At Westport Country Playhouse, it is certainly no secret that we are dedicated to bringing you, our community, a spectacularly diverse season of plays each year, a season infused with the foremost theatrical artistry and featuring artists of the highest caliber, a season designed to entertain, excite and enliven our audiences from the moment the curtains rises each Spring to the final Autumn curtain call. However, the performances on stage are really only the beginning. As a nonprofit organization, we are committed to creating programming around our work on stage that will spark a conversation among audiences and enrich our community, no cost to anyone wishing to join us! With ticket sales covering just about half of the cost of putting up our productions, it is through the generosity of our family of donors – members of the Playhouse community just like you – that we are able to provide a rich variety of valuable enrichment programming each season. And 2011 was no exception!

This year, each of our productions was accompanied by a post-show Sunday Symposium, an Actor Talkback and a Backstage Pass. This season’s symposia featured lively discussions with artists and academics alike about a variety of topics and themes surrounding each show, moderated by a member of our artistic staff, and even allowed us to bring such renowned guests as playwright Christopher Durang to our stage. Our Actor Talkback and Backstage Pass events gave attendees a look behind the scenes of each production, both from the perspective of the performers and our technical staff. Each of our production’s programs also contain dramaturgical pages, which allow audiences to read up on the playwright, the show and its themes before the lights go down or during intermission.

As a special addition, the Playhouse hosted special post-show salons following each performance of Tennessee Williams’ Suddenly Last Summer, providing our audiences with a forum to discuss and puzzle through the themes and motifs of this rich and strange piece with one another. Two of our productions also featured “Together at the Table” evenings, allowing families to share a pre-show meal in our Sheffer Rehearsal Studio and attend one of our live performances for just $10 each.

Twelfth Night, or What You Will gave rise to our “Shakespeare in Our Time” programming series, which featured a variety of free events surrounding the productions, including multiple panel discussions featuring Shakespearean experts from both the academic and theatrical worlds, an art exhibit in our lobby by Housatonic Community College students, and a master class taught by our very own Mark Lamos.

This production also allowed us to further connect with a part of our community that is especially near and dear to us – students and educators. Nearly 2,000 students experienced Twelfth Night, or What You Will at one of our five student matinees; over 25% joined us from under-resourced communities without charge and in many cases with transportation provided. Teachers received both a print study guide and, for the first time ever, a video study guide featuring members of our staff, artistic team and cast who discussed the show and shared their Shakespeare expertise to prepare the students and enrich their experience of the piece. Through our “Shakespeare in Our Time” series, we also offered two professional development workshops for area educators, led by two of the most prominent Shakespeare organizations in the country.

None of these important programs would have been possible without the generosity of the Friends of the Playhouse, community members just like you.
Click here to learn more about how you can help keep these programs and so much more thriving at the Playhouse!

Kim Furano
Artistic & Management Associate



Spotlight on New Playhouse Faces

With everything that’s happening at the Playhouse during the end of 2011, we didn’t want to miss the opportunity to introduce to you two new faces you’ll be seeing in the new year! Our small-but-mighty staff has two new additions - Community Engagement Coordinator Jen McCool and Development Coordinator Sarah Levine.

A native of Wamego, Kansas, Jen McCool (and no, that’s not a stage name) found stardom at a young age after her performance as “The Duck” in a musicalized version of The Tortoise and the Hare in 1st grade. Although she continued to pack houses throughout high school, after internships with two local theater companies she realized she “wanted to be behind the scenes… [helping] people understand the amazing impact theater and the arts can have on your life. I wanted to bring that experience to everyone in my community.”

Stamford’s own Sarah Levine also fell for theater early on, although not as an actor herself – “My mother did a lot of community theater. I spent many nights and weekends in rehearsal rooms – I suppose you could say theater was my babysitter.” When she worked in her high school’s technical crew building sets and stage managing, she was hooked. “The thrill of putting on a live show, the family-like community that theater provides, and the ability of a production to move, challenge, and entertain an audience appealed to me. I have felt the same ever since.”

Patron Services Supervisor Chad Kinsman recently sat down with our Jen and Sarah to learn a little bit more about them as they begin their Playhouse journey.

Where were you before starting at the Playhouse?

Jen McCool: I just received my Master’s Degree in Arts Policy and Administration at The Ohio State University. Before that, I worked with Flashpoint Theatre Company in Philadelphia and Manhattan Theatre Club in New York City.

Sarah Levine: Directly before the Playhouse I was the Assistant Stage Manager for a new musical called Southern Comfort at CAP21 Theater in New York City, starring Annette O’Toole and Jeff McCarthy. It was a wonderful experience and a great show that will hopefully continue beyond that run. Before that I was an artistic associate at Women’s Project, a New York City theater that produces work by female playwrights and directors. They are deeply committed to their free, two-year Lab program for early to mid-career female playwrights, directors, and producers which provides them opportunities to network, brainstorm, test ideas, make new connections, and build new work for the stage. And before that I was at NYU Tisch School of the Arts – I graduated in May 2011.

What attracted you to working at the Playhouse?

SL: I knew what a transformation it had undergone in recent years (I had been here as a child pre-renovation) and the great reputation of its productions. I knew it was a place that attracted and supported talented artists with a commitment to producing quality theater in this region – and to getting students in to see live theater.

JM: Having worked with a very young theater company just prior to grad school, I was really intrigued by the idea of working with such an established, historically significant company on the other side of that. How do you keep building audiences after 80+ years? How can you connect with your patrons in new and exciting ways? These are the questions that really speak me and I’m really excited by the opportunities for interesting, challenging work here at the Playhouse.

