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On the Mainstage
February 9 - June 15
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Our History
About the Carlisle Theatre
Located in the heart of Carlisle, the historic Carlisle Theatre has been referred to as “the gem of downtown”.
The Carlisle Theatre is one of the principal forces behind the revitalization of downtown Carlisle. Established in 1939, renovated in 1993, we remain Carlisle’s downtown source for entertainment. The Carlisle Regional Performing Arts Center presents musical concerts, performances, films, live theatrical productions, and programming for children and families.
The Theatre is also available for corporate events and meetings, community events, weddings, and much, much more!
✨Artist Spotlight
Assassins, presented by Players on High
April 23, 24, 25 @ 7:30PM
April 26 @ 2:00PM
Jason Mathis (Lee Harvey Oswald/David Herold/Bystander #1/Ensemble) Jason is returning to the stage following an eight month hiatus after School of Rock. This is his first Sondheim musical and he is excited to be performing the role of Lee Harvey Oswald. Previously, he has worked on Steam Punk Christmas Carol and School of Rock both at the Carlisle theatre. In addition to his acting work, Jason also works as a stage manager at Carlisle and was the lead stage manager for Sylvia last spring. He would like to thank his family for their unwavering support and to his friends at the Carlisle theatre who have made this new adventure into theatrics both rewarding and just plain fun. ... See MoreSee Less
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✨Artist Spotlight
Assassins, presented by Players on High
April 23, 24, 25 @ 7:30PM
April 26 @ 2:00PM
Hadley D'Esopo (Properties Assist) is so excited to be at the Carlisle Theatre, this time assisting with bringing the details of the world of the assassins to life! Before joining Players on High, Hadley studied English and Theatre at Dickinson College. She was an active member of and performed with Dickinson College's Mermaid Players Theatre Club and the University of East Anglia's Drama and Musical Theatre Society. Previous roles include Harry (The Time of Your Life), Shelia (An Inspector Calls), Violet (It's a Wonderful Life), Mayella (To Kill a Mockingbird), Ghost of Christmas Future (A Steampunk Christmas Carol ‘23 and ‘24), Sarah Good (The Crucible), Stone (Kaleidoscope), and Yvette (Mother Courage). Off stage, you can find Hadley working in Dickinson College’s Admissions Office.
Jess Teter (Resident Music Director/Tech Assist) is once again back with Players on High - this time as a stage hand and audio assist. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, with a concentration in vocal music and minors in piano and bassoon. By day, Jess is wrapping up her fourth year at Boiling Springs High School, where she directs choirs, teaches general music, and runs the theatre program. By night (and, let’s be honest, most weekends and long school breaks), she’s the resident music director at the Carlisle Theatre. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Music Education at Lebanon Valley College (free time is clearly overrated). Jess has been involved in several productions with Players on High, including The Secret Garden (Martha), Urinetown (“Old Ma” Strong), School of Rock (Ms. Sheinkopf/Jesssssss), Songs for a New World (Woman), To Kill a Mockingbird, It's a Wonderful Life, Time of Your Life, and now, Assassins. When she’s not wrangling students, Jess can be found teaching the summer camps at the theatre, playing DnD, composing, reading, or meticulously curating a top-tier quote book. She would like to send a huge heartfelt congratulations to the cast and crew of Assassins - we did it! ... See MoreSee Less
1 CommentComment on Facebook
I'm so lucky to call these women my friends in addition to my fellow theatre groupies! Hadley D'Esopo and I have worked in several productions together, and she always brings such joyous enthusiasm to whatever she does! Her recent performance as Harry in "The Time of Your Life" was an absolute scene-stealer, and I always got a good laugh watching her dance moves. Whether on stage or off, Hadley gives every endeavor her best effort, and we're very lucky to have her for "Assassins"! Jess Teter has been incredibly supportive in helping me grow my vocal confidence. Her encouragement in our recent Valentine's Day cabaret gave me the boost I needed to finally sing in front of an audience. To have her guidance in this production has been invaluable to me, and I'm so glad we have her backstage not only cheering us on but helping to keep things together as well. Thank you for all you do, Jess!
