The Joys of Summer Theatre

The founding of the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam goes back to 1876, but after many years of neglect it was reborn in 1963 and has been one of the nation’s great sources for musical theatre ever since. In fact, 19 of its productions have gone on to Broadway.

Opening the week of June 17, 1930, Ivoryton Playhouse staked its claim as the first self-supporting summer theater in America. Founded by Broadway’s Milton Stiefel, Ivoryton found its home in a 1911 rec hall built for employees from a nearby factory. Katharine Hepburn, Marlon Brando, Groucho Marx, Helen Hayes and many others have appeared on its stage.

When well-known New York theater producers were looking for a place to experiment with new plays and reinterpret classics, they found it in an old cow barn that became the Westport Country Playhouse. Following its first production in 1931, the playhouse has seen the likes of Henry Fonda, Julie Harris, Ethel Barrymore and Paul Robeson tread its boards.

For the true spirit of summer theatre, consider a visit to Summer Theatre of New Canaan. Here you’ll find an open-air tent theatre with folding chairs (along with some stage-side tables) and a big sloping lawn for parking, tailgating and “field seating.”