Rowan Joseph News

David Hemsley Caldwell has joined Totem Pole Playhouse as Artistic Director and he is joined by James Nadeau as Interim Executive Director. The appointments were announced January 4, 2021 by Kevin Schoenberger, Chair of the Board of Directors.

Totem Pole Playhouse's national award-winning production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is coming to the Maryland Theatre for the first time this December 6, 7 and 8th for four performances only. Totem Pole's production of the holiday classic was recognized for the second year in a row as a 'Best of the Best' Award Winner by the American Bus Association (A.B.A.) which named the critically-acclaimed stage adaptation as one of the top 10 entertainment events in the United States.

Totem Pole Playhouse, America's summer theatre, located in Caledonia State Park between Gettysburg and Chambersburg, PA has announced the final production in the Playhouse's new summer subscription series, Wrong Turn at Lungfish by legendary writer/director, Garry Marshall and acclaimed screenwriter, Lowell Ganz. 

Totem Pole Playhouse, America's summer theatre, located in Caledonia State Park between Gettysburg and Chambersburg, PA has announced the return of Smoke on the Mountain one of the best-loved and most audience-requested musicals in the 69-year history of the venerable Playhouse. The hugely popular Bluegrass Gospel stage musical was first presented during the 1997 season and was so successful it returned again the next year in 1998.

Nationally-acclaimed stand-up comedian and TV personality, Tammy Pescatelli, will kick-off Totem Pole Playhouse's new Friday FUN Nights! series when she takes the stage of the legendary Playhouse for a special "one-night only" performance, Friday, June 14th at 8PM. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. There will also be several local food trucks and vendors serving meals and dessert ahead of the show.

The long-running hit comedy whodunit, "Shear Madness" is set to begin performances this Friday, May 31st through June 16th at Totem Pole Playhouse, America's summer theatre, located in Caledonia State Park between Gettysburg and Chambersburg, PA. Totem Pole is one of the first theatres in the country to be granted a limited performance rights license to present the show, which has been running continuously at the Charles Playhouse in Boston since 1980 and at the Kennedy Center in D.C. for over 30 years. The play has the distinction of being one of the longest-running stage comedies in the world.

Totem Pole Playhouse, America's summer theatre, located in Caledonia State Park between Gettysburg and Chambersburg, PA, has announced a major change in its programming format starting this summer. Beginning May 31st through September 8th, a new 5-show summer subscription series will be offered. The new format will allow Totem Pole to offer a wider variety of offerings beyond the limited productions which the Playhouse produces. In addition to the new 5-show offering there will be several "Friday Fun Nights" throughout the summer which will include family movie night sing-alongs complete with picnic dinners and solo shows featuring performers from Broadway and Television.

Totem Pole Playhouse, America's beloved summer theatre located in Caledonia State Park, has announced 58 nominations in 11 categories for the sixth annual Totem Pole Playhouse Awards recognizing outstanding achievement in musical theater production and performance by high school students in the counties surrounding the Playhouse.

Totem Pole Playhouse's critically-acclaimed annual production of A Christmas Carol has received a "Best of the Best" Award from the American Bus Association (ABA) as one of the top 100 events in North America. The "Best of the Best" designation is an annual compendium of the 100 best events for group travel in the United States and Canada. The American Bus Association provides more than 600 million passenger trips annually on charters, tours, scheduled service and shuttles. Membership in the ABA includes motorcoach operators, tour operators, and tourism-related organizations. A committee of its members selects the top 100 events each year from hundreds of celebrations, festivals, fairs, performing arts presentations, regional commemorative events, and more. Totem Pole's production was submitted for consideration by Destination Gettysburg, the official marketing organization for Gettysburg and Adams County.

Totem Pole Playhouse, America's beloved summer theatre located in Caledonia State Park between Gettysburg and Chambersburg, PA, has announced the opening of the Totem Pole Playhouse Academy. The new performing arts training center will be housed in the Playhouse's recently renovated rehearsal space named after Totem Pole's former Artistic Producer and Directors, Carl Schurr and Wil Love.

