Written by Don Nigro
Directed by Alex Brady
Produced by Rebecca Kotraba
Performance Dates:
May 19 – June 10, 2023
Run time: 2h 25m
(including intermission)

On a snowy night, Inspector Ruffing is called to a remote house to investigate the headlong plunge of Patrick Roarke down the main staircase. In doing so, he becomes involved in the lives of five alluring and dangerous women. They lead him through a bewildering labyrinth of contradictory versions of Patrick's demise and that of the late Mr. Ravenscroft. There are ghosts on the staircase, skeletons in the closet, and much more than the Inspector bargained for. His investigation leads into his own tortured soul and the nature of truth itself. You will not guess the ending, but you will be teased, seduced, bewildered, amused, frightened, and led to a dark encounter with truth or something even stranger.

To download the production postcard for Ravenscroft to share with your friends, visit the Downloads page of our website and look under the Production Postcard heading. A PDF of the production playbill is also available in the same location.

About the Director

Alex Brady has previously directed The White Rose and ‘Dentity Crisis for The Colonial Players. He has performed onstage in several exciting roles, most recently as Macbeth with The Theatre @AACC. Brady is a critically acclaimed lighting designer with more than 20 years of experience working in professional, academic, and community theaters across Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Washington D.C. He has received critical acclaim and been nominated for multiple awards for his inventive and subtle approach to lighting design. Brady was the long-time resident lighting designer for the AACC Dance Company, where he worked with renowned choreographer Lynda Fitzgerald. He regularly volunteers his talents with local high schools including Saint Mary’s High School, as a designer and technical advisor. He is a full-time audio engineer and an adjunct faculty member at Anne Arundel Community College, where he teaches courses in film and architectural history. Brady is an alumnus of the Graduate Institute at St. John's College ('10) and previously served on The Colonial Players Board as Education Director.

Director's Notes

Our daily lives are filled with little moments of honesty and dishonesty. The white lie we tell to protect a partner’s feelings. The honest affection of a friend reaching out to check-in. The eponymous fib we all tell our bosses: “I’ve been working on that. Let me get it to you by the end of the day.” The truths we share in a close and quiet moment. Rarely do we see the sudden and revelatory expression of truth or lies on such a grand scale as we find on-stage in the theater. But then we add pressure. Suddenly we live in a world of revelations, secret stories exploding from behind the scenes. Long-kept lies are discarded in favor of truth because the immense pressure of impulsivity outweighs the convenience of fabrication. The family secret kept for long years suddenly erupts into an argument. A friend comes out of the closet, revealing their true self. An illicit affair is brought into the light. A bold but impossible confession of true love. Maybe even the revelation of a crime. Ravenscroft is a play about lies, secrets, misdirection, and confessions. It is about the various forms of pressure that it takes to eventually reach the honest truth, rather than the most broadly convenient or acceptable lie. The intimacy of touch; the shock of violence; and the vanishing inhibitions that come with a few drinks are all forms of pressure that reveal our carefully curated social lives to be fraught with fragile lies. So, should we then indulge in the revelation of our secret indiscretions, our secret crimes, our secret emotions, and most of all our secret affections? Should we hold the impulse for truth so dearly that we let it cost us the comfort and convenience of our carefully constructed worlds? Should we fight against the pressure that urges us to reveal that which is hidden and become our true selves? What wisdom can there be in a ceaseless adherence to the truth at any cost? In Vino Veritas.

- ALEX BRADY

 

The Cast

Mackenzie Carroll (Gillian) - Mackenzie is very excited to be a part of her first production with The Colonial Players. She has worked with many local theater companies, which include The Talent Machine Company, AHS’ Apex Arts program, Churchill Theater, and Compass Rose Theater. She most recently appeared as Donna in Mamma Mia with Annapolis High School. She would like to thank everyone who made this remarkable show possible. Enjoy!

Colleen Isaiah (Dolly) - Colleen hits the stage tonight in her second role with The Colonial Players. You may have seen her as Anna Mae in By The Way, Meet Vera Stark. Her past favorite roles include Sleepy in Snow White, Sid Sawyer in Tom Sawyer, and Andy Lee in 42nd Street. Offstage, she loves studying residential architecture and interior design.

Richard A. Miller (Inspector Ruffing) - This is Richard's third production with The Colonial Players and his first time back on the stage since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Needless to say he is thrilled. Richard was last seen at CP in the role of Slender in Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor. Other favorite credits include Proteus in Two Gentleman of Verona, Ernst Ludwig in Cabaret, Don Pedro in Much Ado About Nothing, Philip in The Lion in Winter, and Inspector Trotter in Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap. Richard wishes to send a special thanks to his two sons Ewan and Finnegan, and his friends and family for their support. A very special thank you to his partner Ken for all his help and support and ability to keep him focused and fed through this process. When not on stage you can find Richard playing the role of Dr. Miller at KITSU Eye Care in Eastport. This one's for you Alice.

Heather Quinn (Mrs. Ravenscroft) - Heather has worked on numerous theater projects in the DC-Annapolis area both on the stage and behind the scenes. She is happy to be back onstage and working with a splendid creative team. Some previous CP acting roles include: Dr. Cora Gage in Going to St. Ives (WATCH nomination), Lanie Wells in Two Rooms (WATCH nomination), Rose Arnott in Enchanted April, Hannah Jarvis in Arcadia, and Killaine Farell in The Clearing. She also performed locally in several Dignity Players productions — The Laramie Project, Dead Man Walking, Six Degrees of Separation. Recently, she was the set designer and floor painter for Crimes of the Heart. Last year she helped coordinate a team of unsung heroes who devoted many months to the renovation of the CP costume loft. Heather thanks CP’s volunteers and supporters who keep the theater alive; truly it takes a community to support a community theater.