✨Artist Spotlight
Assassins, presented by Players on High
April 23, 24, 25 @ 7:30PM
April 26 @ 2:00PM
David Sgrignoli (Trumpet) David has been a trumpet player for nearly a decade, with notable journeys including the United States Marine Corps Band and various ensembles at Lebanon Valley College. Offstage, David works as an actuarial analyst, having graduated in 2024 with a degree in actuarial science from Lebanon Valley College. He remains an active musician throughout the region, performing in a variety of pit orchestras and ensembles. Some of his favorite productions he has been a part of include Bandstand and 9 to 5, both performed at the Hershey Area Playhouse.
Eldon Trego (Trumpet), a proud lifelong Carlisle resident, has been playing the trumpet since the fourth grade. Encouraged early on by Allen Roth and further shaped by his high school experiences led by David Rohrer and Victor Wertz, his passion for music continues today. He studied with Harold Edwards and worked for North American Music Festivals; owned by Clyde Barr, where he collaborated closely with directors, students, and adjudicators. Eldon has performed with several Drum and Bugle Corps and is an active member of multiple community bands that spans 30 years. When he is not on stage, he can be found in the audience supporting local entertainment. ... See MoreSee Less
1 CommentComment on Facebook
A show about presidential assassinations wouldn't be complete without such powerhouse trumpet players! Thank you both for bringing your talents to the pit orchestra and for helping make our show even better! We're very grateful for you ❤️
✨Artist Spotlight
Assassins, presented by Players on High
April 23, 24, 25 @ 7:30PM
April 26 @ 2:00PM
Elizabeth Earle Drinks (Costume Designer) is a versatile artist as a costume designer, soprano, composer and playwright hailing from the Lehigh Valley. Among her artistic endeavors, Ms. Drinks is an acclaimed concert soloist and active stage performer with notable credits including Shakespeare: Page to Stage's The Tempest (Ceres) Assassins (Squeaky Fromme), Pirates of Penzance (Edith), and in the titular role of Henry Purcell's baroque opera Dido and Aeneas. Additionally, Drinks is the Founder and Artistic Director of the stage works development and production company High Tower Theatricals. She is a recognized local playwright developing the play Once Upon a Pointe Shoe and a new Medieval musical In Days of Old. Ms. Drinks has studied classical voice under Jennifer Laubach, Elizabeth Lins Aragunde, and Raya Gonen, a protege of internationally acclaimed German soprano Dame Elisabeth Schwartzkopf. She is enrolled in the MTea Songwriting Studio as a lyric and composition student of award-winning BMI graduate Brett Boles. She received formal training in Renaissance music, creative writing, costume design, and theatrical wardrobing, as well as undergraduate studies in vocal performance and music composition at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. ... See MoreSee Less
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
There aren't nearly enough good words to put in one post about Elizabeth! We first met while working on the Shakespeare Page to Stage production of "Romeo & Juliet" last summer. The skills she brings to any production she's a part of seem limitless--dancing, singing, stage combat, costume sewing and design, music composition, play-writing....I'm sure I've forgotten some! Plus she's just the absolute best kind of human ❤️ The costumes she's designed for the last several productions at Carlisle Theatre have been beautifully on point, and "Assassins" is no exception. Come check out her beautiful work in one of our last four performances!
A dream to work with and an absolute powerhouse of a human being! 🫶🏻
✨Artist Spotlight
Assassins, presented by Players on High
April 23, 24, 25 @ 7:30PM
April 26 @ 2:00PM
Hayden Johnston (John Hinckley) is thrilled to be participating in his second mainstage production with Players on High. He has a long history of performing in opera and musical theater and was most recently seen on stage this past December as George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life: The Live Radio Play and in the Love Stinks! cabaret in February. Off the stage, Hayden is in his first year at Penn State Dickinson Law. He hopes that you enjoy the show and that it is Worthy of Your Love!
