERMONT

Fairlee, VT •Oct.23– 27 Call for Details

•BIRDINHAND STAGE

Show:“OURCHRISTMAS DINNER”

Bird in Hand, PA .• Fri. Nov. 10 •$114.

•AMERICANMUSIC THE ATRE

Show:” THE FRST NOEL”

Lancaster,PA• Nov. 14, 16, Dec. 14 $119.

•SIGHT &SOUND THE ATRE

Show:“MIRACLEOFCHRISTMAS”

Strasburg, PA •Nov,28, 29, Dec. 20 $146.

•CHRISTMAS@ MT.HOPE Mt.HopeMansion

Manhiem,PA.•Tues. Nov7•$102.

•A DAYINNYC

NewYork, NY •Sat. Dec. 16 •$95.

•RADIO CIT YCHRISTMAS SPECTACUL AR

NewYork, NY •Mon. Dec.18 •$209.

CALENDAR

Mehring Milker.

301-639-8620. ehoover44@verizon.net. taeytownhh.org.

Schifferstadt Architectural Museum — 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Schifferstadt Architectural Museum, 1110 Rosemont Ave., Frederick. Explore the home of Frederick’s pioneer family, the Brunners. Built in 1758, it is the oldest surviving building in the city and a National Historic Landmark. Inside is the only known example of a German heating system that provided safe, clean, energy-efficient radiant heat. Learn the story of the desperate German immigrants who fled dire conditions in Europe and came to prominence in Frederick County. Walk in for a guided tour. $8 for adults, free for under age 12. 301-4564912. boycerensberger@gmail.com. fredericklandmarks.org.

Ghost Tours of Historic Frederick — 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Brewer’s Alley Restaurant and Brewery, 124 N. Market St., Frederick. Journey through Frederick’s gruesome and bloody past. Nearly 300 years of war, executions and revenge. True documented stories of the paranormal with Maryland’s oldest operating Ghost Tour. Uncover political savvy and defiant citizens, patriots from the Revolutionary War, beckoning soldiers from the Civil War. Reservations recommended. $15. 301-668-8922. info@marylandghosttours.com. marylandghosttours.com.

FAMILY

Treasures of State Community Day — 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, 401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown. Celebrate the history of Maryland with kids’ crafts, living history, vendors, food, live music and more! Inspired by our exhibition “Treasures of State: Maryland’s Art Collection.” Free admission.   301-739-5727. cschelle@wcmfa.org. wcmfa.org/concerts-lectures-2.

FESTIVALS

34th Annual Women’s Distance Festival — 7:30 a.m. at Frederick Community College, 7932 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick. Hosted by Frederick Steeplechasers Running Club. 5K 8 a.m., Fun Run 7:30 a.m. $35 for 5k Run/ Walk; $35 for Athletes Serving Athletes 5k; Little Women 1k Fun Run for ages up to 13 only, $15. Virtual options available. Proceeds donated to Women’s Giving Circle of Frederick County. frederickwdf.com.

Trooper 3’s 50th Anniversary Celebration and Open House — 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Frederick Municipal Airport, 111 Airport Drive East, Frederick. Fire apparatus, police cruisers, multi-agency support units, MSP K9, police helicopters, children’s activities, food trucks. Admission is free. Get an inside look at MSP Trooper 3 helicopter that serves

Frederick County. 301-600-1716.

Jubilation! Quilt Show — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Calvary United Methodist Church, 403 S. Main St., Mount Airy. Continues Aug. 5. The Four County Quilt Guild’s 2023 quilt show. More than 200 member-made quilts, a “Quiltporium” of hand-made items, demonstrations, raffle baskets, a bargain bin, vendors and a light-fare cafe.   $10, under age 3 free. 301-363-5419. president@fourcountyquilters.org. fourcountyquilters.org.

Trinity Fest Wine Jerk & Reggae Festival (Formerly Trio Fest) — noon to 8 p.m. at Potomac Polo Arena (Muldoon’s Farm), 18905 Beallsville Road, Poolesville. Authentic Caribbean event aimed at creating moments of fun, interaction and culinary adventure for individuals as well as the whole family. Food, wine, music all day. $10 to $100, kids 12 and under free. triofestmd@gmail.com. trinityfestdmv.com.

