"Skip laurel" is a common shorthand name for the 'Schipkaensis' variety of cherrylaurel (botanical name Prunus laurocerasus). Cherrylaurel shrubs are very commonly grown in Maryland. They are not native, but thus far have not spread invasively.

Cherrylaurel are vulnerable to several problems (refer to the page linked above for details), but to be fair, just about any plant has its own list of potential pest or disease issues (or vulnerability to certain types of stress, like drought). Too often, they are planted where they need to be trimmed regularly to keep them fitting in a given space, and while they tolerate that pruning fairly well, it can predispose them to secondary problems that damage the plant. Therefore, if you decide to use them, look for a variety (be that 'Schipkaensis' or one of several others) whose expected mature size is something you can accommodate in the space you want to plant them. They can be trimmed a bit to make minor adjustments to size and shape if you prefer, but avoid regular, heavy shearing or more drastic size-reducing pruning.

'Schipkaensis' and 'Otto Luyken' are the two most widely-stocked cherrylaurel varieties, but others do exist that mature at different sizes. A typical mature size (though plants never really completely stop growing larger as they age) for Skip Laurel is roughly 6 to 8 feet tall and 5 to 6 feet wide. Usually, the faster the growth rate of the plants you choose (Skip Laurel's growth rate being "medium" paced at about 1 foot per year), the larger they'll tend to mature and potentially outgrow the space, so take that into account. American Holly (Ilex opaca) is a native evergreen that can do very well in sun or mostly shade, but ironically despite it's very large eventual size, it's quite slow-growing.

Although we think it's overplanted, yes, cherrylaurel would probably meet your needs as they are versatile in terms of light requirements. (Most shrubs are going to be low-maintenance, and while many also tolerate drought to some degree, watering occasionally can alleviate stress that may predispose them to infections that can cause dieback, such as Botryosphaeria canker, which has a wide range of plant species it can infect.)

There isn't much (especially if you prefer native species) that meets all of your criteria, especially if you also have deer browsing to contend with. Where possible, we always encourage using a diverse mix of plants so any future issue from a pest, disease, or environmental damage (like a harsh winter) won't affect the entire planting equally severely. Without knowing what your minimum (to be a suitable screen) and maximum (before it gets in the way of something else) size range is, it's hard to list candidates, but some ideas are shared below in no order of importance.

• multiple Holly hybrids/varieties -- Hollies are a very diverse group, and while a small number of species are deciduous, most are evergreen and flexible about how much sun and shade they receive. If deer are a problem, look for varieties that are very sharp-leaved, such as 'Dragon Lady'. Chinese Holly (Ilex cornuta) tends to be the most drought-tolerant of the bunch, but most of the commonly-available varieties may stay too short for your needs.
• Illicium (several species and hybrids, but those derived from the U.S.-native Illicium parviflorum may be the most reliable) -- this is a more marginally-hardy shrub in Maryland, but most winters it's fine, and mature specimens in northern Delaware fared well this past winter. They look a bit like a Rhododendron (though with less obvious flowers) and are not favored by deer. They should be grown in part shade to shade, though, as full sun can bleach-out their leaf color and stress the plants. They aren't widely stocked by central Maryland nurseries yet since they're still not very well-known in the mid-Atlantic, but northern Virginia nurseries may have a more reliable supply.
• Florida Leucothoe (Agarista populifolia) -- Similar caveats to the Illicium, and despite its common name, this shrub tends to fare well even into the mid-Atlantic. This past winter, there was only minimal (average) leaf damage on mature specimens at the U.S. National Arboretum. Like the Illicium, this plant is best in part shade to shade. You'll find other Leucothoe species at area nurseries, but they usually stay too small to screen much; this one is unfortunately also hard to source locally since most gardeners are not familiar with it. It's native in the southeastern U.S.
• Bayberry (Myrica / Morella pensylvanica or M. cerifera) -- This is semi-evergreen (meaning a cold winter or plant genetics determines how many leaves are retained in winter) and locally native. There can be great variation in how large the straight species will grow, but some cultivars (which are harder to find) have a more consistent mature size. Will tolerate some shade, but does best in full sun. It will tend to get somewhat bare on the interior branches over time (many evergreens do), but it should screen enough (at least during the growing season) if not pruned too much. The spicy-scented leaves are not appealing to deer.
• Japanese Plum Yew (Cephalotaxus harringtonia) -- Most cultivars will probably be too short for this use, but a couple are fastigiate (upright and comparatively slender), though they aren't the fastest growers. Unlike their Yew (Taxus) cousins, deer do not prefer to browse them. They're flexible as to light level, but full sun is best for the densest growth and fastest growth rate.

Miri