SL: I also knew Mark’s reputation having worked as an intern in the Development department at New York City Opera when he directed L’Etoile in March 2010 – an amazing production.

What is your favorite thing about working at the Playhouse so far?

SL: So far, my favorite thing about working at the Playhouse is how welcoming the whole staff has been – just the day to day, as well as Staff Thanksgiving [a yearly tradition at the Playhouse]. Everyone is so supportive of each other and their passion for the Playhouse clear.

JM: I love that I get to work on a variety of initiatives. We’ve got such a wide array of programming we do here to supplement our season, it keeps things very interesting! Not only are we planning fun parties and working with great local restaurants, but we’re hosting a coat drive and sponsoring a writing challenge and partnering with other local organizations for events. I get to be out and about, attending meetings and interacting with our patrons and every day is a little bit different.

If you could rename your position based on your first-month’s experience, what would you call it?

SL: I’d say Development Coordinator is pretty apt. But, if I had to rename it based on this first month, I’d say “Development Elf”. I do a lot of little (and big) projects, helping the department however I can – and I’d say I’m somewhat elf-like in appearance.

JM: With all the meetings and events I’ve attended in the last few weeks, I think Community Engagement Coordinator is very appropriate. I engage, I coordinate, and I’m excited about our communities.

What are most looking forward to at the Playhouse in 2012? What are your goals for the year?

JM: I’m excited for such a fantastic season! I’m looking forward to creating some fun, new programming to help connect our community to the Playhouse in exciting ways. My goals are to create opportunities for real, meaningful engagement between our work and our patrons, throw some fabulous events, and somehow get Phylicia Rashad to adopt me (laughs).

SL: Next season I am most looking forward to Into the Woods. It is my favorite musical (well, one of my many favorites) and I can’t wait to see what Mark has in store. My goal for next year is to become better acquainted with our Board of Trustees and individual donors, without whom the Playhouse wouldn’t be able to do all the wonderful things it does. I also hope to improve my skills in our database software Tessitura – slowly but surely.

Chad Kinsman
Patron Services Supervisor

 
Helping the Playhouse Lend a Hand

As a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) organization, we at the Playhouse know that we wouldn’t exist today without the generosity of those around us. And because we know firsthand what that support can mean to an organization, we strive to “pass it on” in any way we can.

Over the past 12 months we’ve undertaken several projects aimed at supporting those around us. While many were driven by Playhouse staff – bringing in food items for The Black Rock Food Pantry and small toys and gift items for Kids in Crisis or walking/running on the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp team at the Fairfield 5K – many were projects that we invited our audience and community to participate in.

And participate you did! Together, we were able to:

Collect coats for The Community Closet of Bridgeport to help ensure that everyone in the greater Bridgeport area stays warm this winter.
When its 55 degree outside, it can be hard to remember just how cold the middle of winter can be, but, as we saw last year, a Connecticut winter can be a brutal one – especially for those in our community who don’t have a winter coat. The Playhouse has set up a box in our lobby and will be accepting donations of gently worn coats and jackets to be donated to those in need. The box will remain in our lobby until December 18th so we invite you to stop by before then to leave a gift for someone that will really appreciate it all winter long.

Gather food at local supermarkets to help fill the Connecticut Food Bank.
One in seven households in CT can’t always afford the food they need and so the Food Bank helps to supply these families a few basic items. On two days this October, Playhouse staff members set up at local Stop & Shop stores and collected much needed items. Again, we were thrilled with the support from the community. Each day we gathered three or more shopping carts worth of canned foods, spaghetti, juice boxes and more.

Team up with Read to Grow  to help promote literacy in Connecticut.
A statewide non-profit organization, Read to Grow works with families to provide free children’s books for children of all ages. We invited everyone to bring gently used or new children’s book to our Family Festivities performances and were continually impressed, and sometimes a little overwhelmed, at the response. We had several community friends who delivered not one or two bags of books, but an entire car load!

Beth Huisking
Associate Director of Marketing

  
2011: A Year in Review

Back by popular demand, as we prepare for the 2012 Season at the Playhouse, we now take a look back at our incredible 2011 Season -- strictly by the numbers!

In 2011, the Playhouse…

....Welcomed 42,000 patrons for 109 performances to see the incredible work of 42 actors, 17 designers, 3 directors and a host of other talented theater artists in our 5-play Season

...Used 80 gallons of paint, 7000 pounds of steel and 8000 feet of lumber in order to construct the beautiful sets this season (not to mention 852 gallons of water to fill one pool for our production of Lips Together, Teeth Apart!)

...Hosted 1,900 students from all over Connecticut & New York at 5 student matinees

...Held 13 special events for our "Shakespeare in Our Time initiative," including a master class, film screening, and several panel discussions and talkbacks

...Served 5,220 glasses of wine, 366 bottles of beer and 105 pounds of cheese for special Playhouse gatherings and Opening Night parties

...Posted 614 tweets from our Twitter account (@WCPlayhouse) and welcomed 1,023 new Facebook fans

...Utilized 70 yards of fabric, 10 spools of thread, 30 buttons, 7 zippers and 40 assorted snaps to create the beautiful costumes worn on stage this season

...Sold 288 packages of Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies, 932 Cosmic Chocolate Chip Cookies and 310 glasses of sparkling wine among other delicious treats through our concessions stand

Nikki Rowell
Patron Services Manager