FILM

“The Chosen”: Outdoor Watch Parties — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Damascus Road Community Church, 12826 Old National Pike, Mount Airy. Come on out to “The Chosen” Watch Parties featuring episodes of the first season of the acclaimed historical drama TV series by the same name. Watch on the lawn on our 14’

LED screen (or indoors during inclement weather). Food and dessert trucks will be on-campus for food purchases. Bring sunscreen, lawn chairs or blankets for seating. 301-829-3722. damascus@damascus.com. damascus.com/the-chosen.

Bethesda Outdoor Movies: Stars on the Avenue — 9 p.m. at Bethesda’s Woodmont Triangle, corner of Norfolk and Auburn avenues, Bethesda . Film is “50 First Dates.” Admission is free, and show times will begin at 9 p.m. BYO chairs.

301-215-6660. edavis@bethesda.org. bethesda.org.

THEATER

Frederick Shakespeare Festival: “Timon of Athens” by William Shakespeare — 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at ESPloft, 16 E. Patrick St., second and third floor, Frederick. Re-imagined as a one-hour, immersive production with five actors, exploring the story of a generous citizen whose misplaced trust causes her to lose everything and bitterly retreat to the wilderness where she contemplates revenge. Free. 301-305-1405. contact@esptheatre.org.

“How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying” — 6 p.m. at Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre, 5 Willowdale Drive, Frederick. Power, sex, ambition, greed ... it’s just another day at the office in this classic satire of big business. A clever lampoon of life in the corporate world, “How to Succeed” follows

CALENDAR

the rise of J. Pierrepont Finch, who uses a little handbook to climb the corporate ladder from lowly window washer to high-powered executive, tackling such familiar but potent dangers as the aggressively compliant “company man,” backstabbing coworkers, caffeine addiction and, of course, true love. Free. 301-662-6600. WOB@wayoffbroadway.com. wayoffbroadway.com.

“Twelfth Night” — 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Hood College Hodson Outdoor Theater, 581 Coffman Chapel Drive, Frederick. Due to Unforeseen circumstances, the opening has been delayed to Aug. 3. Endangered Species (theatre) Project presents “Twelfth Night or What You Will” as the mainstage event of its Frederick Shakespeare Festival. A d/hearing integrated production which features a cast of both deaf and hearing actors, in a show that will be accessible to each audience for all performances.

Free. 301-305-1405. contact@esptheatre.org. esptheatre.org/fsf-23.

Sunday Aug. 6

CLASSES

You-Pick Herbs at Fox Haven — 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Fox Haven Farm & Retreat Center, 3630 Poffenberger Road, Jefferson. This monthly offering is designed to introduce you to to the growing cycle of plants. During your visit, you’ll have the opportunity to harvest up to 5 bundles of herbs that are ripe and ready! A farmer will be onsite to guide through harvesting and answer any questions about how and where plants like to grow, how to best harvest, and how to invite herbs into your own gardens.

$42. 240-490-5484. alecks@foxhavenfarm.org. foxhavenfarm.org/events/ you-pick-herbs-may-session.

Goat Yoga at Prospect Point Brewing — 10 a.m. to noon at Prospect Point Brewing, 5500A Jefferson Pike, Frederick. Sample some libations and have fun with Goat Yoga! All ages.

$34. 240-405-2208. christy@gvalleye.com. goatforthesoul.com.

Get Rolling with Frederick Roller Derby — 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Walkersville LIbrary, 2 S. Glade Road, Walkersville. Want to learn the basics of skating? Discover the best local skating trails? Find out if roller derby is your future jam? Come join members of Frederick Roller Derby as they demonstrate and answer all these and other burning questions. Meet in the parking lot.

301-600-8200.

fcpl.org.

Goat for the Soul Goat Cuddles — 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Goat for the Soul, 10209 Fountain School Road, Union Bridge. Laugh, relax, de-stress while cuddling and interacting with the goats.

