A Shepherdstown Film Society Selection

Universal Language (2024)

Director: Matthew Rankin

A trio of seemingly unconnected stories finds a mysterious point of intersection in this tale set somewhere between Winnipeg and Tehran.

A New York Times Critics Pick. “A lightly satirical and surrealist comedy…..”

Post-film discussion: Facilitated discussion follows the film for those who wish to stay. Discussion leader will be Jim Bauman.

This screening made possible by the generous sponsorship of Howard Wachtel and Marie Tyler-McGraw.

Year Released: 2024

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 89 minutes

General admission (“pay what you can”)

The historic Shepherdstown Opera House is a cozy vaudeville-style theater that seats 100 — advance reservations encouraged. Doors open 30 minutes before showtime. Online reservations end 2 hours before showtime. Popcorn, candy, soft drinks, beer & wine available for purchase (no outside food or drinks please). Lobby, theater & restroom are wheelchair accessible.

Dementia Man, An Existential Journey is the award-winning autobiographical story of a man who faces his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

In this full-length theatrical piece, actor and playwright Samuel A. Simon takes the stage as a man facing his cognitive decline and asks the hard questions of what to do next in the face of what he calls “an existential journey.” It is a peek into the head and heart of the struggle with a broken medical system and a personal and family challenge. The play challenges the audience to imagine a meaningful future for the millions of people with neurocognitive disease, with accommodation and adaptation.

According to Broadway World, 

”...[Samuel A. Simon’s] story comes to life so vividly that one almost forgets there is one man on stage with a script. Sam’s story offers a raw, unfiltered view into the challenges one faces when beginning to lose cognition, including the fear of the unknown; the urgency of the decisions that have to be made; and the tribulations of navigating a broken healthcare system all while balancing the desire to live a full life, a comfortable life, and a life of service to others.”

Directed by Thadd McQuade with dramaturgy by Gabrielle Maisels, Dementia Man, An Existential Journey made its world premiere at Capital Fringe in Washington D.C. in July 2023 and is the recipient of the 2023 Dementia Arts Impact Award by the Dementia Spring Foundation. We are delighted that Sam and his wife Susan agreed to visit Shepherdstown and bring this wonderful play to our community.

Playwright’s Website

Tickets: Pay What You Can. Ticket revenues support Mr. Simon’s work and the Shepherdstown Opera House.

General Admission. Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.

Thank you to our Sponsors for their financial support of this production.

Thank you to our non-profit Promotion Partners for helping to spread the word about this performance with their communities.

Presenting Sponsors:

WVU Medicine – Jefferson Medical Center & Berkeley Medical Center

Harmony at Martinsburg, Assisted Living & Memory Care

Sponsors:

Myers Hill & Associates Law Firm

Stay Home Senior Services

Nonprofit Organizations – Promotion Partners:

Alzheimer’s Association – West Virginia Chapter

Berkeley Senior Services

Betty’s Wish

Dementia Friendly Washington County, MD

Hospice of the Panhandle

Shepherdstown Area Independent Living

Shepherdstown Public Library – Dementia Caregivers Support Group

Seating in the historic Shepherdstown Opera House is limited. Advance purchase strongly encouraged. Online sales end 1 hours before showtime. Beer, wine, soft drinks and snacks for sale before the performance (ID required for beer & wine purchase, no outside food or drinks please). Lobby, theater & restroom are wheelchair accessible. Questions? Please email Contact@OperaHouseLive.com or call 304-876-3704.

Scuffletown is an acoustic high energy duo consisting of Marc Carraway on guitar and vocals and John Whitlow on harmonica, accordion, flute and vocals.

The band has performed a unique blend of original music and acoustic roots, blues, jazz, bluegrass, and country for over 25 years, recording 4 acclaimed albums along the way.

Scuffletown’s famously loyal fans even have a name: “Scuffleheads”!

