Hillsboro Players debut production of The Glass Menagerie

On the weekend of June 10-12, The Hillsboro Players will debut as a new resident community theater company in the historic Old Stone School in Hillsboro. With a mission to bring thought-provoking, uplifting entertainment to western Loudoun County, the new theater group aims to support local talent, while celebrating great works and inciting meaningful conversations. 

The first production will be The Glass Menagerie, the signature masterpiece of one of America’s most celebrated playwrights, Tennessee Williams. The production, co-directed by Rebecca Baldwin Fuller and Evan Kagarise will showcase the talents of four local actors, all of whom have worked professionally on stage and screen.

As the Artistic Director of Hillsboro Players, Baldwin Fuller, will play Amanda Wingfield in the production. She is a professional actor, who trained at prestigious drama schools. She has worked in film and television, Off-Broadway in New York, on national tours, and at a number of premier regional theaters throughout the country. She works as a nurse practitioner and is focused on supporting the performing arts in the community.  

Co-director Kagarise is studying for his BFA in Theatre Performance at VCU and is a graduate of Loudoun Valley High School.  He has graced the stages of the region in many community theater productions over the years.

Leading the cast will be Matthew Curtis, in the role of Tom Wingfield, who is Tennessee Williams’ alter ego in the play. Curtis has worked on many stage productions and is a professional voice-over artist whose vocal talents can be heard in national commercials, film trailers, and animated children’s shows. Widely sought after in major commercial markets, he chooses to reside here in Loudoun County by maintaining a professional recording studio in his home.  

Tom’s sister, Laura Wingfield, will be played by recent Woodgrove High School graduate Serena Parrish, who has already launched her professional career. She has worked in regional theaters, including Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC, and Off-Broadway in New York.  

The cast is rounded out by Wilson Seltzer, who plays the Gentleman Caller. Seltzer grew up performing at Maryland Ensemble Theatre and is completing a BFA in Acting at Towson University.

The Glass Menagerie is a lyrical drama, full of wit and charm, which takes place on the eve of World War II, in a dingy St. Louis apartment. Amanda Wingfield and her adult children, Tom and Laura, live in a world of illusion, designed to protect themselves from the unbearable collapse of dreams. Audiences will be transported into a bygone era as this family confronts questions about both the past and the future when a gentleman comes to call.

Performances will be on Friday, June 10, at 7 p.m., Saturday, June 11, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday, June 12, at 3 p.m.  Tickets may be purchased online for $10 or at the door for $15. Drinks and other refreshments will be sold prior to the performance and during the intermission. All net proceeds will support historic restoration projects in the Hillsboro region.

For tickets to The Glass Menagerie and more information about The Hillsboro Players, visit TheHillsboroPlayers.com.