Casting area actors in a legendary story from local Civil War history makes for plenty of drama for talented individuals from many walks of life to re-enact. For New Embassy Theatre's second musical play in a trilogy devoted to
Wineow Street life in the late nineteenth century, "Return to Shanty Town:  Sallie Pollock, Confederate Spy" spins a tale of a cunning plot to outwit a young girl who willingly risks life and reputation to dispatch letters across the Potomac to Rebel forces so that families may keep some kind of mutual contact with loved ones on the battle field, despite the horrors of war and the occupation of the area by Union forces. For nine shows over three weekends beginning Friday, September 10 through Sunday, September 26, Embassy audiences at 49 Baltimore Street , Cumberland , Maryland , will witness actual historical figures commingled with colorful fictional denizens of Shanty Town , a south Cumberland neighborhood still in existence as late as 1924.

Frostburg State University sophomore Brittany Stonestreet headlines the company of 21 actors as Sallie Pollock, playing a girl her own age all too enmeshed in wartime treason. Also cast in featured leads are FSU music majors
Becca Kimieciak and Adam Pomeroy, along with Sara Peterson Shade, a systems specialist. Centre Street Methodist Church secretary Rebecca Zoller and her son James also appear. Karl Glocker, a Friends Aware caseworker, Richard Webb, a former Marine special forces security guard, William Johnston, a project manager for Project Hindsight Astrological Systems, and Stephanie Gainer, an assistant with Klingler Chiropractic, lend dramatic support in the two-act comic drama with tunes of the Civil War period. Rounding out the cast are Daniel Cope, Carole Larsen, Rob Gernat, Nancy Rohman of Lepley's Dance Studio, Edward Rice, Mary Jane Allen, Aaron Boggs, Marene Hostler, and Bishop Walsh student Will DiNola.

Kim Andrews has devised orchestrations for the anti-war songs, call-to-arms tunes and sentimental ballads made popular in the War Between the States' pained seven-year duration. Lighting is by Jerard Puckett, and stage carpentry is by John Evans. Direction is by Mark Baker, who also co-wrote the original piece with Puckett six years ago. Production assistance is provided by Stephanie Gainer and Donald Richardson in conjunction with FSU's theatre intern program. Keith Taylor is alternate standby. Costume assistance is provided by Margo Penndorf.

Shows are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, with three Sunday matinees at 2:30 pm. "Sallie Pollock, Confederate Spy" is entertainment suitable for the entire family. The Embassy is located between Liberty and mechanic Streets in Cumberland Town Centre. Reservations and low cost ticket pricing details with all major credit cards accepted are available at (301) 722-4692 or at newembassy.org. The theatre is fully air conditioned, with full accessibility for persons with disabilities