Written by Lillian Garrett-Groag
Directed by Alex Brady
Produced by Dona Weingarten
Performance Dates:
October 25 - November 16, 2019
Run time: 2h 20m
(including intermission)

Based on actual events, tells the story of a group of students at the University of Munich who chose to actively protest the atrocities of the Nazi regime. They published their thoughts in anonymous leaflets, which they titled "The White Rose" and which were distributed throughout Germany and Austria during the summer of 1942 and the winter of 1943. When the students are eventually captured, the police inspector of the town is pressured to obtain a conviction. Will the inspector send the students to certain execution or try to save them? Complex and filled with loyalty and patriotism, The White Rose is an intense and devastating drama confronting a reality that should never be forgotten.

To download the production postcard for The White Rose to share with your friends, visit the Downloads page of our website and look under the Production Postcard heading. 

 

About the Playwright

Lillian Garrett-Groag is a native of Argentina who built a long career in the United States as an actress, director, and playwright. She attended colleges in Illinois and Dijon, France, before earning masters and doctoraldegrees in Romance languages at Northwestern University. While appearing in a production of The Lion in Winter at Northwestern, she was spotted by a talent scout who persuaded herto move to Hollywood to pursue an actingcareer in movies and television. After a few guest appearances on TV shows, Ms. Garrett-Groag shifted her focus to live theater, and she has written, acted, and directed for many regional theaters, including Baltimore’s Center Stage. She was part of an ensemble cast in The Kentucky Cycle performed at the Kennedy Center and on Broadway. Her father was a member of an aristocratic Viennese family that opposed the Nazis and fled to Argentinain 1938 when Hitler annexed Austria. Ms.Garrett-Groag said it was the memory of her father, who died when she was just 14, that inspired her to write The White Rose.

 

About the Director

Alex Brady is making his main season directorial debut for The Colonial Players with The White Rose. He has previously performed onstage in several roles, most recently as Macbeth with The Theatre at AACC. Brady is a critically acclaimed lighting designer with more than 15 years of experience working with professional, academic, and community theaters across Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Washington D.C. He has been nominated for multiple awards for his inventive and subtle approach to lighting. Brady is also the resident lighting designer for the AACC Dance Company, where he works with nationally renowned choreographer Lynda Fitzgerald. He regularly volunteers his talents with several local high schools 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 currently serves on The Colonial Players Board as Education Director.

 

Director's Notes

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil isfor good men to do nothing.”- From a speech by John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 1961“

If you are aware of this, why do you not stiry ourselves? Why do you permit this autocrat to rob you of one sphere of your rights after another, little by little, both overtly and in secret?”- The White Rose, Leaflet 3, 1942

During our rehearsal process for The White Rose, I was asked, “Why did the Scholl siblings and their friends choose to die for their ideals?” I am certain that the answer to this question is central to the effort we have put into this production. It is also central to our understanding of the actions taken by members of Die Weisse Rose in Munich in 1942 and 1943. I know this because during World War II, my grandfather was a 17-year-old sailor on the Kriegs marine destroyer “Wilhelm Heidkamp”, which ran aground after the Battle of Narvik in1940. My grandmother, who passed away in June, was a 12-year-old Hitlerjugend Girl Scout in 1943. My family and I, along with many other Germans, live with the cultural shame and guilt ofevents that took place long before we were born. Because of this, I can’t help but keep returning to the question, “What would I have done?”

We all want to believe that we are as brave andstrong in our convictions as Sophie and Hans Scholl; Dietrich Bonhoeffer; or Oskar Schindler. These amazing people chose to sacrifice their lives and livelihoods for their principles. Sophie, Hans, and Pastor Bonhoeffer were executed. Schindler lived in poverty on the charity of those he saved until his death in 1974. In spite of this, we can’t help but find something in common with our Gestapo policeman, Robert Mohr. Like him, we want to get by; do our jobs; keep our families safe; and remain modestly successful. We want to go home and fix our garden gate to keep the troubles of the world out of our homes. “Politicians are all crooks,” we say. “I don’t mind people who aren’t like me,” we say. “The system is broken,” we say. Too often this is all the opposition that we muster. I can’t speak for you, but I fear that I might be a good man who does nothing. In the end, each of us must choose for ourselves: to sit quietly or stand in the face of overwhelming opposition, even if we are the only ones standing. “Why did the Scholl siblings and their friends choose to die for their ideals?” In a corrupt courtroom in 1943, certain of her death sentence and surrounded by Gestapo and Nazi officials, a brave 21-year-old woman gave us the only answer that we should ever need: “Well, somebody had to make a start.”

– ALEX BRADY 

 

The Cast

Tyler Heroux (Christopher Probst) - Tyler has been acting in theater since his sophomore year in high school. Shows include Mr.Green in Clue, Bruno/Louis in Shipwrecked! An Entertainment -- The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont, Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing, and, most recently, Peter Shaw in Silent Sky at The Colonial Players. He won the 2017 Baltimore Cappie Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Play and hopes to continue his theater dreams for many years to come. He is immensely thankful to his family and friends who have always been there to support him.

Matt Leyendecker (Anton Mahler) - Matt is pleased to appear in the-round for the second time at The Colonial Players. He last appeared as Sir John Falstaff in CP's production of The Merry Wives Of Windsor. He has also performed in several other local productions, such as BCT's Becky's New Car (2018 WATCH Nomination, Best Featured Actor in a Play), LMP's An Inspector Calls, Vagabond Players' Inherit the Wind, and PGLT's The Mousetrap and A Shot In The Dark. He is blessed to have the support of family and friends, most notably his fiancé, who has been a light shining through the darkness.

Joe Mariano (Robert Mohr) - Joe previously appeared at The Colonial Players as George in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (WATCH award, best actor). Other notable roles include Beethoven in 33 Variations and Thomas Putnam in The Crucible, both at Silver Spring Stage; Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird and George Bailey in It’s A Wonderful Life at Laurel Mill Playhouse. Joe also appeared as the Padre in Man of LaMancha, Giuseppe Zangara in Assassins, the Duke in Measure for Measure, the Sergeant in Chesapeake Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Steve Hubbel in A Streetcar Named Desire at The Arlington Players, and Don Juan in Don Juan in Hell.

Nicholas Martinez (Hans Scholl) - Nicholas is a recent college graduate and new resident of Annapolis, and this is his first performance outside of school. He is really excited to perform for you, and he would like to thank his family and friends for showing him constant support and care throughout the process of the show. Nicholas hopes you enjoy the show!

Sam Morton (Alexander Schmorell) - Between his CP debut at 12 in The Curious Savage and his more recent roles in A Few Good Men and the one-act Quiche Isn’t Sexy, Sam has been busy studying English at the University of Rochester in New York. He is very proud that The White Rose is his first show after graduating and returning home to Annapolis. He would like to thank his family for their unfailing support and for enabling his theater addiction, and he hopes the audience will appreciate this haunting, moving play that our cast and crew have been working tirelessly on for the past several months.

Devin Thrasher (Sophie Scholl) - Devin recently graduated from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business with a degree in accounting. She spent most of her academic career performing with The Maryland Shakespeare Players in roles such as Friar Lawrence in Romeo & Juliet and Rosalind in As You Like It. She took a year’s hiatus from the theater to work for the entertainment department at Walt Disney World, but is eager to return with such a talented team.

Aaron Vonderharr (Bauer) - Aaron is just happy to be here. Most recently appearing in Towards Zero as Thomas Royde at The Colonial Players, he intended the next show to be something a bit more lighthearted, such as a comedy or a musical. And yet here we are. Thanks as always go to the production staff, fellow actors, and all the adoring fans who don't know it yet. tems engineer working at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. His career in thespace business is eclipsed in length only by his hobby of performance art. Since starting in 1973, he has performed onstage, screen, TV, radio, and now the internet. Bob has been in more than 46 movies and television shows, from Year One to Love Different, and from Evil Stepmothers to House of Cards. Onstage, Bob has performed in more than 40 dramas, comedies, and musicals and was last seen in Towards Zero at The Colonial Players as Inspector Leach. This is Bob's second production with CP, so it's only appropriate he plays two characters. He hopes you enjoy the performance of the cast and crew in this classic comedy.

Hadlee Walker (Wilhelm Graf) - Hadlee is a senior at Broadneck High School. This is his first show at The Colonial Players, and he is very excited about this opportunity. He enjoys tech and acting, and he has learned so much by doing both. Hadlee was nominated by the Baltimore Cappies for best comedic actor in a play. He is overjoyed to have such an amazing cast to work with and hang out with. He hopes to study theater and musical theater in college and is looking forward to working with such talented people in the future.

 

The Production Staff

Carrie Brady (Costume Designer) Carrie is happy to be costuming for The Colonial Players again after costuming Sherlock's Last Case (WATCH Award nominated), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, City of Conversation, 33 Variations (WATCH Award nominated), and last season's Silent Sky. Previously, she costumed for Spirited Productions, the Moonlight Troupers/The Theatre at AACC, and Bay Theatre Company. In addition to wardrobe, Carrie appeared on stage in Shiloh Rules at The Colonial Players, and has enjoyed helping out with sets at her alma mater, St. Mary's High School Theater. All this theater fun gives Carrie something to do when she's not working at the library of the Department of Legislative Services. With love and gratitude to Alex; ich bin stolz auf dich.

