4-Time TONY Award Winner Boyd Gaines
on a family-friendly show that opens the summer
season each year. Performances can also be based
on students’ own writing. Summer programs also
serve middle and high school students. The Mid-
dle School Program includes summer theatre labs
and a theatre camp, and the Young Playwrights
Festival for High Schoolers provides wide-ranging
and inviting opportunities for older students.
A new project under development, “Vermont
100,” will invite a writer to be in residence in
Weston during the theater’s summer subscription
season. The resident playwright will be provided
with housing, transportation, and a weekly salary
as well as resources such as a private workspace
and directorial support to enable continued work
on a new play. A company of professional actors
will read the resident’s work on stage. Addition-
ally, the resident artist will hold one-on-one inter-
views with a small group of local people in order
to create new short works based on the interviews.
Audiences will then be invited to a free workshop
presentation of the project.
“Weston Playhouse Theatre is at a thrilling
turning point, having built a strong foundation
over the years that includes exceptional work,
engaged audiences, and brave exploration. I joined
Weston to be in an artistic environment where
the work of the theatre was deeply connected to
the surrounding community and to make art in a
place where artists and audiences care about each
other,” says Susanna with obvious excitement. “As
we move into the future, we can look forward to
deepening that connection as we introduce new
artists, new audiences, and new stories to our
stages.”
Elayne Clift writes about the arts and
other topics from Saxtons River, VT.
For more about her work,
visit elayne-clift.com.
Weston Playhouse Theatre Company
(802) 824-8167
westonplayhouse.org.
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