Artist website: https://www.scuffletownmusic.com/

General Admission – All Ages

Doors open 30 minutes prior to show

The historic Shepherdstown Opera House is a cozy theater that seats 100 — advance ticket purchase encouraged. Online sales end 2 hours before showtime. Beer, wine, soft drinks and snacks for sale during the performance (ID required for beer & wine purchase, no outside food or drinks please). Lobby, theater & restroom are wheelchair accessible.

A Life Reimagined: The George Masa Story

Film + Q&A with Filmmaker Paul Bonesteel

A Life Reimagined is a new documentary about George Masa, the Japanese immigrant and photographer whose work helped lead to the creation of the Appalachian Trail and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

This screening will be followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Paul Bonesteel. Bonesteel, who is based in Asheville, North Carolina. Bonesteel is known for documentaries that explore American history and culture, including The Day Carl Sandburg Died for PBS’s American Masters.

This Sneak Peek Screening is presented courtesy of the filmmaker and in cooperation with the Appalachian Trail Museum.

Admission is Pay-What-You-Can.

General admission. Seating is limited. Advance purchase encouraged. Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.

Popcorn, candy, soft drinks available for purchase (no outside food or drinks please).

A Shepherdstown Film Society Selection

Wicked Little Letters (2023)

Director: Thea Sharrock

A 1920s English seaside town bears witness to a farcical and occasionally sinister scandal in this riotous mystery comedy. Based on a stranger than fiction true story, WICKED LITTLE LETTERS follows two neighbors: deeply conservative local Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) and rowdy Irish migrant Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley). When Edith and fellow residents begin to receive wicked letters full of unintentionally hilarious profanities, foul-mouthed Rose is charged with the crime. The anonymous letters prompt a national uproar, and a trial ensues. However, as the town’s women – led by Police Officer Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan) – begin to investigate the crime themselves, they suspect that something is amiss, and Rose may not be the culprit after all.

Post-film discussion: Facilitated discussion follows the film for those who wish to stay. Discussion leader will be Dianne Roman

This screening made possible by the generous sponsorship of Diane Blust.

Year Released: 2023

Rating: R (strong language)

Runtime: 100 minutes

General admission (“pay what you can”)

The historic Shepherdstown Opera House is a cozy vaudeville-style theater that seats 100 — advance reservations encouraged. Doors open 30 minutes before showtime. Online reservations end 1 hour before showtime. Popcorn, candy, soft drinks, beer & wine available for purchase (no outside food or drinks please). Lobby, theater & restroom are wheelchair accessible.

World’s Most Scenic River Journeys: The Potomac River

FREE film + discussion event

Donations accepted at the door

100% of donations will go to local nonprofit Town Run Watershed group

From its headwaters in West Virginia to its estuary in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac River was a frontline during the Civil War. On the banks of the river at Harpers Ferry, a federal armory was raided by abolitionist John Brown in 1859. Passing through Washington D.C. and the national monuments along the Tidal Basin, the journey ends at George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate in Virginia.

Film is 50 minutes with brief presentations and audience discussion to follow.

General admission. Doors open 30 minutes before showtime

Popcorn, candy, soft drinks available for purchase (no outside food or drinks please)

This screening of World’s Most Scenic River Journeys: The Potomac River is made possible by Potomac Riverkeeper Network and the Shepherdstown Opera House.

More information: 

Potomac Riverkeeper Network

Town Run Watershed group

“Rounding Third”

A play by Richard Dresser

Presented by the Town Run Theater Company

Artistic Director: Joe Yates

ROUNDING THIRD is the tumultuous journey of two Little League coaches through an entire season, from their first tentative meeting to the climactic championship game. The audience is the stand-in for the team, so the coaches speak directly to the audience about competition, character, punctuality, and the importance of wearing the right equipment. This is a play that was first produced to rave reviews at the Contemporary American Theater Festival in Shepherdstown. It’s a funny, family-friendly show, suitable for all ages.

