Dining at The Equinox
Indulge in New England’ s Rich Flavors
Chop House
Savor expertly crafted dishes made with local ingredients in a cozy, historic setting overlooking the village.
Ray Anthony Thomas, Lucy DeVito, and Danny DeVito, outside the historic Dorset Playhouse
A Brief History of DTF
Each year, from June through September, Southern Vermont becomes a vibrant hub of theatrical innovation, thanks to the Dorset Theatre Festival, which has spent nearly five decades nurturing groundbreaking new plays alongside celebrated classics. With a storied legacy of moving successful productions from Vermont’ s picturesque countryside to the bustling stages of Broadway and Off-Broadway, Dorset Theatre Festival has rightfully earned its reputation as a vital pipeline of American theater.
Originally entitled,“ The Caravan Players” under the guiding hands of Pat and Fred Carmichael – and then officially founded in 1976 as Harlequin Ltd. by John Nassivera and Jill Charles, Dorset Theatre Festival quickly became a platform for fresh theatrical voices and prominent actors. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Dorset introduced regional audiences to early works by notable playwrights such as Beth Henley, Leslie Ayvazian, and John Patrick Shanley, solidifying its reputation as a destination for exciting, relevant storytelling.
Falcon Bar
Sip a seasonal cocktail at the bar or by the outdoor fire pit with live music; the perfect spot to relax.
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The Festival’ s commitment to new work accelerated in 2009 under artistic director Dina Janis, who partnered with acclaimed playwright Theresa Rebeck, igniting a new era of development. Notably, Rebeck’ s play The Novelist premiered at Dorset in 2010, and in the subsequent years, Dorset’ s New Play Reading Series emerged as a crucial stepping-stone for innovative theater. In addition to plays by Theresa Rebeck and Lauren Yee, Martyna Majok’ s Cost of Living had one of its first readings at Dorset in 2015, later earning the Pulitzer Prize for Drama after its successful run at New York City Center in 2017.
Recent seasons under the leadership of Executive Artistic Director Will Rucker and Managing Creative Director Ryan Koss have further solidified Dorset’ s role as an incubator for premier theatrical talent. Productions such as Theresa Rebeck’ s Downstairs and Dig and Lia Romeo’ s Still, which were workshopped and premiered at Dorset, later transferred to productions that received significant acclaim at Off-Broadway and Broadway venues.
64 manchester life | manchesterlifemagazine. com