Since it opened in 1931, hundreds of talented stars have gotten their start at America's leading summer theatre, the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Connecticut.
Today the upscale town of Westport, Connecticut is known as home to the rich and famous, including Martha Stewart, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue, and Michael Bolton. But in its beginning, the town was home to farmers and mill owners who shipped onions and corn on the Saugatuck River. During the early 1900s actors and musicians were attracted to Westport, Connecticut because it offered affordable living just an hour from Manhattan. Other creative people followed, and this town became a thriving center for the arts.
In 1930, area residents Laurence Langner and his wife, Armina Marshall, had a background in theatre when they purchased an historic old barn on Post Road in what was then the fringes of Westport. Langner commissioned noted theatrical designer Cleon Throckmorton to transform the interior of the barn into an elegant theatre. Throckmorton created a magnificent interior using gold and red as its primary colors. The renovated barn included seating for 499, including a balcony and eight boxes. The stage was deliberately built with the same dimensions as Times Square Theatre so plays could easily be transferred from Westport to New York City.
Odds of success were against the Westport Country Playhouse when it opened its doors in 1931. In 1920 the United States was home to 1500 theatres in locales other than New York City, but this number dropped to 500 by 1930 as many live theatres were turned into movie theatres. But Langner felt his theatre had one foot in New York City and in 1931 the first production, Streets of New York, which starred Dorothy Gish, proved him right. After its summer run in Westport, the play transferred to Eighth Street Theatre in New York City.
Thousands of talented stars have performed in the 800 plays presented at the Playhouse. 1930s stars included Ethel Barrymore, Henry Fonda, Tyrone Power, Gloria Swanson, Helen Hayes, Jessica Tandy, Gene Kelly, and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Others who got a start in show business by performing to appreciative audiences here included Tallulah Bankhead, Leslie Caron, Shirley Booth, Jane Powell, Jane Fonda, Jean Stapleton, Sandy Dennis, and Fred Savage. Arguably the most celebrated discovery occurred in the early 1960s when The Fantasticks starred a teenager named Liza Minnelli and her co-star was Elliot Gould.
In 1949 the theatre was remodeled for the first time. The lower four boxes were removed to expand the orchestra seating capacity. Two years later the mezzanine was added. In observance of current codes, the building now seats 707.
During the 1940s and 1950s, the Theatre Guild used this Playhouse to tryout new productions. Each year one or two plays produced at Westport were transferred to New York City. These included Come Back, Little Sheba in 1949, which made Shirley Booth a star. In 1952 Pygmalion was viewed at Westport by Alan J. Lerner and Frederick Loewe, who, several years later, turned this play into My Fair Lady.
In 1959 the Langners retired and James B. McKenzie began his 41 year career as manager of the theatre. During the 1960s, the Playhouse continued to present Broadway hits along with an occasional pre-Broadway tryout. One of these, Leonard Gersh's Butterflies Are Free, went on to become one of New York City's longest running comedies.
With the creation of the Connecticut Theatre Foundation in 1973, the Playhouse became operated by a not-for-profit organization. In 1985 supporters saved the Playhouse from developers who wanted to build condominiums on the site. Both the staff and enthusiastic volunteers continue working to ensure the continued success of the Westport Country Playhouse.
