Westport Country Playhouse
Encyclopedia
Westport Country Playhouse, is a not-for-profit theater in Westport
, Connecticut
. Under the artistic direction of Mark Lamos
the Playhouse produces new and classic plays for the public.
The Playhouse's history dates back to 1931, when New York theater producer Lawrence Langner created a Broadway-quality stage within an 1830s tannery. The Playhouse quickly became an established stop on the New England "straw hat circuit" of summer stock theaters.
Celebrating its 80th season in 2010, the Westport Country Playhouse has produced more than 700 plays, 36 of which later transferred to Broadway. Recently the world premiere of Thurgood and a revival of Thornton Wilder
's Our Town with Paul Newman.
by R&H Haight, owned by Henry Haight. Charles H. Kemper acquired the tannery from Henry Haight's widow in 1866 and subsequently renamed the business C.H. Kemper Co.
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.
On June 29, 1931, the curtain went up on the first production at the Westport Country Playhouse. In order to more easily transfer Playhouse productions to Broadway, the stage was built to match the specifications of Broadway’s Times Square Theatre on 42nd Street. The idea proved immediately useful when the playhouse's first production, The Streets of New York (starring Dorothy Gish
), transferred to Broadway. Dozens of new works followed suit over the years.
When it came to casting, Langner turned to well-known actor acquaintances and friends such as Eugene O'Neill
and George Bernard Shaw
when he needed new plays. The Playhouse's strong launch enhanced its reputation among the acting community. Wealthy theatre patrons and supporters in nearby Fairfield County
towns helped it survive and thrive.
In the 1940s, the Playhouse began its apprentice program for young theater professionals. Over the years, 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 Playhouse closed due to World War II
from 1942 to 1945. In the late 1940s and 1950s, the 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
, Paul Newman's
wife, who took over as artistic director in 2000. Newman remained a part-owner of a restaurant next to the theatre until his passing in 2008.
By 2000, more than 700 plays had been produced and almost four million people had attended the theatre.
In 2002 the playhouse transferred its first production to Broadway
after more than 35 years.
Woodward and Alison Harris, executive director, 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. 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 have both continued to contribute to the Playhouse's "Campaign for a New Era".
Harris, executive director since 2000, announced in 2005 that she would not be renewing her contract when it expired in 2006. In December 2006, Jodi Schoenbrun Carter was named managing director.
Artistic directors Joanne Woodward and Anne Keefe returned to the Playhouse on January 2, 2008 to provide interim artistic leadership for the 2008 season. Ms. Woodward, acclaimed actress and director as well as a long-time resident of Westport, was the Playhouse’s artistic director from 2000 to 2005, with Ms. Keefe as her associate. For the past two years, Ms. Woodward served as Playhouse artistic director emeritus as well as a member of the board of trustees. Ms. Keefe has also been a member of the board since her departure as associate artistic director in 2006.
The Playhouse has provided a stage for many new playwright
s over the years. David Wiltse
is the current playwright in residence, writing one play for the playhouse to produce each year.
, the Devlin Foundation, the Lucille Lortel
Foundation, Elisabeth & Stanley Morten, and Joanne Woodward
& Paul Newman
.
than before the renovation, but 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:
Several seats in both the orchestra and mezzanine can be removed or modified to be wheelchair accessible.
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.
in a control booth at the back of the house. For technical rehearsal
s, a control position can be set up in the center of the theatre.
The Playhouse's stage lighting instrument
s include:
Color scrollers, irises, top hats, and barn doors (all lighting instrument attachments) are also available. On-stage film and projection equipment are only available through special arrangement.
, Frank Perry
, Tammy Grimes
, Sally Jessy Raphael
, Mary Rodgers
and Christina Crawford
. A large number of Playhouse interns and apprentices have made careers in the theatre or in related activities.
The program is named in honor of Joanne Woodward, co-artistic director. Accepted applicants must be serious minded, highly motivated and able to commit a minimum of twelve weeks, with long working hours as many as 7 days a week. Applicants should be a college students, graduate students or recent graduates, with basic training and experience in theatre already completed, prepared to take the next step towards a professional theatre career.
, Liza Minnelli
, Eartha Kitt
, Gene Wilder
, Paul Newman
, James Earl Jones
, Ruth Gordon
, Kitty Carlisle, Henry Fonda
, Hume Cronyn
, Jessica Tandy
, Olivia de Havilland
, Eva Gabor
, Michael Allinson
and Jane Fonda
.
