1 theater, 5 scholarships, and a show that must go on.

August 7, 2026 5:13 p.m.

Cast and crew on stage — The cast and crew of OnCue Theatre’s July production of Tim Rice’s musical Jesus Christ Superstar. Credit: Traci Medlock

On a typical night at OnCue Theater in North Bethesda, the stage belongs to young performers: elementary schoolers learning their first lines, teenagers finding their voices and, in some cases, young adults who have grown up alongside the company since its virtual beginnings on Zoom.

But this weekend, the spotlight will fall on the Bethesda woman who built it.

OnCue founder and director Molly Herson, 26, will take the stage at the group’s theater at 11852 Coakley Circle on Friday and Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. alongside longtime friend Brendan Duff in a stripped-down version of the musical The Last Five Years.

The performances will showcase the pair’s vocal and acting talents as well as attempt to raise $5,000 — enough to provide full tuition for five students this fall.

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“We have a lot of students [who] are on financial aid or scholarships, and we want to make sure that we always have the resources to provide to them,” Herson told Bethesda Today during a rehearsal Thursday evening.

Herson has grown what began as a Zoom-based theater company during the pandemic, into a year-round program serving students from kindergarten through adulthood. It offers programs ranging from elementary school productions to high school shows, summer programs for high school and college students, adult programming and after-school drama clubs at four elementary schools.

One of the people who has been there almost from the beginning is Della McCahill, 17, a rising senior at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda. McCahill met Herson when she was in kindergarten and became one of Herson’s first students when the company was still operating virtually during the pandemic.

Since then, McCahill has appeared in OnCue productions, worked backstage and joined the company’s five-member youth board. Though she won’t be on stage this weekend, she’ll play a major role behind the scenes, taking on her biggest technical challenge yet: lighting the 90-minute musical. As one of OnCue’s scholarship recipients, McCahill also has a personal stake in the theater’s fundraising efforts.

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“We have grown so much since the beginning,” she said. “It’s really just become such a big community.”

Theatre student on stage — Rising Walt Whitman High School senior Della McCahill runs through stage lighting preparations ahead of this weekend’s performance. Credit: Jacqueline Kalil

The company also works to accommodate students with physical disabilities. Choreographer and longtime OnCue collaborator Kassidy Kepner recalled one student for whom the theater had custom ramps built to make the space accessible.

“We’re very open and inclusive to anybody that wants to join here,” said Kepner, 21, who grew up in Rockville and is studying elementary and special education through Towson University’s program at the Universities at Shady Grove.

Kepner first worked with Herson after graduating high school, helping backstage on one of the company’s summer productions. She eventually began choreographing and has remained with OnCue ever since. She’s taken on the role of stage manager for this weekend’s benefit show.

Like McCahill, Kepner describes OnCue as a community. Herson, she said, is at the center of it.

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“She is constantly working and constantly trying to improve things around here for everybody,” Kepner said. “Anyone that comes into this space, she truly just tries to uplift and make feel welcome and special.”

Two women sitting — OnCue Theatre founder and director Molly Herson and choreographer Kassidy Kepner sit in front of a wall featuring more than 150 handprints from current and former students. Credit: Jacqueline Kalil

Herson grew up in Bethesda, attending Burning Tree Elementary School, Pyle Middle School and Walt Whitman High School. She had already developed relationships with many of the students through summer productions so after graduating from Elon University with a degree in arts administration, she returned to the community where she grew up to see what she could build.

Throughout the organization’s growth, Herson has worn many hats and remains its sole theater manager, handling administrative duties while relying on a network of helpers in the rehearsal room.

“I’ve got a great choreographer and work with a bunch of different music directors. My mom is really helpful. I have a great group of high school and college students that come in and help with tech behind the scenes and work with the kids during rehearsals.”

This year, the theater has raised more than $10,000 through its June benefit event, organized by its youth board. It also received a grant from the Rust Foundation to install a new lighting and sound system.

McCahill knows firsthand what that kind of support can mean.

“I’m just happy that I have a place like this where I can be myself,” McCahill said. “… I just hope that every kid who wants to look into the arts can feel comfortable to do that, and in a place like this.”

The Last Five Years premieres Friday, with a second performance Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are approximately $50, with proceeds supporting OnCue Theater’s scholarship fund.

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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine