The Colonial Players, Inc. - Winslow Boy Show

CP 24 TINY Marquee transparent

Written by Terence Rattigan
Directed by Mary Fawcett Watko

Performance Dates: October 25 - November 16, 2024
Run time: 2h 15m
(including intermission)

The Winslow Boy is a compelling courtroom drama that explores themes of justice, family loyalty, and sacrifice. Set in Edwardian England, the play follows the Winslow family as they fight to clear the name of their young son, Ronnie, who is accused of theft at school. His father, Arthur Winslow, embarks on a relentless quest for justice, risking everything to defend his son’s honor. Through sharp dialogue and emotional depth, the play examines the tension between personal duty and the price of truth, while offering a timeless commentary on moral courage and social responsibility. The Winslow Boy remains a powerful and poignant reflection on what it means to stand up for what is right, no matter the cost.

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

About the Director

I have had the pleasure of working both as an actor and director for The Colonial Players for many years - since 1981. It has been a great journey with lots of wonderful memories. As a director: The Shadowlands, Enchanted April, The Clearing, Angel Street, A Christmas Carol. As an actor: Calendar Girls, The Lion in Winter, Rebecca, Kinder Transport, Red Hot and Cole, Veronica’s Room and others. All so very memorable for me and not to be forgotten. But this story of The Winslow Boy has hit home for me in many ways. The Isle of Wight, where this young boy spent the beginning of his Naval Cadet experience, is an island I can never forget. Many years ago my three sisters arranged a week on the Isle of Wight, a vacation for the four of us, to finally spend time together, for which we before had never had the opportunity. It was a journey and vacation to remember. The Isle of Wight and this incredible story of The Winslow Boy, based on a true story, for me, will never be forgotten. Many thanks go to the wonderful team of The Colonial Players volunteers — both on and off stage and to this incredible cast.

Director's Notes

How fortunate I am to have had the opportunity to direct this incredible story. Based on truth and actual events that took place on the Isle of Wight, an island off the South Coast of England. Everything about The Winslow Boy and his family, has driven me toward getting this story told and where better to do it than at The Colonial Players of Annapolis. This story takes place at a time when the Judicial System was influenced by powerful political oligarchies of the country, namely England. Bringing attention to this story is a way of giving life to the young ‘Winslow Boy’. No matter how we may remember him - the point is - he truly deserves to be remembered.

— MARY FAWCETT WATKO

About the Playwright

Terence Rattigan (1911–1977) was a British playwright known for his well-crafted, character-driven plays that explore themes of repression, class, and human emotion. His works often focus on the tensions beneath the surface of polite society, offering insight into the struggles of ordinary people. Among his most famous plays are The Winslow Boy (1946), The Browning Version (1948), and Separate Tables (1954), all marked by their emotional depth and subtlety. Although his work fell out of favor during the rise of more radical theater in the 1960s, Rattigan's reputation has been revived in recent years, with his plays being recognized for their sensitivity and timeless relevance. For more information visit: www.terencerattigan.com

The Cast

Selene Athas (Miss Barnes / Dramaturg) - Selene is thrilled to be making her debut with The Colonial Players in The Winslow Boy. She returns to the stage after 25 years, during which time she raised her three boys and earned master’s degrees in teaching and library science. An undergraduate acting major, Selene was seen in plays such as Cloud Nine, Macbeth, Oliver! and Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Selene was also featured in regional productions such as Arcadia and Something’s Afoot. She currently works as a school librarian, and in her spare time, she enjoys crocheting, reading, and drinking lots of coffee. “Thank you to all my guys at home for your incredible support!”

Melanie Gordon (Catherine Winslow) - Melanie is ecstatic to be in her second show with The Colonial Players (previously seen in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time as No. 40/ATM/Ensemble) and is beyond thrilled to be in her first major role. Melanie is so grateful to be sharing the stage with such a talented, supportive cast and would like to thank every single person who helped bring this show to life. When Melanie is not on stage, she can be found training for her next Disney run or with a book in her hand. “All of my love to my family, friends and supporters but especially to my mom, dad and sister. Huge shoutout to Mandy for being the best friend anyone could ask for. Special shoutout to the person who ran lines, got Bonchon as needed and supported me through this entire process. It means more to me than you know.”