Robin Schwartz (Mrs. French) - Robin is elated to be back on stage after last appearing at The Colonial Players in 2020 as Ruth Hoch in Book of Days. After graduating from Goucher College with a BA in Theatre, she directed and produced plays at Red Branch Theatre Company and Drama Learning Center. Recent projects include directing Crimes of the Heart and Love, Loss, and What I Wore at CP as well as producing The Revolutionists last season... Favorite credits include Dawn in The Universal Language (Outstanding Performance from the MD Community Theatre Festival), Thea Elvsted in Hedda Gabler, and Joan Dellamond in The Babylon Line. "Special thanks to my husband Daniel for supporting me tirelessly and unconditionally, to my sons Jacob and Henry for being Mommy's cheerleaders & to family and friends for their loving encouragement. So much gratitude to the whole CP team for the opportunity to create theater with some truly amazing people."

Devin Thrasher (Marcy) - Devin is overjoyed to return to The Colonial Players’ stage once again. After a painfully long 3-year hiatus, she was previously seen as Sophie Scholl in The White Rose and more recently as Miss “Kitty” Ogle in The Belle’s Stratagem with The Rude Mechanicals. Thrasher has spent most of her academic career performing with UMD’s The Maryland Shakespeare Players, in roles such as Friar Lawrence in Romeo & Juliet, Maria in Twelfth Night, and Rosalind in As You Like It.

 

The Production Staff

Richard Atha-Nicholls (Sound Designer) Richard set himself a new challenge with the sound design for Ravenscroft, he hopes he has succeeded. He is usually found in the tech booth designing sound/projections or designing and programming the stream camera cuts. His sound design has garnered multiple WATCH nominations. Richard has appeared on area stages and in his spare time helps run Discworld™ conventions. Love to C, A, P, K & I. Always in my heart, O

Carrie Brady (Set Designer / Set Painter) Carrie is a familiar face around The Colonial Players, most often seen as costume designer. She has been itching to branch out, and after designing sets for her alma mater St. Mary's High School Theatre for several years, this is her first time designing a set for CP. Carrie's designs for St. Mary's High School Theatre have ranged from minimal to elaborate and proscenium to thrust stage arrangements. In addition to set and costume design, Carrie enjoys acting and most recently appeared onstage in CP's Shiloh Rules (2017) as Lucy Gale and as a last-minute stand-in for Reverend Hale in The Crucible at St. Mary's (2022). Outside of theatre, Carrie makes her living as a librarian and spends the rest of her time reading, watching Star Wars, doting on her dogs, and making art.

Tyler Heroux (Stage Combat Choreographer) Tyler has previously been in shows at The Colonial Players as an actor for both Silent Sky and The White Rose. He has always been interested in the art of fighting for entertainment. He recently choreographed a production of Twelfth Night for his former high school, and is excited to work with The Colonial Players again, this time as their fight choreographer!

Hannah Housley (Stage Manager) Hannah is thrilled to be closing off the last five years spent at CP with all of the wonderful people of Ravenscroft. She is so grateful to have been part of such a wonderful community of makers and players, and looks forward to putting to use the CP spirit in the coming years. This biology nerd is off to explore the liberal arts! For the love of it! Special thanks to my ASM Abby, who has been such a fantastic partner in crime in rehearsal and backstage!

Rebecca Kotraba (Producer / Hair Designer) Rebecca first started with The Colonial Players in 2007 and she is thrilled to be back again with CP. She is a director, actress, producer choreographer, and hair designer. Rebecca is most noted for her youth theater programs and roles such as Miss Hannigan in Annie (CP), Aunt Eller in Oklahoma (2nd Star Productions), and Brenda in An Act of the Imagination (BCT at Bowie Playhouse). Rebecca lives in Annapolis and has two wonderful ginger teen boys. Alex Brady served as a co-producer on this as well as Director — thank you Alex!

Christina McAlpine (Costume Designer) Christina is so happy to be back doing costumes again at The Colonial Players! Previous costume design credits at CP include By The Way, Meet Vera Stark; Co-Designer for Casa Valentina (Watch nominated); It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play; The Cripple of Inishmaan, Boeing Boeing (Watch Nominated for Makeup), Dead Man’s Cell Phone, and The Curious Savage. Christina holds a BFA in Theatre from the University of West Florida. During the day she works in the Veterinary field and is also a very proud foster momma with Passport Animal Rescue in the Baltimore area. Special thank you to her partner, Yanick, for holding down the fort at home and being the best partner ever.

Ernie Morton (Lighting Designer) A shadow is light blocked by an object, much like the truth is blocked by lies in the show. Ernie was excited to work on this show for the opportunity to work with shadows. Lighting designers usually try to ensure that there are NO shadows anywhere on the stage; most of the time actors should be fully lit. But once in a while it’s fun to play with shadows. Ernie has been working in Annapolis theater since 2014 as a stage manager and lighting designer with ASGT and The Colonial Players. He designed the lighting for It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, Silent Sky, Toward Zero and The White Rose at CP and Songs for a New World, and Drowsy Chaperone at Summer Garden. Ernie also serves as Safety Manager and on the Board of Directors for CP as the Production Director.

Carrie Shade (Properties Designer) Carrie is thrilled to be part of the production team for Ravenscroft! At CP, she recently designed props for The Book of Will and served on the Play Selection Committee for Season 75. Previous props design experience includes many college productions at the University of Pennsylvania, where she also dabbled in acting, directing, and producing. Ravenscroft is particularly exciting because Carrie grew up reading (and occasionally writing) chaotic mystery stories, and “creepy old mansion” is her dream vacation destination. Thanks as always to Connie for her props expertise and to everyone at CP for being so supportive and welcoming!