Westport, Connecticut
-Neighborhoods:* Saugatuck – around the Westport railroad station near the southwestern corner of the town – a built-up area with some restaurants, stores and offices....
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. Under the artistic direction of Mark Lamos
Mark Lamos
Mark Lamos is an American theatre and opera director, producer and actor. Under his direction, Hartford Stage won the 1989 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre and he has been nominated for two other Tonys...
the Playhouse produces new and classic plays for the public.
The Playhouse's history dates back to 1931, when New York theater producer Lawrence Langner created a Broadway-quality stage within an 1830s tannery. The Playhouse quickly became an established stop on the New England "straw hat circuit" of summer stock theaters.
Celebrating its 80th season in 2010, the Westport Country Playhouse has produced more than 700 plays, 36 of which later transferred to Broadway. Recently the world premiere of Thurgood and a revival of Thornton Wilder
Thornton Wilder
Thornton Niven Wilder was an American playwright and novelist. He received three Pulitzer Prizes, one for his novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey and two for his plays Our Town and The Skin of Our Teeth, and a National Book Award for his novel The Eighth Day.-Early years:Wilder was born in Madison,...
's Our Town with Paul Newman.
History
The building that is now the Westport Country Playhouse was originally constructed in 1835 as a tanneryTanning
Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...
by R&H Haight, owned by Henry Haight. Charles H. Kemper acquired the tannery from Henry Haight's widow in 1866 and subsequently renamed the business C.H. Kemper Co.
In 1930, the former tannery, which had been unused since the 1920s, was purchased for $14,000 by Lawrence Langner
Lawrence Langner
Lawrence Langner the Great was a playwright, author, and producer.Born near Swansea, South Wales and working most of his life in the United States, he started his career as one of the founders of the Washington Square Players troupe in 1914.In 1919 he founded the Theatre Guild, where he supervised...
. Cleon Throckmorten, a Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
designer, was commissioned to renovate the interior of the building.
On June 29, 1931, the curtain went up on the first production at the Westport Country Playhouse. In order to more easily transfer Playhouse productions to Broadway, the stage was built to match the specifications of Broadway’s Times Square Theatre on 42nd Street. The idea proved immediately useful when the playhouse's first production, The Streets of New York (starring Dorothy Gish
Dorothy Gish
Dorothy Elizabeth Gish was an American actress, and the younger sister of actress Lillian Gish.-Early life:...
), transferred to Broadway. Dozens of new works followed suit over the years.
When it came to casting, Langner turned to well-known actor acquaintances and friends such as Eugene O'Neill
Eugene O'Neill
Eugene Gladstone O'Neill was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in Literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into American drama techniques of realism earlier associated with Russian playwright Anton Chekhov, Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, and Swedish...
and George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60...
when he needed new plays. The Playhouse's strong launch enhanced its reputation among the acting community. Wealthy theatre patrons and supporters in nearby Fairfield County
Fairfield County, Connecticut
Fairfield County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The county population is 916,829 according to the 2010 Census. There are currently 1,465 people per square mile in the county. It is the most populous county in the State of Connecticut and contains...
towns helped it survive and thrive.
In the 1940s, the Playhouse began its apprentice program for young theater professionals. Over the years, Playhouse apprentices have included composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
, screenwriter Frank Perry
Frank Perry
Frank J. Perry, Jr. was an American stage and film director, producer and screenwriter. His directorial debut, the 1962 film David and Lisa, earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Director....
, television host Sally Jesse Raphael, composer Mary Rodgers
Mary Rodgers
Mary Rodgers is an American composer of musicals and an author of children's books. She is a daughter of composer Richard Rodgers and his wife, Dorothy Rodgers, as is her sister, Linda Rodgers Emory...
, actor Cary Elwes
Cary Elwes
Ivan Simon Cary Elwes , known professionally as Cary Elwes, is an English actor. The son of Dominick Elwes and Tessa Georgina Kennedy, Elwes acted in off-Broadway plays during college and moved to the United States in the early 1980s. He is known for his role as Westley in the cult classic The...
, and actress Tammy Grimes
Tammy Grimes
-Early life:Grimes was born in Lynn, Massachusetts, the daughter of Eola Willard , a naturalist and spiritualist, and Nicholas Luther Grimes, an innkeeper, country-club manager, and farmer. She attended high school at the then-all girls school, Beaver Country Day School, in Chestnut Hill,...
. The educational apprenticeship programs are still running.
