Westport Country Playhouse
Westport Country Playhouse is a not-for-profit regional theater in Westport, Connecticut.
Address
25 Powers Court
Westport
USA
Regional theatre
578
29 June 1931
Edwin Howard
It was founded in 1931 by Lawrence Langner, a New York theater producer. Langner remodeled an 1830s tannery with a Broadway-quality stage.
History[edit]
Construction and early use[edit]
The building that now houses Westport Country Playhouse was originally constructed in 1835 as a tannery by R&H Haight, owned by Henry Haight.[1] Charles H. Kemper acquired the tannery from Henry Haight's widow in 1866 and subsequently renamed the business C.H. Kemper Co.[1]
In 1930, the former tannery, which had been unused since the 1920s, was purchased for $14,000 by Lawrence Langner. Cleon Throckmorten, a Broadway designer, was commissioned to renovate the interior of the building.[2]
Twentieth century[edit]
In the 1940s, the Westport Country Playhouse began its apprentice program for young theater professionals. Over the years, Westport Country Playhouse apprentices have included composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim, screenwriter Frank Perry, television host Sally Jesse Raphael, composer Mary Rodgers, actor Cary Elwes, and actress Tammy Grimes. The educational apprenticeship programs are still running.
The Westport Country Playhouse closed due to World War II from 1942 to 1945. In the late 1940s and 1950s, the Westport Country Playhouse's successes included world premieres of William Inge's Come Back, Little Sheba and Horton Foote's The Trip to Bountiful, both of which went on to Broadway.
Since the Langners stepped down in 1959, the administration has included James B. McKenzie from 1959 to 2000, and actress Joanne Woodward, wife of actor Paul Newman, who served as artistic director from 2000 through 2005, following an 18-month, multi-million dollar renovation. Newman remained a part-owner of a restaurant next to the theatre until his death in 2008. The Playhouse became a non-profit in 1973.[4]
Present day[edit]
The theater is under the artistic direction of Mark Shanahan.
Charity Navigator awarded its top 4-star charity rating to the Playhouse in recognition of its strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency.
Building[edit]
Campaign for a New Era[edit]
The Campaign for a New Era was the fundraising effort by the Westport Country Playhouse to help pay for its $30.6 million, 18-month renovation from 2003 to 2005. Donations of more than $1,000 are recognized within the Westport Country Playhouse's lobby and production programs. Some of the largest donations came from the State of Connecticut, the Devlin Foundation, the Lucille Lortel Foundation, Elisabeth & Stanley Morten, and Joanne Woodward & Paul Newman.[5]
Woodward and executive director Alison Harris led a $30.6 million renovation, transforming the old barn into a modern, year-round theatre facility. The renovated theatre reopened in 2005. At Woodward's suggestion, a piece of the original stage floor was placed at the dressing room entrance to give a little extra luck to the actors.[6] Woodward stepped down from her job in January 2006, and was followed by actor, opera and theatre director, and playwright Tazewell Thompson. However, Woodward and Newman continued to contribute to the Westport Country Playhouse's "Campaign for a New Era".
Seating[edit]
The Westport Country Playhouse currently has a total of 578 seats. This is the seating capacity before the renovation. The seats are now individual and cushioned, as opposed to the former wooden pews, while retaining the historic look of the former pews. Further, fewer of the current seats are considered "limited view" since the renovation.
The 578 seats are distributed as follows:
Technical[edit]
Fly system[edit]
Prior to the 2003-2005 renovation, the "Old Barn" was still a "hemp house"- with steel pipe battens suspended from fiber ropes, counterweighted by canvas sandbags. The supporting grid in the fly loft was constructed of heavy wood timbers. Stagehands operated that fly system from a gallery located stage right, above the stage manager's podium.
The Westport Country Playhouse currently has a counterweight fly system currently employing 22 battens, with space for future installations. The height from the stage to the grid is 40 feet (12 m), with an effective fly range from 3 feet 10 inches (1.17 m) to 38 feet (12 m). Each arbor is 6 feet tall with a capacity for 1,200 pounds (540 kg). The locking rail is on the stage right wall, and the loading bridge is 32 feet 3 inches (9.83 m) above the stage floor.
Although the fly system and grid are designed for loads to be hung parallel to the proscenium, smaller loads can be hung perpendicular using cables independent of the actual arbor system. These have to be flown in and out manually from the grid, so perpendicularly hung loads are generally stationary during performances.[7]