Janice Coffey (Assistant Director) Janice has produced, stage managed, and worked as a set designer and props mistress for several shows for Bowie Community Theatre and Greenbelt Arts Center. She is also a professional actor, having performed in film, TV, and theatrical productions and was last seen at The Colonial Players in Casa Valentina as Eleanor. This is Janice's first time as an assistant director. She thanks Alex for giving her the opportunity to help tell this important story and thanks the amazing cast for allowing her to be a part of their journey.

Tom Gross (Set Co-Designer) Tom is honored to be part of this production of The White Rose. His stagecraft experience has principally been in stage set piece planning and construction. Previous production credits include: Grease, Jesus Christ Superstar, Crazy for You, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, The Wiz, Oliver, Into the Woods, Legally Blonde, and The Great Gatsby with Saint Mary’s High School Drama Club; Last Rights and The Appeal with Spirited Productions in Annapolis; and a bit of set furniture repair for Sherlock Holmes’ Last Case with The Colonial Players. He thanks Alex for this opportunity to return to the backstage haunts. He is especially grateful to his wife, Maryanne, for her patient tolerance of his pursuit of this avocation

Andy McLendon (Stage Manager) Working with the talented cast and staff of The White Rose combines two of Andy's favorite pastimes: theater and history. The White Rose is the latest of many productions that Andy has stage managed since she first became involved with CP in the 1970s. She was last seen in her SM shirt with the production of the one act series, “Generations.” Other memorable productions with The Colonial Players include Casa Valentina, Calender Girls, The Secret Garden, Morning’s at Seven, Closer Than Ever, The Robber Bridegroom, Prelude to a Kiss, They're Playing Our Song, Enter the Guardsman, Cabaret, and Blood Brothers. Andy has volunteered for a number of jobs at CP, including conducting stage manager workshops.

Maureen Mitchell (Properties Designer) Maureen is excited about working with the CP production team of The White Rose as a firsttime properties designer. She was costume designer for CP’s summer “Generations” series of short plays and has worked on other CP productions. She is a graduate of Boston College, with a BA in Communications and Theatre, and has participated in the “From Page to Stage” production program at the Kennedy Center. Maureen has worked in radio news, TV engineering and operations, advertising, newspapers, and publishing, and also loves to perform. She has been seen in shows with ASGT, 2nd Star, Opera AACC, and “Broadway in Annapolis” shows produced by Live Arts Maryland. Her acting highlights include work as a TV extra with Viola Davis on the “How to Get Away with Murder” pilot and acting workshops at HB Studio in New York. She sang solo with church groups, performed at The White House during Christmas, and sang with a Capitol Hill Chorale tour in Prague, the Czech Republic, and Wittenberg, Germany. Maureen sings with the Annapolis Chorale and has previously performed with the Congressional Chorus and Hexagon, Inc. She recently completed her paralegal certification and presently studies voice at the Peabody Preparatory. She thanks director Alex Brady, the wonderful production team, CP officers, our loyal audiences, and her family for their unwavering support. "The time is now!"

Ernie Morton (Lighting Designer) Ernie is back as lighting designer for The White Rose after designing lights for last season's productions of Silent Sky and Towards Zero at The Colonial Players and Songs for a New World at Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre. He has also stage managed a dozen shows at CP, most recently A Christmas Carol and The Merry Wives of Windsor.

Bill Reinhardt (Sound Designer) Bill started in theatrical sound and lighting at community theaters in 1999, and most recently was the sound designer for Mamma Mia at Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre and the designer for Rumors at The Colonial Players. He owned a professional sound and video company for ten years and enjoys the arts throughout the area. He is thrilled to be collaborating on The White Rose with such a talented team, and looks forward to many more years working on theatrical sound and lighting

Dona Weingarten (Producer) Dona has managed two Colonial Players' Promising Playwright Contests, the most recent of which progressed to a world premier summer production of Job Loss Figures by 2017 contest winner Andrea Fleck Clardy. Prior to becoming a very busy teacher (grades 6-12) for 30 years, Dona worked behind the scenes at Montgomery Players, Silver Spring Stage, and Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre as a lighting designer and technician. She is excited about working with the very talented staff and cast of The White Rose, an important play about young Germans' resistance to Adolf Hitler during World War II.