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Editor’s Note
Summer Stock Shout Out
Weston Playhouse Theatre Company in Vermont
really heats up in the summer.
It’s July, which means summer
stock and outdoor theatre. One
historic “summer stock” theatre
is the Weston Playhouse Theatre
Company in Weston, Vt. I put “summer
stock” in quotes because in the ‘90s the Weston
moved beyond just a summer schedule to offer productions
year round. But there wouldn’t be any theatre at all
if it weren’t for the efforts of Weston architect Raymond
Austin, who converted the Congregational church on
the town green into a theatre, and
Boston Conservatory teacher Harlan
Grant, who started the theatre’s
summer stock company in 1937 with
a production of Noel Coward’s Hay
Fever.
Despite the types of disasters
that would best many other theatres—including
fire and flood (literally)—today
the theatre is run by a
triumvirate of Producing Directors,
Malcolm Ewen, Tim Fort and Steve
Stettler, and aims to serve the artists
and audiences of their New England
community through performances
and educational programs. This summer
they’re producing six shows,
including The 39 Steps, Damn Yankees
and Avenue Q, among others. I asked
Rich Dionne, technical director at
the Weston, what the hardest part of
getting all these shows up and running
were, and what made summers
so special at the Weston.“The tough
part, for me, is balancing the need to
be working ahead with finding a way to
allow the director and actors to still discover
things in rehearsal in an organic
way,” said Dionne. “The best part is that
we’re telling great stories in the best
way we can—Weston is all about that.”
So here’s to everyone working
in summer stock, or outdoors, or
anywhere else in the theatre this
summer! Enjoy the long days and
warm nights! And if you find yourself
short of anything, feel free to find a
supplier in this, our annual Theatre
Resources Directory.
Jacob Coakley
Editor
Stage Directions
jcoakley@stage-directions.com