Anna Palese (Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme) is so excited to be back with Players on High and joining this incredible cast and crew as Squeaky Fromme! She has previously been seen on stage at the Carlisle Theatre in School of Rock (Patty Di Marco) and Anne of Green Gables (Prissy Andrews/Choreographer) and behind the scenes as the Director of Songs for a New World. Her other recent credits include Hello, Dolly! at Susquehanna Stage (Ensemble) along with several choreography credits at Mechanicsburg Recreation Theatre Camp and Mechanicsburg Middle School. Anna would like to thank her friends and family for all their support through this whole process! ... See MoreSee Less
1 CommentComment on Facebook
How lucky we are to have the talents of these two folks in one show! I first met Hayden when he played adult George to my son Max's young George in the "It's a Wonderful Life" radio play. He was so patient and kind with Max, as well as a talented performers in the show. Then I got to hear him sing at auditions! Wow, just wow. Hayden is brilliant as Hinckley and a shining light in "Unworthy of Your Love." I first saw Anna on stage in "School of Rock" and was so impressed with both her acting and singing abilities. She's been incredibly kind to me during "Assassins," helping me grow my confidence from the moment we met at auditions. The way she brings a dry humor to Fromme's character is hilarious, and her performance in "Unworthy of Your Love" is truly something to behold. She's an absolute gift to our stage.
✨Artist Spotlight
Assassins, presented by Players on High
April 23, 24, 25 @ 7:30PM
April 26 @ 2:00PM
Galen Work (Percussion) Galen has played professionally for nearly 200 musical theater productions across the country, including national tours and television specials. He has performed with the Lancaster Symphony, the Hershey Symphony, the Lancaster Opera Workshop, and the Corpus Christi Symphony. He has a Masters in Music Teaching and a Bachelors in Music Performance from Oberlin Conservatory of Music. The majority of his career was spent in senior administrative positions at Rutgers University, Wilmington College, and Vassar College.
Sara Bartlett Schmehl (Woodwind) studied at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, PA receiving a BS in Music and a BS in Music Education (1986). While there, she studied saxophone with David Bilger, clarinet with Dr. Robert Rose, and piano with Dr. Dennis Sweigart. Additionally, she has had the opportunity to enhance her saxophone skills through summer workshops with Sigurd Rascher and Audrey Cupples. She completed an MEd in Gifted Education with a specialization in Fine Arts (1990), and a second MEd in Elementary Education (1997), both through Millersville University, and achieved certification as a National Board Certified teacher (2020). During her public education career of 34 years she taught elementary general music and choir for ten years in the Annville-Cleona School District and for eight years in the Carlisle Area School District. The remainder of her teaching career was spent teaching 4th and 5th grade string lessons for two years, and fourteen years as Middle School Orchestra Director in the Carlisle Area School District before retiring in 2024. She enjoyed writing and arranging music for her school ensembles, and two of her original compositions for string orchestra were recognized in the Pennsylvania Music Educator’s Association Composition Program in 2021 and 2022. Sara’s involvement in musical theater spans over four decades and includes roles on the stage, playing woodwinds and piano in pit orchestras, and serving as music director/pit conductor with a variety of schools and community theater groups. Currently, Sara serves as the part-time Director of Music at the Dillsburg campus of Trinity Lutheran: Camp Hill/Dillsburg, and plays with Carlisle Town Band, where she serves on the board in the role of secretary. During summers, she enjoys playing with the Greater Harrisburg Concert Band, and attending Band Camp for Adult Musicians. She is also a performing member of Carlisle Musical Arts Club performing in solo recitals several times a year. When not busy making music, she enjoys reading, walking, yoga and travel. ... See MoreSee Less
1 CommentComment on Facebook
While I haven't had the pleasure of speaking with Galen and Sara personally, I know that their incredible talents help make our pit orchestra special. We're very thankful to have them be a part of our production!
✨Artist Spotlight
Assassins, presented by Players on High
April 23, 24, 25 @ 7:30PM
April 26 @ 2:00PM
Lindy Mack (Music Director/Pit Conductor) is a multi-instrumentalist, arranger and conductor who has been performing and recording music since he was a teenager. Lindy's endeavors have taken him all around the U.S. and internationally. Currently, he serves as Musical Director, arranger and keyboardist for the award-winning Unforgettable Big Band in York, PA. He is thrilled to return to the Carlisle Theatre to conduct Stephen Sondheim's musical, "Assassins," and his band will be returning to the Carlisle Theatre in May for an encore presentation of "You Can't Do That With A Big Band." He has worked with numerous local theater musical productions and recently won the 2025 Broadway World Award for Sound Design.