Don is the tough, blue-collar, win-at-all-costs veteran coach whose son is the star pitcher. Michael is a newcomer both to the town and to baseball. He’s a corporate executive, or lacky, depending on one’s perspective, who agrees to be Don’s assistant because he wants a special activity with his son, who’s never played baseball before.

Despite their differences, Michael and Don form an uneasy alliance for the benefit of the team. And over the course of exhilarating victories, heartbreaking defeats, and interminable rain-outs, the two men battle over how to lead the team. Michael believes that the job of the coaches is to shield the kids from the intense pressure of competition while making sure everyone has a good time. Don thinks they should be teaching the kids how to win.

By the end of the play, Don’s personal life has come crashing down around him and he’s forced to see both his son and the team in a different light. And Michael must confront an unfamiliar but powerful sensation: he really wants to win.

General Admission, Recommended for all ages

Advance purchase strongly recommended to ensure selection of performance.

Ticket Prices (including taxes and ticketing fees):

Advance Purchase: $23.30 ($20 ticket plus 7% sales tax & ticketing fees)

At Door Purchase: $28.65 ($25 ticket plus 7% sales tax & ticketing fees)

Pay-What-You-Can Performance: Friday, January 9

Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.

The historic Shepherdstown Opera House is a cozy theater that seats a maximum of 100 patrons— advance ticket purchase encouraged. Beer, wine, soft drinks and snacks for sale during the performance (ID required for beer & wine purchase, no outside food or drinks please). Lobby, theater & restroom are wheelchair accessible.

“A Doll’s House”

A play by Henrik Ibsen

Presented by the Town Run Theater Company

Artistic Director: Joe Yates

Company Members: Joe Yates, Homer Speaker, Emily Wanger, Sarah Ward and Richard Yates

Our production of Henrik Ibsen’s timeless classic about self-discovery and independence is inspired by the 2022 Broadway revival, which stripped the stage of all scenery and props, smashing the boundary between the 19th century and today. The play follows Nora Helmer as she begins to question the roles imposed on her by society and family—setting the stage for one of theater’s most famous exits.

General Admission – All Ages - Advance purchase strongly recommended to ensure availability

Ticket Prices (including taxes and ticketing fees):

Advance Purchase: $23.30 ($20 ticket plus 7% sales tax & ticketing fees)

At Door Purchase: $28.65 ($25 ticket plus 7% sales tax & ticketing fees)

Pay-What-You-Can Performance: Friday, April 10

Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.

The historic Shepherdstown Opera House is a cozy theater that seats a maximum of 100 patrons— advance ticket purchase encouraged. Beer, wine, soft drinks and snacks for sale during the performance (ID required for beer & wine purchase, no outside food or drinks please). Lobby, theater & restroom are wheelchair accessible.

“We Will Not Be Silent”

A play by David Meyers

Presented by the Town Run Theater Company

Artistic Director: Joe Yates

Company Members: Joe Yates, Homer Speaker, Emily Wanger, Sarah Ward and Richard Yates

Based on the true story of Sophie Scholl and the White Rose resistance group, this powerful drama explores the courage of young people who risked everything to speak out against Nazi tyranny in World War II Germany. The play had its world premiere in 2017 at the Contemporary American Theater Festival, and was later pulled from circulation by the playwright when he felt it was being commercialized. We have obtained special permission directly from the playwright to bring this play back to Shepherdstown, marking the debut performance of the rewritten script.  

General Admission – All Ages - Advance purchase strongly recommended to ensure availability

Ticket Prices (including taxes and ticketing fees):

Advance Purchase: $23.30 ($20 ticket plus 7% sales tax & ticketing fees)

At Door Purchase: $28.65 ($25 ticket plus 7% sales tax & ticketing fees)

Pay-What-You-Can Performance: Friday, May 29

Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.

The historic Shepherdstown Opera House is a cozy theater that seats a maximum of 100 patrons— advance ticket purchase encouraged. Beer, wine, soft drinks and snacks for sale during the performance (ID required for beer & wine purchase, no outside food or drinks please). Lobby, theater & restroom are wheelchair accessible.