$15. 240-405-2208.

christy@gvalleye.com. goatforthesoul.com.

Honoring Edna Bowie Dykes: A Matriarch of Frederick’s Black Community — 2

p.m. to 4 p.m. at C. Burr Artz Public Library community room, 110 E. Patrick St., Frederick. A celebration of Aunt Edna Bowie Dykes (1903-1993), a matriarch of the Bowie and Thomas families, through a viewing of a recording made at the time of Aunt Edna’s 50th wedding anniversary. Sponsored by the compiler of Belva’s Museum Artifacts: A Monthly Newsletter (2009-2022) and the Thomas-Bowie family 60th annual reunion. This slice of Frederick’s 20th century African American history is open to all. Everyone is welcome. fpayne@frederickcountymd.gov.

ETCETERA

Dynamic Automotive Annual Car Show — noon to 3 p.m. at Dynamic Automotive, 8824 Urbana Church Road, Frederick. Stop by to enjoy lots of cars, food from Just Smokin Around Concessions & Catering, a 50/50 raffle, and support a great cause. Proceeds will benefit Sleep in Heavenly Peace. Registration begins at 10 a.m. the day of show. Hosted by Golden Gears Car Club of Frederick. Participation by donation. 301-874-8833. jlynn628@gmail.com.

Schifferstadt Architectural Museum — 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Schifferstadt Architectural Museum, 1110 Rosemont Ave., Frederick. Explore the home of Frederick’s pioneer family, the Brunners. Built in 1758, it is the oldest surviving building in the city and a National Historic Landmark. Inside is the only known example of a German heating system that provided safe, clean, energy-efficient radiant heat. Learn the story of the desperate German immigrants who fled dire conditions in Europe and came to prominence in Frederick County. Walk in for a guided tour. $8 for adults, free for under age 12. 301-4564912. boycerensberger@gmail.com. fredericklandmarks.org.

Dance Unlimited Open House — 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Dance Unlimited, 244 B S. Jefferson St., Frederick. Are you or someone you know interested in dance or acting classes? Visit the studio to see all the great options available. We aren’t just a dance studio –we’re so much more. 301-662-3722. office@performingartsfactory.com. danceunlimitedfrederick.com.

MUSIC

Sunday Brunch Concert Series — 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Shab Row Stage - Everedy Square, 100 N. East St., Frederick. Enjoy live acoustic music performed by local/regional musicians at the cutest outdoor live music venue in Mid-Maryland - the Shab Row Stage. Held every Sunday behind the Frederick Coffee Co. through September.   301-639-1050. todd@toddcwalker.ccom.

Music on the Deck: The Fly Birds — 2 p.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. Alternative bluegrass and Appalachia. Based out of Winchester, Va.  fcpl.org.

(See CALENDAR 26)

CALENDAR

Summer Concert Series: Rays of Violet — 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Baker Park Band Shell, 121 N. Bentz St., Frederick. Grateful Dead tribute band. celebratefrederick.com.

OUTDOORS

You-Pick Herbs at Fox Haven Farm — 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Fox Haven Farm, Retreat & Learning Center, 3630 Poffenberger Road, Jefferson. A hands-on experience picking your own herbs, this monthly offering is designed to introduce you to the growing cycle of plants. During your visit, harvest up to five bundles of herbs. A farmer will be onsite to guide you through harvesting and answer any questions about how and where plants like to grow, how to best harvest, and how to invite herbs into your own gardens. $42. 240-490-5484. alecks@foxhavenfarm.org. foxhavenfarm.org.

Garden Tour & Tea Tasting with Ashley Hoffman — 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Fox Haven Farm, Retreat & Learning Center, 3630 Poffenberger Road, Jefferson. Learn about the plants that are ripe for harvest, from the ferny plant that made Absinthe to the root that made the first marshmallow to the flower that stops bleeding. Participants are welcome to pack a picnic to enjoy on the land before or after class.

$12. 240-490-5484. alecks@foxhavenfarm.org. foxhavenfarm.org.

