It's the year 2000 and the beloved Westport Country Playhouse is falling apart. After seven decades of productions that comprise a who's who of stage artists and a living textbook of 20th century American theatre, Westport Country Playhouse is still a nearly 200-year-old converted country barn, suffering from the consequences of age. It is in a serious state of disrepair.

Enter Joanne Woodward, the acclaimed actress and director, and long-time resident of Westport. It was the Playhouse's artistic legacy and the challenge of its revitalization that drew her interest. As Artistic Director, Woodward joined a team including Associate Artistic Director Anne Keefe, Executive Director Alison Harris, Board President Elisabeth Morten, and a dedicated board and staff, to insure the future of Westport Country Playhouse, both physically and artistically, for generations to come. Renovating the old barn became a priority, along with re-establishing the Playhouse as a significant artistic force and a good neighbor to all in its community.

During Ms. Woodward's tenure at the Playhouse new plays were explored and America's leading actors Gene Wilder, Richard Dreyfuss, Jill Clayburgh, Paul Newman, Jane Curtin, and many others returned to their stage roots to challenge themselves in exciting roles. A new generation of directors, including Darko Tresnjak, Doug Hughes, Tazewell Thompson, and James Naughton, explored new works and tackled classics with imagination. And, in 2002, Westport Country Playhouse had its name in lights on Broadway again when Thornton Wilder's Our Town transferred to the Booth Theatre for a record-breaking run.

In January 2000, a campaign to revitalize and renovate the Playhouse began. Supporters who had purchased the property in 1985 donated their shares back to Westport Country Playhouse, allowing the project to go forward. Tax deductible contributions, bolstered by a generous $5 million grant from the State of Connecticut, were made to start the 18-month renovation in the fall of 2003. Westport Country Playhouse closed prior to renovation much as it began, with a new musical version of the play that started it all on that rainy summer night in 1931, The Streets of New York. As the Playhouse brought down the curtain on one era, it did so with a firm position in American theatre history and a visionary eye focused resolutely on the future.

The land acquisition and building renovation cost $22 million and an additional $7.5 million dollars was allocated to cover start-up costs - specifically, artistic enrichment, an education program, and organizational capability. The remaining $1 million dollars was set aside as an artistic reserve to support the transition from a summer theatre to a year-round theatre.