The Playhouse closed due to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
from 1942 to 1945. In the late 1940s and 1950s, the playhouse's successes included world premieres of William Inge
William Inge
William Motter Inge was an American playwright and novelist, whose works typically feature solitary protagonists encumbered with strained sexual relations. In the early 1950s, he had a string of memorable Broadway productions, and one of these, Picnic, earned him a Pulitzer Prize...
's Come Back, Little Sheba
Come Back, Little Sheba (play)
Come Back, Little Sheba is a 1950 play by the American dramatist William Inge. The play was Inge's first, written while he was a teacher at Washington University in St...
and Horton Foote
Horton Foote
Albert Horton Foote, Jr. was an American playwright and screenwriter, perhaps best known for his Academy Award-winning screenplays for the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird and the 1983 film Tender Mercies, and his notable live television dramas during the Golden Age of Television...
's The Trip to Bountiful
The Trip to Bountiful
The Trip to Bountiful is a 1985 film starring Geraldine Page, John Heard, Carlin Glynn, Richard Bradford and Rebecca De Mornay. Geraldine Page won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance as Carrie Watts. The movie was adapted by Horton Foote from his television play. The Trip to...
, 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
Joanne Woodward
Joanne Gignilliat Trimmier Woodward is an American actress, television and theatrical producer, and widow of Paul Newman...
, Paul Newman's
Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, professional racing driver and auto racing enthusiast...
wife, who took over as artistic director in 2000. Newman remained a part-owner of a restaurant next to the theatre until his passing in 2008.
By 2000, more than 700 plays had been produced and almost four million people had attended the theatre.
In 2002 the playhouse transferred its first production to Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
after more than 35 years.
Woodward and Alison Harris, executive director, 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. Woodward stepped down from her job in January 2006, and was followed by actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
and theatre director
Theatre direction
A theatre director or stage director is a practitioner in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production by unifying various endeavours and aspects of production...
, and playwright Tazewell Thompson
Tazewell Thompson
Tazewell Thompson , is a playwright, a director, and former Artistic Director of the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Connecticut.He was born in New York City....
. However, Woodward and Newman have both continued to contribute to the Playhouse's "Campaign for a New Era".
Harris, executive director since 2000, announced in 2005 that she would not be renewing her contract when it expired in 2006. In December 2006, Jodi Schoenbrun Carter was named managing director.
Artistic directors Joanne Woodward and Anne Keefe returned to the Playhouse on January 2, 2008 to provide interim artistic leadership for the 2008 season. Ms. Woodward, acclaimed actress and director as well as a long-time resident of Westport, was the Playhouse’s artistic director from 2000 to 2005, with Ms. Keefe as her associate. For the past two years, Ms. Woodward served as Playhouse artistic director emeritus as well as a member of the board of trustees. Ms. Keefe has also been a member of the board since her departure as associate artistic director in 2006.
The Playhouse has provided a stage for many new playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
s over the years. David Wiltse
David Wiltse
David Wiltse is an American playwright. He currently writes plays, but has also written a dozen novels and numerous screenplays and teleplays. He is the current playwright in residence at the Westport Country Playhouse. His recent works include The Good German, A Marriage Minuet , and Hatchetman...
is the current playwright in residence, writing one play for the playhouse to produce each year.
Campaign for a New Era
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 Playhouse's lobby and production programs. Some of the largest donations came from the State of ConnecticutConnecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, the Devlin Foundation, the Lucille Lortel
Lucille Lortel
Lucille Lortel was an American actress and theater producer who is remembered as the namesake of an off-Broadway playhouse and theatrical award....
Foundation, Elisabeth & Stanley Morten, and Joanne Woodward
Joanne Woodward
Joanne Gignilliat Trimmier Woodward is an American actress, television and theatrical producer, and widow of Paul Newman...
& Paul Newman
Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, professional racing driver and auto racing enthusiast...
.
Seating
The Playhouse currently has a total of 578 seats. This is lower seating capacitySeating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
than before the renovation, but 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:
- 424 orchestra
- 234 center orchestra
- 93 house left orchestra
- 97 house right orchestra
- 154 mezzanineMezzanine (architecture)In architecture, a mezzanine or entresol is an intermediate floor between main floors of a building, and therefore typically not counted among the overall floors of a building. Often, a mezzanine is low-ceilinged and projects in the form of a balcony. The term is also used for the lowest balcony in...
- 118 center mezzanine
- 18 left mezzanine boxes
- 18 right mezzanine boxes
Several seats in both the orchestra and mezzanine can be removed or modified to be wheelchair accessible.