THEATER

“How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying” — 12:30 p.m. at Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre, 5 Willowdale Drive, Frederick. Power, sex, ambition, greed ... it’s just another day at the office in this classic satire of big business. A clever lampoon of life in the corporate world, “How to Succeed” follows the rise of J. Pierrepont Finch, who uses a little handbook to climb the corporate ladder from lowly window washer to high-powered executive, tackling such familiar but potent dangers as the aggressively compliant “company man,” backstabbing coworkers, caffeine addiction and, of course, true love. Free. 301-662-6600. WOB@wayoffbroadway.com. wayoffbroadway.com.

Frederick Shakespeare Festival: “Timon of Athens” by William Shakespeare — 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at ESPloft, 16 E. Patrick St., second and third floor, Frederick. Re-imagined as a one-hour, immersive production with five actors, exploring the story of a generous citizen whose misplaced trust causes her to lose everything and bitterly retreat to the wilderness where she contemplates revenge.

Free. 301-305-1405. contact@esptheatre.org.

Monday Aug. 7

CLASSES

Intro to American Sign Language-Six Week Series — 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at The

Common Market Co-op, 927 W. Seventh St., Frederick. This class is designed to introduce students to the culture and language of Deaf people by learning basic American Sign Language. Students will work towards gaining fluency towards the usage and communication of ASL by acquiring vocabulary, and understanding of the language with the goal of improving interactions with the large Deaf population in the area. These classes are immersive, interactive and loaded with fun games!

$80-$160. 301-663-3416. aharmon@commonmarket.coop. commonmarket.coop.

Sol Yoga Class — 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Walkersville Branch LIbrary, 2 S. Glade Road, Walkersville. Join us for this free yoga class offered by Sol Yoga.  Be sure to wear comfortable clothes. 21 and older. 301-600-8200. fcpl.org.

Meditative Dance Movement — 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at FAC Art Center, 5 E. Second St., Frederick. The dance experience starts with a brief guided meditation involving breathing, stretching, shaking and gentle yoga-like movements to help become more heart-centered and embodied. Then, dance music starts slow and then ramps up over time. $10. laurabsherwood@gmail.com.

ETCETERA

Duplicate Bridge Games — noon to 4 p.m. at Church of the Transfiguration , 6909 Maryland Ave., Frederick. Looking for a competitive mind sport? Frederick Bridge Club duplicate games allow you to hone your skills and make new, like-minded friends. All are welcome, no membership requirements. We’ll even guarantee you a partner on the first Monday and Thursday of every month.

$7. 301-254-4727. sharonwcox@gmail.com. bridgewebs.com/frederick.

Dance Unlimited Open House! — 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Dance Unlimited, 244 B S. Jefferson St., Frederick. Are you or someone you know interested in dance or acting classes? Visit the studio to see all the great options available. We aren’t just a dance studio –we’re so much more. 301-662-3722. office@performingartsfactory.com. danceunlimitedfrederick.com.

FAMILY

Clothes Closet Open — 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Thurmont United Methodist Church, 13880 Long Road, Thurmont. Free clothing for men, women and children. Also 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. third Tuesday of the month. Volunteer based mission run and operated by church members/volunteers. Everyone is welcome. 301-271-4511. thurmontchurch.com.

FESTIVALS

Hampstead Volunteer Fire Co. Carnival — 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Coppermine Pantherplex, parking lot, Hampstead. Continues nightly through Aug. 12. hampsteadvfd.org.

Tuesday Aug. 8

CLASSES

Senior Fitness: S.E.A.T. Class — 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. at Walkersville Branch Library, 2 S. Glade Road, Walkersville. Join us for a S.E.A.T. (Supported Exercises for Ageless Training) class. A chair-based fitness program where you will learn techniques to strengthen the body and mind, while improving balance and flexibility. For all ages, abilities and fitness levels.

301-600-8200. fcpl.org.