Greg Jones (Sir Robert Morton) - Greg welcomes the opportunity to be a part of this wonderful story and reunite with director Mary Watko. Their last shared experience at CP was The Children (Season 71). His earlier CP appearances were as the randy butler in Ernest in Love and Beethoven in 33 Variations. Decades earlier, he appeared here in Jacques Brel… Elsewhere in the area he recently appeared as the Monsignor in Sister Act (Summer Garden Theatre), Mr. Lundie in Brigadoon (Compass Rose Theatre), Mr. Bumble in Oliver! (Classic Theatre of Maryland) and Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd with Opera AACC. As guest narrator he impersonated Hungarian, Irish and Greek immigrants with the Annapolis Symphony’s Ellis Island: The Dream of America. He is also grateful to CP for sponsoring “pub readings” of two of his original scripts.

Eric Lund (Desmond Curry) - Eric's last work at CP was Christmas Past in the 2023 production of A Christmas Carol, prior to that he played Gloria in Casa Valentina and before that he appeared as Rod in Calendar Girls. He designed lights for The Secret Garden and was nominated for a Washington Area Theatre Community Honors award for his designs for Sideman and Venus in Fur. He has worked extensively in area theaters including Dignity Players, Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre, Vagabonds in Baltimore, and others. On CP’s stage, he has appeared in productions of Rebecca, The Clearing, and various iterations of a A Christmas Carol. He appeared in Dignity Players’ productions of The Laramie Project, Gross Indecencies, and The 39 Steps. He has directed for CP with The Voice of the Prairie and two seasons of A Christmas Carol and for Dignity Players with a production of The Vagina Monologues. When not on stage, Eric is a software engineer for the Baltimore Shock Trauma Center Research Dept. and was a founding board member of Annapolis Pride. He is very honored to be working with this amazing cast and crew. And, as always, thanks his husband of 30 years, Mickey, for his support and endless patience!

Nicholas Martinez (Dickie Winslow) - Nicholas (Nick) is a 27-year old actor originally from Chino Hills, California. He has been a part of several productions at The Colonial Players, including Wit, The Book of Will, and The White Rose. Nick is very grateful for the camaraderie of his fellow cast, crew, and director, as well as the entire community that The Colonial Players has worked to foster over the years. He would also like to thank his family, friends and beautiful fiancée for their support over the course of this production. He hopes you enjoy the show!

Tom Newbrough (Arthur Winslow) - Tom has performed locally for many years and past performances at CP include The Elephant Man, A Little Night Music, Terra Nova, Jacques Brel…, Assassins, and more recently Art and The Baker’s Wife. At CP Tom has directed Strange Snow, A Shayna Maidel, Incorruptible, Rabbit Hole, and Dead Man’s Cell Phone. “It is always a pleasure to work with such a dedicated group of volunteers like those we have here at CP.”

Tristan Poje (Jonathan Watherstone) - Tristan is excited to be making his debut with The Colonial Players of Annapolis. Locally, Tristan has worked at Rockville Little Theatre on stage (Moon Over Buffalo, Our Town) and as a director (Radium Girls, Arsenic & Old Lace, Communicating Doors), and was also in Silver Spring Stage's The Crucible. Prior to Maryland, Tristan performed professionally in San Diego, with credits including La Jolla Playhouse's premiere of Suitcase (understudy), As You Like It, Barefoot in the Park, Lucky Stiff, and The Invention of Love. He also worked in Chicago including roles in Taming of the Shrew, Three Sisters, and Twelfth Night. Regional credits include: Crazy for You with Flat Rock Playhouse, Carousel with Lakes Region Summer Theatre. TV credits include: Veronica Mars, American Heiress, The Invisible Man, The Chronicle. Tristan dearly thanks his family for letting him disappear in the evenings to make the trek out to Annapolis (which he and said family have fallen in love with).

Mary C. Rogers (Violet) - Mary is happy to be back on stage at The Colonial Players, performing with the talented cast and crew of The Winslow Boy. Mary has worked onstage, backstage and everywhere in between with a number of community theaters in Maryland. Some of Mary's favorite roles include Olympe de Gouges in The Revolutionists, Aunt Bella in Lost in Yonkers (WATCH nomination), and Lana Sherwood in It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. “Thank you, Abner, for your support and love. Thanks to Kat Binney for suggesting I audition and to Mary Watko for trusting me with Violet.”