Stage
- StageStage (theatre)In theatre or performance arts, the stage is a designated space for the performance productions. The stage serves as a space for actors or performers and a focal point for the members of the audience...
:- Height: 3 feet 2 inches (.97m) above house floor
- Depth: 26 feet 2 inches (7.98m) deep from plaster line to back wall, 2 feet 1 inch (.64m) apron below plaster line, 28 feet 3 inches (8.61m) total depth
- Wing Space: 13 feet 6 inches (4.11m) clear stage right, 24 feet 6 inches (7.47m) clear stage left
- ProsceniumProsceniumA proscenium theatre is a theatre space whose primary feature is a large frame or arch , which is located at or near the front of the stage...
:- Height: 15 feet 3 inches (4.65m) above stage floor
- Width: 32 feet 9 inches (9.98m) wide
- Orchestra pitOrchestra pitAn orchestra pit is the area in a theater in which musicians perform. Orchestral pits are utilized in forms of theatre that require music or in cases when incidental music is required...
:- Depth: 9 feet 3 inches (2.82m) below stage floor
Fly system
The Playhouse 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 (12.19m), with an effective fly range from 3 feet 10 inches (1.17m) to 38 feet (11.58m). Each arbor is 6 feet tall with a capacity for 1200 pounds (544 kg). The locking rail is on the stage right wall, and the loading bridge is 32 feet 3 inches (9.83m) above the stage floor.Although the fly system and grid are designed for loads to be hung parallel to the proscenium
Proscenium
A proscenium theatre is a theatre space whose primary feature is a large frame or arch , which is located at or near the front of the stage...
, 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.
Lighting
Lighting is controlled from a Strand 520 consoleLighting control console
A lighting control console is an electronic device used in theatrical lighting design to control multiple lights at once...
in a control booth at the back of the house. For technical rehearsal
Technical rehearsal
The technical rehearsal or tech rehearsal is a rehearsal that focuses on the technological aspects of the performance, in theatrical, musical, and filmed entertainment.-Types of tech rehearsals:...
s, a control position can be set up in the center of the theatre.
The Playhouse's stage lighting instrument
Stage lighting instrument
Stage lighting instruments are used in stage lighting to illuminate theatrical productions, concerts, and other performances taking place in live performance venues. They are also used to light television studios and sound stages.Many stagecraft terms vary between the United States and the United...
s include:
- 2 - ETCETCThe abbreviation etc or ETC may stand for:* et cetera, a Latin expression meaning "and other things" or "and so on"In economics and finance:* Early Termination Chargers, a type of penalty chargers if break the contract...
Source Four 19° ERS - 61 - ETC Source Four 26° ERS
- 58 - ETC Source Four 36° ERS
- 24 - ETC Source Four 50° ERS
- 18 - Altman 6 inch 500w FresnelsFresnel lanternA Fresnel lantern is a common lantern used in theatre, which employs a Fresnel lens to wash light over an area of the stage. The lens produces a wider, soft-edged beam of light, which is commonly used for back light and top light....
- 7 - Altman 1 kW triple unit far cycs
- 42 - PARParabolic aluminized reflector lightA parabolic aluminized reflector lamp is a type of electric lamp that is widely used in commercial, residential, and transportation illumination. Usage includes locomotive headlamps, aircraft landing lights, and residential and commercial recessed lights...
64 - 7 - T-6 six cell, three circuit, 4 foot 6 inches
- 6 - Birdies
Color scrollers, irises, top hats, and barn doors (all lighting instrument attachments) are also available. On-stage film and projection equipment are only available through special arrangement.
Education
Of the hundreds of interns and apprentices who have passed through the Playhouse's educational programs, several have gone on to attain notoriety. Some graduates include Stephen SondheimStephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
, Frank Perry
Frank Perry
Frank J. Perry, Jr. was an American stage and film director, producer and screenwriter. His directorial debut, the 1962 film David and Lisa, earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Director....
, Tammy Grimes
Tammy Grimes
-Early life:Grimes was born in Lynn, Massachusetts, the daughter of Eola Willard , a naturalist and spiritualist, and Nicholas Luther Grimes, an innkeeper, country-club manager, and farmer. She attended high school at the then-all girls school, Beaver Country Day School, in Chestnut Hill,...
, Sally Jessy Raphael
Sally Jessy Raphaël
Sally Lowenthal , better known as Sally Jessy Raphael, is an American talk show host, known for the eponymous Sally talk show she hosted for two decades.-Early years:...
