Maryland Ensemble Theatre Presents THE MEETING AT KEMP HALL Reading, 4/29-30

Maryland Ensemble Theatre (MET) is proud to partner with The Frederick Arts Council and the Historical Society of Frederick County to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War through a World Premiere dramatic reading of The Meeting at Kemp Hall by Julie Heifetz. Directed by Maryland Ensemble Theatre's Associate Artistic Director Géné Fouché, The Meeting at Kemp Hall reading will be held on April 29th at 8pm and April 30th at 2pm at the Cultural Arts Center located at 15 West Patrick Street, Frederick, Maryland. For more information or to purchase advanced tickets to The Meeting at Kemp Hall, call 301-662-4190.

The Meeting at Kemp Hall follows the Civil War, highlighting the famous meeting in 1861 in which the Maryland Legislature met in Frederick to determine whether the state would secede from the union. The playwright Julie Heifetz has developed the script from primary sources drawing directly from diaries, journal entries and letters of Fredrick residents found in the Historical Society. "The absence of any black voices in the material told me more about the war than any document could have", said Julie Heifetz and to provide that perspective she has created the character of the narrator, who is African-American.

Playwright Julie Heifetz, M.A., L.P.C., is a psychotherapist, actor, educator, Emmy nominated writer, published author, and interviewer for Steven Spielberg's Shoah Foundation. Ms. Heifetz previous works include several books and plays, among which are "Voices and Echoes," "Sparrow's Song" and the Emmy nominated musical adapted for tv, "Sarah's Song."

Maryland Ensemble Theatre is thrilled to be partnering with the Frederick Arts Council who foster an environment where the arts may flourish in our community through grants and scholarships, arts advocacy, and links to essential resources. The MET is also pleased to be working with the Historical Society of Frederick County which is dedicated to increasing public awareness and appreciation of the history of Frederick Count

Support for this event is provided by the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area, (HCWHA) in Carroll, Frederick, and Washington counties in Maryland

For over a decade, Maryland Ensemble Theatre has been producing thought-provoking theatre, fun family entertainment, artist residency programs for public schools, challenging classes and the side-splitting Comedy Pigs. The MET is an artistic leader in the region and at the forefront of the creation of Frederick's Theater District

Photo Credit: Amy Shaughnessy