Longtime PTP member Patricia “Pat” McConkey was a woman who was full of fire and her spirit always shone brightly through. Pat possessed a love of the fine arts throughout her whole span of life and loved to express this love mainly in singing and acting. She actively participated in many groups during her time in Southern Maryland. Shortly after arriving in Prince George’s county in 1976, Pat became a member of the a cappella women’s barbershop harmony group, The Sweet Adelines. She was a part of the Sweet Adelines for many, many years. She was very proud to be part of an international organization dedicated to preserving the unique sound of a cappella barbershop harmony. She was also a participant in the Senior Idol competitions in Prince George County in the 2000s. Pat also participated as a soprano singer in the Chesapeake Choral Arts Society (CCAS) from the fall of 2003 to the spring of 2017. Pat performed many great works in her tenure with the choir, singing in such pieces as “The Magnificat” by John Rutter, Handel’s “Messiah,” and “Requiem” pieces by both Rutter and Brahms. Pat particularly enjoyed the ‘Pops’ concerts performed by the choir, where she could allow her spirit to show with solo performances such as Kids from Bye, Bye Birdie, The Firefly, from Ogden Nash’s Animal Crackers, and The Thing-Ummy Bob (That’s Going to Win the War), by Gordon Thompson and David Heneker. A highlight of Pat’s singing career was when she had the chance to perform in Vienna, Austria and in Prague, Czech Republic as part of a vocal tour with Pilgrim Church, Church of Christ which included members of CCAS. Pat was also active in many summer vocal workshops in the 80s and 90s, hosted at Port Tobacco Players theater. In 1981 Pat, along with her son Michael Santana, became part of the Port Tobacco Players performing theater group, with her first show being “A Christmas Carol”. In 2002, Pat was nominated for a The Washington Area Theatre Community Honors (WATCH) award for Outstanding Cameo in a Play, for her role as “Gay Wellington” in You Can't Take It With You. During her time with PTP, Pat performed in several shows at the Black Box theater in Indian Head MD and was one of the last original members of PTP’s Encore Adults group, a local traveling troupe sponsored by PTP, performing from the 1980s to the 2010s. Working to continue the spread of viewership for the arts, Pat participated in the Center Stars touring show from the Richard R. Clark Senior Center in her later years. She sang in the troupe with the Silver Tones and also played hand bells for the group. Pat was also an active participant in the community theater group located at the College of Southern Maryland, where she worked regularly with CSM staff members Emmitt Woodey and Keith Hight, largely in musical theater productions. Other groups in which Pat spent time in theater include the Tantallon Community Players, in Fort Washington Maryland, where she performed in a variety of shows from 1980 to the early 2000s. She will be sorely missed in the performing arts world of Southern Maryland. The PTP Board of Directors has been reviewing Governor Hogan's 3 stage reopening plan, as well as information from the Charles County Arts Alliance and other local theater groups. Based on this information, Port Tobacco Players has decided to move forward based on the assumption we will not be able to get audiences back into our theater until March 2021. Therefore, the Board has voted to move the remainder of our 2019-2020 season back a full year until our prospective March 2021 reopening date, on the following tentative schedule:
Patrons who have previously purchased single tickets to any of these three productions will be contacted by the Box Office staff and offered the opportunity to change to Flex tickets, turn the purchase into a donation, or receive a refund. PTP Season Pass holders should contact [email protected] for more information. La Plata, MD — Today, Port Tobacco Players delivered 65 masks and caps to Charles Regional Medical Center ICU. The masks and caps are much needed personal protective equipment (PPE) that will help medical personnel serve the community in a safe and hygienic manner. Members of the local theater have been sewing the masks and caps for the past few weeks, using material from the theater’s costume department and personal sources.
Having completed the first group, next up they will be working on 150 masks and caps for CRMC’s ER. Masks have also been delivered to local nursing homes, clinics and residents. Sewing has been completed by: Chris and Lisa Magee, Joselle Gilpin, Pat Brennan, Christin Lockhart, and Christy Dewees Orthner. Founded in 1947, the Port Tobacco Players have been entertaining Charles County in their current location since 1974. PTP performs six shows per season and countless road productions with their Encore and Encore Kids touring companies. The Port Tobacco Players are dedicated to continuing the tradition of providing quality theater to the citizens of Southern Maryland. ### For more information, press only: Jason Klonkowski, [email protected] To Our PTP Patrons,
In response to new recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and local and state governments, we are pausing all productions at Port Tobacco Players and closing the theater to the public and our membership effective immediately. The safety and well-being of our community is our highest priority. Sadly, the remaining performances of You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown have been cancelled. We thank the dedicated cast and crew for their efforts to bring a fun, family friendly show to our stage and are grateful for the performances that were able to be seen last weekend. The box office will be contacting everyone who had purchased a ticket for Charlie Brown to give you the following options:
Thank you for your patience as we navigate these challenges. We promise to update you whenever there is new information. The best ways to receive the latest news are to bookmark this website, follow our Facebook page, and sign up for our E-NEWS mail letter using this link. If you have questions, you can contact us via e-mail at [email protected] or by calling the Box Office at 301-932-6819. We will return your calls as soon as we can. Finally, we thank you for supporting the arts and particularly your support of the Port Tobacco Players. Our community theater is our extended family and our hearts go out to everyone in the community affected by this epidemic. Please stay safe and take good care. Until the curtain opens again, Port Tobacco Players Board of Directors P.S. If you are so moved, please consider a donation to Port Tobacco Players to support the theater during this uncertain time. Your gifts will help us cover operational expenses until the theater reopens. You can make a donation right here on our website. |
AuthorPort Tobacco Players Archives
January 2024
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