Know Your Beer — 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Steinhardt Brewing, 340 E. Patrick St., Suite 100-102, Frederick. It used to be that the only choice you ever had to make while ordering a beer was whether you wanted it served in a bottle or a glass. But as the craft brewing movement grew so did our choices. There are different categories and styles, and never mind color, body and ABV. Any self-respecting beer drinker needs to know the difference before ordering their perfect pour. The expert brewers at the family-owned Steinhardt Brewing Company will teach you the beer basics as you taste your way through this course. Afterall, the best beer to drink is the one that you’ll enjoy the most. Must be 21 to register.  $34. 301-624-2727.

mkrzywicki@frederick.edu.

ETCETERA

Pride On The Patio — 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Showroom, 882 N. East St., Fredrick. Weekly LGBTQIA social mixer. Relaxed an casual. Happy hour pricing, full menu available; drink special Gender Fluid. 21 and older. 240-409-8858. prideonthepatio@gmail. com.

facebook.com/PrideOnThePatio.

Literature Night + Open Mic at FAC’s Sky Stage — 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at FAC’s Sky Stage, 59 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Members read from their work, followed by open mic readings. No sign-up necessary. 2nd Tuesdays through October featuring varied hosts, followed or preceded by open mic readings. All-ages, possible mature content. BYOB for 21+ with ID.  301-662-4190.

skystage@frederickartscouncil.org. frederickartscouncil.org/programs/ sky-stage.

Late Night Happy Hour — 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. at Champion Billiards Sports Bar, 5205 Buckeystown Pike, Frederick. All the drink prices from regular happy hour from 9 p.m. to close with select half-price appetizers.  301-846-0089.

frederickchampions.com/weekly-specials.

FAMILY

Outdoor Summer Family Movies: “Encanto” (PG, 2021) — 8 p.m. at Carroll Community College, Rotary Amphitheater, 1601 Washington Road, Westminster. The tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia, in a magical house, in a vibrant town, in a

wondrous, charmed place called an Encanto. The magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift from super strength to the power to heal— every child except one, Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz). But when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is in danger, Mirabel decides that she, the only ordinary Madrigal, might just be her exceptional family’s last hope. Rain date is Aug. 15. 410-848-7272. carrollcountyartscouncil.org.

FILM

Art Center Bijou — 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at FAC Art Center, 5 E. Second St., Frederick. Meet on the second, third and fourth Tuesdays for Bijou, a curation of films presented by Falling Squares. Brief discussion of the film(s) after the viewing. 301-662-4190. artcenter@frederickartscouncil.org. frederickartscouncil.org/news-events/ calendar-grid.

THEATER

“Twelfth Night” — 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Hood College Hodson Outdoor Theater, 581 Coffman Chapel Drive, Frederick. Due to Unforeseen circumstances, the opening has been delayed to Aug. 3. Endangered Species (theatre) Project presents “Twelfth Night or What You Will” as the mainstage event of its Frederick Shakespeare Festival. A d/hearing integrated production which features a cast of both deaf and hearing actors, in a show that will be accessible to each audience for all performances. Free. 301-305-1405. contact@esptheatre.org. esptheatre.org/fsf-23.

Wednesday

ETCETERA

Aug. 9

Coworking Cake Walk — 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 122 E. Patrick St., 11 Byte Court Suite C and 1209 N. East St., 3 locations in, Frederick. Join Frederick’s 3 coworking spaces, Shift Work + Play, Squadstyle Work & Wellness, and Cowork Frederick, as we celebrate International Coworking Day with a Cake Walk! Each location is holding an open house event with free tours, free coworking, birthday cake, and other refreshments (after all, it’s coworking’s 18th birthday!) RSVP required. ainsley@coworkfrederickfoundation.org. coworkfrederick.com.

Sensory Program for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities: Legos, Cars and Trains! — 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Walkersville Branch LIbrary, 2 S. Glade Road, Walkersville. Make tracks, cars and trains with Legos, magna-tiles, and more. 18 and older. 301-600-8200. fcpl.org.

Second Wednesday Social Dance — 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at FAC’s Sky Stage, 59 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Featuring a variety of hosts/dance styles. Pay-what-you-can ($5-$10 suggested). 301-662-4190. skystage@frederickarts council.org. frederickartscouncil.org.