Totem Pole Playhouse, America's beloved summer theatre located in Caledonia State Park between Gettysburg and Chambersburg, PA, has announced the opening of the Totem Pole Playhouse Academy. The new performing arts training center will be housed in the Playhouse's recently renovated rehearsal space named after Totem Pole's former Artistic Producer and Directors, Carl Schurr and Wil Love.

Totem Pole Playhouse, America's beloved summer theatre, located in Caledonia State Park between Gettysburg and Chambersburg, PA, will close out the summer season with its one week only bonus show, a "special return engagement" of the stage comedy The Queen of Bingo which first played Totem Pole in 2009 and marked the introduction of Rowan Joseph as an actor to Totem Pole audiences. Joseph became only the fifth Artistic Director in Totem Pole Playhouse's 68-year history, a role he assumed in 2013.

Totem Pole Playhouse, America's beloved summer theatre, located in Caledonia State Park between Gettysburg and Chambersburg, PA, will offer a special benefit screening of the feature film Johnny Got His Gun this Sunday, July 15th at 7PM at the Playhouse in Fayetteville, PA. The film stars actor Ben McKenzie from the current FOX television series Gotham, as well as past TV series Southland and The O.C. Totem Pole's Producing Artistic Director, Rowan Joseph, directed the movie which was produced through his film production company Greenwood Hill Productions.

Totem Pole Playhouse, America's beloved summer theatre, located in Caledonia State Park between Gettysburg and Chambersburg, PA, presented their annual Totem Pole Playhouse Awards last evening for outstanding production and performances by area high school students. The awards now in their fifth year were presented for the first time on the stage of the legendary Playhouse to the usual enthusiastic performances by the participating high school students. For the second year $1,000.00 scholarships were also awarded to the winners of the Outstanding Performance by an Actress and an Actor in a Leading Role.

Totem Pole Playhouse, America's beloved summer theatre, located in Caledonia State Park between Gettysburg and Chambersburg, PA, will open its 68th summer season with the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat starring Broadway veteran, Matt Rosell from Les Miserables, as 'Joseph' and Marie Eife as the 'Narrator.'

Totem Pole Playhouse, America's beloved summer theatre located in Caledonia State Park between Gettysburg and Chambersburg, PA, is launching the second phase of a two-phase Capital Campaign to raise funds for on-going renovations of the historic Playhouse's facilities. Totem Pole hopes to raise $400,000.00. The funds for the first phase, $120,000.00, has been reached and expended. Phase Two seeks to raise an additional $280,000.00 from grants, corporate funding, and individual donations.

Totem Pole Playhouse, Pennsylvania's premiere summer theatre located in Caledonia State Park, has announced 60 nominations in 12 categories for the fifth annual Totem Pole Playhouse Awards recognizing outstanding achievement in musical theater production and performance by high school students in the counties surrounding the Playhouse.

Theatre A Go-Go, Inc. in association with Chambersburg Community Theatre has announced the cast for its upcoming production of the Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar at the historic Capitol Theatre, 159 South Main Street, in downtown Chambersburg, PA. The production is a one-time, special event fundraiser to benefit Totem Pole Playhouse.

Totem Pole Playhouse, in association with Gettysburg Community Theatre, will once again bring its original adaptation of the Charles Dickens' holiday classic A Christmas Carol to the stage of Gettysburg College's Majestic Theater this December 8-17. This year's production boasts an even larger cast of over 60 professional union, non-union, and local community actors, making it by far the largest production in Central Pennsylvania.

Totem Pole Playhouse has returned to financial stability thanks to improved box office revenue, successful fundraising events, grants and improved fiscal management after teetering on the verge of bankruptcy several years ago, announced Producing Artistic Director, Rowan Joseph and Rose Tripi, President of the Board of Directors.