Little Shop of Horrors
Helen Hayes Award Recommended
Mission
Compass Rose Theater brings diverse stories to life through professional productions while inspiring and nurturing our next generation of artists. Through exceptional performances and transformative education, we use the power of theater to spark creativity, build community, and deepen our connection to one another.
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Our History
Founded in the spring of 2011 by Lucinda Merry-Browne and now led by Executive Director Barbara Webber and Artistic Director Madeline Ausin, Compass Rose Theater is a critically acclaimed nonprofit professional theater that offers productions of the highest caliber. Driven by our passion to produce plays that leave the audience moved and even transformed. We hire actors and theater artists who are accomplished professionals. We produce plays that range from classic to contemporary, comedy to drama. We hold ourselves to the highest artistic standards.
The theater has become a well-respected fixture in the Annapolis community, boasting several prestigious Helen Hayes nominations and recommendations, most recently with the 2026-27 season’s productions of “Rent,” “Compass Rose Cabaret" and "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” Previously, its "25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" was nominated for seven Helen Hayes Awards, including best actors, directors, costumes, and ensemble.
We offer classes and workshops to students of all ages and keep our teaching mission at the core of our work. Students work alongside professionals and are fully compensated, just like the other actors. This practice creates a strong bond among the cast: students are trained and mentored, and professionals are inspired by the passion students bring to the process.
All Compass Rose Theater faculty are teaching artists with a Bachelor’s Degree in theater or music from an accredited institution. Some have Master's Degrees. All faculty have teaching experience with a range of student populations and a depth of knowledge of how to challenge and stimulate the creative process within students, individually and as an acting ensemble.
Our approach to theater education is process-based, meaning that any performance results from hard work and in-depth study of technique. We do not seek to present a polished product until the basics of theater knowledge have been learned. And they are excellent, surprising audiences with the quality that student actors can achieve.
We hope you will visit our theater soon as a patron, student, volunteer, actor, or part of our dedicated creative team.
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