Drew Saint Amour (Ronnie Winslow) - Drew is ecstatic to play Ronnie in his second CP show. He recently starred as Christopher in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time with CP, receiving stellar reviews. He’s featured in Zach Conklin’s Bad Liar, and Shelton R. Johnson’s Almost an Angel, both upcoming films. Drew is 16, and is a junior at Crofton High. He studies tap/vocals at Stageworkz Theater Arts Project with Bobby Smith and Andrew Gordon. He takes contrabass lessons with Broc Mertz, and is the bassist of C4, a rock band he co-founded. He was Tyler K in Mean Girls, Chad in High School Musical, Gaston in Beauty and the Beast, and Chad in All Shook Up with The Talent Machine Company. Drew has also assistant choreographed Suessical and Grease at Crofton Middle. After playing Christopher, he advocates for and works with the neurodiverse community as a leader in a unified dance class and through his school’s chapter of Best Buddies. At Crofton, he’s in orchestra, men’s choir, acapella choir, big band, National Honors Society, Music Honors Society, Social Studies Honors Society, class council, service club, is President of Model United Nations, and co-hosts the morning news show. Drew thanks his acting coach Bobby Smith for believing in him and pushing him to be his greatest self, Vicki Smith for sparking his love of theater, and his parents for surrounding him in the arts. He credits the success of this show to Mary Watko, who’s heart never fails to shine.

Meg Venton (Grace Winslow) - Meg is happy to come out to play with this delightful cast and crew. Previous work at CP includes: Cecelia in Shiloh Rules, Rose in The Children, ensemble player in Love, Loss, and What I Wore, and Madame Pernelle in Tartuffe. “Many thanks to my children, Jack and Perce, and my friends, for their support!”

The Production Staff

Scott R. Bloom (Sound Designer) - Scott is pleased to be back for his second turn as sound designer at CP after last year's Wit. He spent more than 40 years working in Montgomery County and around the DC metro area as an award-winning Actor, Director, Designer, and Playwright for a dozen or so amateur and professional theatre companies. He now finds himself back in his childhood hometown and working with CP. A retired Computer Network Systems Engineer, his hobbies include tinkering with electronics, playing and recording music, and leaving snarky replies to dumb people on the Internet. His ever-patient wife, Jan, is happy to get him out of the house. He is also a founding board member of the Maryland Community Theatre Festival Association, (mctfa.org), and a longtime member and former VP of AACT, (aact.org).

Herb Elkin (Assistant Director) - Herb has been an active CP member and volunteer for twenty-eight years. Having appeared onstage in several CP and other area productions, he now enjoys working behind the scenes in various production staff roles. Recent CP credits include Marjorie Prime (2024), The Book of Will (2023), Agnes of God (2022), Maytag Virgin (2021), and The Children (2020). Herb is especially grateful to Mary Watko for introducing him to The Colonial Players three decades ago and working under her direction across several memorable productions since then. He also thanks CP’s many volunteers and supporters who make everything possible, worthwhile... and enjoyable!

Christina R. McAlpine (Costume Designer) - Christina would like to thank her amazing costume crew! Without our brilliant seamstresses none of this would have happened! Over 20 items were made for this show and no small act goes without thanks!! Some shows take a village, but boy it is always crazy fun! She hopes you (the audience) enjoy the beauty of the Edwardian era and feel transported to the past. Previous costume design credits at CP include Ravenscroft, By The Way Meet Vera Stark, Casa Valentina, It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, The Cripple of Inishmaan, Boeing Boeing, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, and The Curious Savage. “Special thank you to my partner, Yanick, for holding down the fort at home with the girls and being the best partner ever.”

Laurie Nolan (Set Designer) - Laurie has been working on sets at CP since 1978. “This theatre feels like a second home when I am alone in the building painting the floor of the stage: safe, familiar, and full of possibilities. Then the carpenters arrive, and the lighting folks, and then sound and costumes, and then we put the furniture and props in position, and (aside from the inevitable last minute crises and adjustments!!! ) the actors walk into their new “home” to prepare in the weeks before opening night. It really is a wonder! Something out of nothing! I want to thank Mary for inviting me, Edd for mentoring, Heather for leading us, and Connie for being the best co-thrifter ever!”