, Mary Rodgers
Mary Rodgers
Mary Rodgers is an American composer of musicals and an author of children's books. She is a daughter of composer Richard Rodgers and his wife, Dorothy Rodgers, as is her sister, Linda Rodgers Emory...
and Christina Crawford
Christina Crawford
Christina Crawford is an American writer and actress, best known as the author of Mommie Dearest, an exposé of alleged child abuse by her mother, actress Joan Crawford.-Early life and education:...
. A large number of Playhouse interns and apprentices have made careers in the theatre or in related activities.
Joanne Woodward Internship Program
The Westport Country Playhouse provides summer and school year internships to students ages 19 and older from around the country. The interns are entrusted with considerable responsibilities and treated as staff members while they engage in an intensive learning experience. Each intern is hired for a specific position, but interns are expected to work as a team and pitch in where necessary, including, but not limited to, running crew, ushering, concessions and parking.The program is named in honor of Joanne Woodward, co-artistic director. Accepted applicants must be serious minded, highly motivated and able to commit a minimum of twelve weeks, with long working hours as many as 7 days a week. Applicants should be a college students, graduate students or recent graduates, with basic training and experience in theatre already completed, prepared to take the next step towards a professional theatre career.
Notable performers
Many notable performers have enhanced the Westport Country Playhouse stage from 1930 to the present, including such well-known names as Billie BurkeBillie Burke
Mary William Ethelbert Appleton "Billie" Burke was an American actress. She is primarily known to modern audiences as Glinda the Good Witch of the North in the musical film The Wizard of Oz. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance as Emily Kilbourne in Merrily We Live...
, Liza Minnelli
Liza Minnelli
Liza May Minnelli is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli....
, Eartha Kitt
Eartha Kitt
Eartha Mae Kitt was an American singer, actress, and cabaret star. She was perhaps best known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 hit recordings of "C'est Si Bon" and the enduring Christmas novelty smash "Santa Baby." Orson Welles once called her the "most exciting woman in the...
, Gene Wilder
Gene Wilder
Gene Wilder is an American stage and screen actor, director, screenwriter, and author.Wilder began his career on stage, making his screen debut in the film Bonnie and Clyde in 1967. His first major role was as Leopold Bloom in the 1968 film The Producers...
, Paul Newman
Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, professional racing driver and auto racing enthusiast...
, James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones is an American actor. He is well-known for his distinctive bass voice and for his portrayal of characters of substance, gravitas and leadership...
, Ruth Gordon
Ruth Gordon
Ruth Gordon Jones , better known as Ruth Gordon, was an American actress and writer. She was perhaps best known for her film roles such as Minnie Castevet, Rosemary's overly solicitous neighbor in Rosemary's Baby, as the eccentric Maude in Harold and Maude and as the mother of Orville Boggs in the...
, Kitty Carlisle, Henry Fonda
Henry Fonda
Henry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins...
, Hume Cronyn
Hume Cronyn
Hume Blake Cronyn, OC was a Canadian actor of stage and screen, who enjoyed a long career, often appearing professionally alongside his second wife, Jessica Tandy.-Early life:...
, Jessica Tandy
Jessica Tandy
Jessie Alice "Jessica" Tandy was an English-American stage and film actress.She first appeared on the London stage in 1926 at the age of 16, playing, among others, Katherine opposite Laurence Olivier's Henry V, and Cordelia opposite John Gielgud's King Lear. She also worked in British films...
, Olivia de Havilland
Olivia de Havilland
Olivia Mary de Havilland is a British American film and stage actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1946 and 1949. She is the elder sister of actress Joan Fontaine. The sisters are among the last surviving leading ladies from Hollywood of the 1930s.-Early life:Olivia de Havilland...
, Eva Gabor
Eva Gabor
Eva Gabor was a Hungarian-born socialite and actress. She was widely known for her role on Green Acres as Lisa Douglas, the wife of Eddie Albert's character, Oliver Wendell Douglas, Duchess in the 1970 Disney film The Aristocats, and Miss Bianca in Disney's The Rescuers and The Rescuers Down Under...
, Michael Allinson
Michael Allinson
Michael Allinson was an English stage and film actor.-Biography:...
and Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda is an American actress, writer, political activist, former fashion model, and fitness guru. She rose to fame in the 1960s with films such as Barbarella and Cat Ballou. She has won two Academy Awards and received several other movie awards and nominations during more than 50 years as an...
.
Further reading
- An American Theatre: The Story of Westport Country Playhouse, by Richard Somerset-Ward, Yale University Press. 304 pp. (2005)