Melissa Wood Staff

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On the stretch of U.S. Route One between York and Ogunquit, Maine, the long, white building appears almost as a ship afloat on a great green sea of well-manicured grass. Below the roofline, dotted with a row of flags, the words “Ogunquit Playhouse” run the length of the building in large, green capital letters.

It is Maine’s own authentic piece of Broadway, which, for three-quarters of a century, has been thrilling summer audiences with moving performances and creative, Broadway-quality stage designs.

This season the Playhouse celebrates its 75th anniversary by presenting a mix of Broadway classics and hot new shows that include Menopause The Musical, The Full Monty, Crazy for You, La Cage aux Folles, The King and I, and Hairspray. Under the steerage of Bradford T. Kenney, who came on board as executive artistic director in 2006, the Playhouse has expanded its season into October so that visitors can also enjoy a first-class theater experience during the foliage season at Broadway-by- the-Beach.

The Playhouse is home to a summer tradition that first came to life, and continues to thrive today, since its founder Walter Hartwig, along with his wife Maude, had an idea—that good theater could exist outside of New York City.

He made that dream a reality on July 1, 1933. The Playhouse’s first home, a renovated garage in Ogunquit’s town square, opened its doors and featured theater legends such as Maude Adams, Ethel Barrymore, and Laurette Taylor, whom Hartwig had persuaded to star with the resident company. Due to the theater’s popularity, it quickly outgrew its first space and, five years later, Hartwig brought the Old Ware Farm on Route One just south of the village and built the new Ogunquit Playhouse, a venue known for spacious comfort, convenience, superb acoustics, and up-to-date equipment.

The theater received another upgrade when, in 1951, John Lane, a young actor and general manager, took over the reigns and embarked on a long-range plan of modernizing and improving the building and grounds. Lane steered the Playhouse’s direction for the next four-and-a-half decades, ensuring that generations of theatergoers enjoy the brightest stars and finest professional actors performing in Broadway’s best dramas, comedies, and musicals. In 1994, Lane formed the Ogunquit Playhouse Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation whose mission is to “preserve and maintain the Ogunquit Playhouse as a community-based performing arts center.” 

As each year brings another star-studded season, the cultural landmark continues to undergo restoration befitting its rich history. The building was placed on the National Historic Registry of Historic Places in 1995, and in 2000, the lobby underwent a beautiful refurbishing. A new gazebo adorns the south lawn where wine and beer are served to the Playhouse’s patrons.

In 2007, the Playhouse lives up to its reputation as “America’s foremost summer theater.” In addition to the glorious productions slated for the season (many with Broadway sets and costumes), additional improvements made in 2006 to the sound and lighting systems will ensure that audiences enjoy a first-class theater experience.

The stars, costumes, and sets may have changed over the years, but it’s still easy to imagine Broadway legends of the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, arriving in limousines down the long driveway of the Ogunquit Playhouse. The playhouse’s membership in the network of “Straw Hat” theaters brought in such stars as Jessica Tandy, Cesar Romero, and Bette Davis as it shared costly Broadway productions with other summer venues around New England.

Ogunquit Playhouse
Performances are Tuesday through Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday evenings at 8:30 p.m., Wednesdays and Thursday matinees at 2:30 p.m. and, new for 2007, weekend matinees at 3:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the Ogunquit Playhouse Box Office at 207 646-5511 or online at www.ogunquitplayhouse.org