From a Church to a Playhouse: 1800s to 1930s

In the late 1800s Weston developed a reputation for putting on plays and harboring amateur talent. The Weston Variety Troupe formed in 1874 was followed by a series of Weston Dramatic Clubs in the late 1800 and early 1900s. So it came to pass that on the site of our current Playhouse stood an unused Congregational Church (c. 1839). In 1923, The Congregational church was deeded to The Weston Community Club, formerly the Weston Dramatic Club. The first community production was Icebound in 1923.

From these beginnings, families like the Walkers, the Lloyds, and others, created a theater that never lost the connection to its town and the surrounding region. The pathway from the Walker Farm south on Route 100 to the Playhouse on the Green became known as the "Avenue of the Stars."

Community theater productions continued until 1935 when as luck would have it, a summer resident named Mrs. Herbert Otis Bailey presented to the Community Club, a newly renovated theater remodeled by Ray Austin (see sketch). It featured a new stage, a Greek Revival facade designed by Weston-born architect Raymond Austin, and four dramatic theatrical murals funded by Franklin D. Roosevelt's WPA Federal Artists' Program and painted by resident painter Roy Williams. Harlen Grant and the Boston Conservatory of Music partnered with the Weston Community Club to conduct a trial period of professional productions with a group of six actors (including Lloyd Bridges). They also had a “young company” of six local paid students and six students on scholarship. The formal opening of the Weston Playhouse took place on June 28th and 29th, 1935.

Tragedies Strike in 1962, 1972, 2011 and 2023

1962: Successful seasons continued from 1935 to 1962 when the first tragedy struck. A devastating fire occurred on July 12, 1962, caused by an overheated glue pot in the scene shop destroying the building and adjacent clubhouse. The fire destroyed props, sets, costumes, and lights. The building was a charred ruin, with only the six white Doric columns remaining. The community quickly gathered to help. The local volunteer fire department and residents set up a tent on the grounds of the nearby schoolhouse. That same evening, the scheduled performance of Write Me A Murder was held in the tent, fulfilling the theatrical tradition that "the show must go on". The community rallied, fundraising $150,000 to rebuild a new combined theater and community center. Exactly one year after the fire, on July 12, 1963, the second new Weston Playhouse opened with a performance of The Fantasticks

Community Resource

Though the Playhouse was primarily used for entertainment, from its earliest days it was also a community gathering place. It was noted in 1953 that “ever since the Playhouse has been in existence one of the main purposes of the building has been its use by local organizations.”

Floods - 1973, 2011 and 2023: Ten years after the new building opened The Weston Playhouse was again struck with disaster. This time flooding caused by copious moisture streaming northward along a stalled frontal boundary, leading to severe overflow of the West River. The floodwaters inundated the playhouse's cellar and reached into the first floor, damaging the building's infrastructure. The flooding was not limited to the playhouse; it also damaged the town offices, the town common, the Memorial Library, and other buildings. In the wake of the flood, the US Army Corps of Engineers implemented flood control measures, including constructing stone slope protection and retaining walls on the riverbanks.

Tropical Storm Irene in 2011: Significant flooding at the Weston Playhouse occurred in August 2011 with Hurricane Irene. The lower levels of the playhouse, including the orchestra pit, dressing rooms, and prop shop. Up to 12 feet of water submerged these areas, causing an estimated $100,000 to $200,000 in damage. Among the losses was a grand piano in the newly renovated orchestra pit that was flipped over by the force of the water. Costumes and props stored in the basement were also ruined. The show went on despite the damage, the company was able to quickly recover and remount its world-premiere musical, Saint-Ex, by moving the orchestra on stage and cleaning salvaged costumes and props. 

2023 Flood: While the Irene flood was a major event, the playhouse was hit with a more devastating flood in July 2023. Floodwaters reached the auditorium floor for the first time. Everything in the basement including the kitchen, heating and electrical systems, fire alarm, dressing rooms, orchestra pit and costumes were destroyed under 6 feet of mud and 10 more feet of water.

Since the flood, the Weston Community Association has worked tirelessly to pay for clean-up, hydrology studies and replacement of all the mechanical systems. To avoid a repeat of the destruction caused in 2023, the heating and electrical systems are now located on the first floor. Unfortunately, the longtime cabaret and restaurant located in the basement were destroyed. To date, almost $1,000,000 has been spent with another million still to go.

As in 1962, the look towards our community to help us restore and renew this treasured building.