Constance Robinson (Properties Designer) Since 2003 Connie has volunteered as a public relations consultant, graphic designer, box office assistant, properties designer and set decorator for The Colonial Players. She has collected props or decorated sets for over twenty-seven productions at CP, and other local theaters. She is proud to have received three WATCH nominations for Properties Designing. Connie enjoys her volunteer hours because of the friendly, dedicated people she works with. Connie worked as a free-lance illustrator in Annapolis, and was an Administrative Assistant at St. John's College. She was a floral designer for Frazier’s Pottery in Annapolis. and later worked for the Titan Corporation as a Graphic Designer and Tech Manual Writer prior to retiring in 2006. She publishes a monthly newsletter as a member of the Annapolis Watercolor Club, and volunteers as the Properties Consultant/Prop Room Manger for CP. “It was a pleasure working with Director, Mary Watko,and the amazing cast and crew for The Winslow Boy. A special thanks to our newest CP volunteer, Dudley Whitney, the lighting designer for this show. He also created and modified props and set pieces, and, due to an actor dropping out, Dudley was also cast in the part of Fred for this show. Dudley is “the gift that keeps on giving.”

Jonathan Ezra Rubin (Intimacy Director) - Jonathan Ezra Rubin is a three-time Helen Hayes Award and one-time WATCH Award Nominee for Outstanding Choreography, and he was the first Helen Hayes Nominee whose choreographic work on a production explicitly included Intimacy Direction. Jonathan works regularly as a Fight & Intimacy Director throughout the DC-Metro Area and has been studying and practicing intimacy direction since 2015 under the tutelage of the field’s founders and leaders, continuing that training and legacy of work to this day as the Head of Administration and an Accredited Intimacy Director with Intimacy Professionals Education Collective (IPEC). Jonathan is a proud Associate Member of the Stage Directors & Choreographers Society, a national theatrical union, and has created fights and/or intimacy for Flying V, Mosaic Theater Company, The Studio Theatre, Signature Theatre, GALA Hispanic Theatre, Adventure Theatre-MTC, 4615 Theatre Company, Cohesion Theatre Company, Silver Spring Stage, Lumina Studio Theatre, Georgetown University, Anne Arundel Community College, Goucher College, and the National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts, among many other companies and schools. Additionally, Jonathan is the Managing Director for the Theatre Consortium of Silver Spring, a Certified Teacher with and the Treasurer for the Society of American Fight Directors, a Maryland-licensed professional wrestler, the Co-Coordinator for the Mid-Atlantic Melee stage combat workshop in Columbia, MD in June, and teaches classes and choreographs through his company Fire & Ice Movement Arts.

Heather Quinn (Producer) - Heather has worked on numerous theater projects in the DC-Maryland area both on-stage and behind the scenes over the years. Heather truly appreciates sharing the producer job with Mike Gidos, who took on the budgetary aspects. While every show has its challenges, the cast and team of this production have faced a number of losses, illness, and injuries. Heather would like to thank the many creative and dedicated people involved in this production: “To those who were involved but had to step away; those who stepped in as replacements; those who stepped up even more; and those who persevered, I am very grateful. And thanks to all of CP’s volunteers and supporters who are the energy on which community theater runs.” She encourages anyone interested in any aspect of theater to “come and play with us.” Opportunities are endless!

Todd Smith (Stage Manager) - This is Todd's first time serving as Stage Manager and his second production with CP. Todd portrayed several roles in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time including the despicable Roger and the foul-mouthed Man With Socks. Todd's additional theater experiences include directing Crofton High School's Cardinal Players as well as other productions in Maryland and New Jersey. Todd is grateful for the opportunity to provide backstage help to The Colonial Players and hopes you enjoy the show!

Dudley Whitney (Lighting Designer / Booth Tech / Fred) - Dudley recently joined the “behind the scenes” team at CP, designing the lighting for The Winslow Boy and creating several props. His experience includes stage theaters in Raleigh and Atlanta as well as providing lighting and sound for local bands in Atlanta and Baltimore. He enjoys several creative pursuits and is intent on designing lighting that enhances the production while providing visual surprises to audiences. Dudley lives in Annapolis with his lovely and supportive wife.