Vicki Mack (Woodwind) Vicki is a retired pediatrician who has been playing and performing music since early childhood. She has played with the Keystone Concert Band and the West Shore Symphony. Currently she plays flute and piccolo in the Singer Band of Mechanicsburg and the Carlisle Town Band. She is the founder and president of Cumberland Flutes, central Pennsylvania’s largest flute choir. She participated in FlutesUSA, which performed at the Alba International Music Festival in Alba, Italy between 2015 and 2019. She has been performing in musical pit orchestras since high school and recently played in Anne of Green Gables, The Secret Garden, and The Little Mermaid. She enjoys skiing, gardening and swimming. ... See MoreSee Less
1 CommentComment on Facebook
Lindy Mack has the patience of a saint, working tirelessly through hours of music rehearsal to help us reach our goals. He offers firm guidance and support while also keeping us in good spirits, which is no easy feat in a Sondheim musical. Thanks to Lindy and Vicki's generosity, we have a full pit orchestra for our show, and everyone has worked diligently to pull off this challenge in just six weeks. Although it's difficult to pick out one sound from an orchestra while performing onstage, Vicki's flute-playing stands out beautifully. We're incredibly fortunate to have such talented musicians and Lindy's conductorship for "Assassins"! 🥰
✨Artist Spotlight
Assassins, presented by Players on High
April 23, 24, 25 @ 7:30PM
April 26 @ 2:00PM
JD Gopi (Tech Assist/Stage Hand) cannot keep pretending he thinks theatre is lame, as he has now lurked in the shadows of the Carlisle Theatre for A Steampunk Christmas Carol, Sylvia, School of Rock, Dracula, It’s A Wonderful Life, The Time of Your Life, and now Assassins. When he isn’t keeping backstage left under control, JD enjoys playing video games with his friends, soccer, and giving his little sister Lena a hard time. Congratulations to the cast and crew of Assassins on a great show. ... See MoreSee Less
1 CommentComment on Facebook
JD is always a welcome sight at the theatre, diligently working behind-the-scenes to keep things running smoothly. A soft-spoken young man, he tolerates the actors' backstage antics with a smile and is always willing to jump in where needed. Whether communicating with the tech booth or helping with scene changes on stage, JD is professional, quick to respond, and consistent in his efforts. We're lucky to have him on our crew!
✨Artist Spotlight
Assassins, presented by Players on High
April 23, 24, 25 @ 7:30PM
April 26 @ 2:00PM
Dave Lang (Proprietors) is excited to be one of the crazies in this wonderful show. This is his 22nd performance with Players on High. He has also performed locally at Hershey Area Playhouse, Upstart Arts, Forge Theater, Gettysburg Community Theater, The Micro Theatre at Broadway Tavern, and Lebanon Community Theater. Dave enjoys competitive ping-pong, restoring classic arcade cabinets, and playing board games. He studies vocal performance at Roger Lentz Studios.
Owen Mechling (Proprietor) Owen started theatre in High School and has spread to community theatre. This is Owen’s first show with Players on High. Some of his other roles in performances include The Addams Family Susquehannock HS (Gomez), Spongebob the Musical Acts Of Kindness Theatre (Larry the Lobster), Hello Dolly, and Hunchback of Notre Dame at The Belmont Theatre. ... See MoreSee Less
1 CommentComment on Facebook
Our two Proprietors bring such fantastic energy to the show! Even when not the focus of a song, these two stay in character and always give the audience something to enjoy on the sidelines 🤩 I've known Dave Lang for nearly as long as I've been doing theatre, having worked with him in several productions at Carlisle Theatre. He's an inspiration as a performer and offers support to others as an experienced actor and vocalist. Especially during this show, Dave's made me smile on more than one occasion when he sensed how nervous I was to go on stage. And I'll never forget our backstage silent serenading of each other during "Unworthy of Your Love" 🥰 Owen Mechling is new to our theatre and has been an absolute pleasure to work with! After hearing him perform "Razzle Dazzle" at auditions, it was no surprise that they asked him to lend his talent to the role of Proprietor. Owen is also incredibly supportive of his fellow cast members and has grown as a performer during his time in "Assassins." I look forward to working with him again in the future!