NEED TO KNOW: Week of March 16

Lauren LaRocca, The Frederick News-Post, Md.
·2 min read

Mar. 16—NEW MURALS AT NEW SPIRE STAGES

Meet the D.C. artist behind the new murals at New Spire Stages in this week's cover story. The Frederick Arts Council, as part of its strategic plan for public art in the county, commissioned muralist Leila Eguino to paint the pieces, which are a celebration of the return of performing arts after a grueling few years during the pandemic.

'TIS THE SEASON ... FOR TREE TAPPING

Timing is everything, and perhaps no one knows this better than those whose work follows the natural world. Local tree tappers from Fox Haven Farm and Willow Oaks Craft Cider and Wine will host From Sap to Syrup to demonstrate how trees are tapped to make syrup. Find them this weekend and next weekend, or head out to the annual Maple Syrup Festival this weekend at Cunningham Falls State Park.

'SWEENEY TODD [PROG METAL VERSION]' COMES TO FREDERICK

When Stephen Sondheim himself gives you permission to transform one of his musicals into a prog-metal version, well, all signs point to go. Landless Theatre Co., based in Frederick, opened its original "Sweeney Todd [Prog Metal Version]" in Washington, D.C., in 2014 and will bring it to Frederick this month.

SHEPHERDSTOWN OPERA HOUSE REOPENS

While venues across the country shut down at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the cherished Opera House in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, had already been closed for business and busy cleaning up its own mess. A pipe burst in 2018 caused the historic theater to close for repairs, and staff used that time to renovate the space entirely. The theater reopened on March 4 and its owners have begun scheduling programming for the remainder of 2023, including hosting some of the Contemporary American Theater Festival and the Speak Story Series. You can expect to see regular film screenings in the weeks to come, with live music restarting at a later date.

INSPIRATION FOR YOUR SEWING PROJECTS

Bring your stitching or mending projects and work alongside other stitchers for an afternoon. In conjunction with Karin Birch's "Surface Tension" exhibition at NOMA Gallery, which runs through March 26, she will host a Stitch In from noon to 3 p.m. March 19 at the Y Arts Center, 115 E. Church St., Frederick, open to anyone interested in joining in.

RETRO PROM RETURNS AFTER HIATUS

Theater companies found creative ways to continue to engage audiences with the art form throughout the pandemic, streaming live readings and plays and and setting up outdoor shows. In Frederick, nothing says those times are over more than the return of Maryland Ensemble Theatre's annual Retro Prom, a beloved event that went on hiatus during the pandemic. It will return this weekend with an appropriate theme: The Roaring '20s. Dress in your best '20s-themed attire, dance, and raise some money for this theater we are so lucky to have in town.