Backstage Tour at the Westport Country Playhouse, Westport, CT, USA

Taking a tour of the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Connecticut with Bruce Miller, Cultural Associate and Archivist was not only exciting to be “on stage” as well as “backstage” at the historic theatre, but it was also thrilling to share that space with some of the great actors who have performed there since the Playhouse opened on June 29, 1931. Ethel Barrymore, Gloria Swanson, Myrna Loy, Celeste Holm, Tyrone Powers, Carol Channing, Tallulah Bankhead, Liza Minelli, Bernadette Peters, Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda, Gene Wilder, Carol Kane, Jane Curtin, Don Ameche, Hume Cronin, Jessica Tandy, Richard Dreyfuss, Jill Clayburgh, Blythe Danner, Mark Shanahan, Mia Dillon, Keir Dullea, Christopher Plummer, James Earl Jones, and Westport’s own, Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman are but a heady few who have trod the boards there. Bravo!

Theatre People

On Saturday, May 17, 2025, we took a fascinating 90-minute Backstage Tour of the Westport Country Playhouse with Bruce Miller, Cultural Associate and Archivist. The Playhouse celebrates its 95^th season in 2025, and after seeing so many wonderful plays there throughput the years beginning with All My Sons with Richard Dreyfus and Jill Clayburgh in 2003, and more recently with the hilarious production of Theatre People written by Paul Slade Smith, Directed by Mark Shanahan and starring an impressive cast in March 2025, it was exhilarating as well as a rite of passage looking at the theatre from behind the scenes and on the stage as opposed to our usual view sitting in the audience.

Bruce Miller, Cultural Associate and Archivist

Over the course of the tour, Bruce Miller, who has worked at the Playhouse for 25 years and has a wealth of theatre knowledge, regaled us not only with the Playhouse’s history, but also with the interesting and complex details, and innerworkings that go into the selection of plays, the casting, and the duties of each of the different jobs that turn an idea into an amazing performance.

The first play performed at the Playhouse was Streets of New York in 1931 performed in a barn that the then owners turned into a stage with 400 seats that was identical to the stage setup as the New York City theatre they also owned. Their thinking was that the Playhouse in Westport would be a launching pad where they could tryout plays before performing them in New York. As an example, the 1940 play Green Grow The Leaves, would later be tweaked and become the musical Oklahoma! 

Our Town with legendary Paul Newman

Joanne Woodward became the Artistic Director in 1999, and in 2001, the Playhouse performed the play, Our Town, with the legendary Paul Newman as the character, The Stage Manager. It is interesting to note that Joanne did not want her husband to play that part. Her reasoning was that at 72 years old he was too old and had not been on a stage for 32 years. Paul learned the part anyways, and Joanne reluctantly agreed to him performing in the play. Of course, everyone wanted to see Paul Newman and the play was such an enormous success that after its’ run at the Playhouse, it had a limited opening in New York, followed by being filmed for ShowTime and others.

Throughout the years the Playhouse grew from 400 seats up to 729 seats, and in 2003, the Playhouse received a much needed, and much deserved renovation. As a tribute to the first play performed in 1931, the last play performed at the Playhouse in 2003 before closing for renovation was Streets of New York. 

Step into history – a piece of the original stage

The new Playhouse reopened in June 2005 with the legendary Christopher Plummer in a one-man show. To allow the actors to be a part of history, two pieces of the original stage were retained and placed where the actors step to enter the stage. Another wonderful production was in 2006 when another legendary actor, James Earl Jones, portrayed Thurgood Marshall in the play Thurgood.

Thurgood with legendary James Earl Jones

However, it is not only the actors that make the play, but also the set designers, lighting designers, sound designers, costume, wig, and prop designers, as well as the Director. The set designs at the Playhouse are always stunning and the complexity of some of the sets truly inspires the imagination with their creativity as well as realism. As an example, for the play Lips Together, Teeth Apart, (2011) the set designers built an actual swimming pool so the character could jump into the pool, and for the 2025 play, Native Gardens, there were over 200 working lights for the two houses.

Also interesting was learning about the selection of plays for a season. For a 5-play season, there is usually a mix of 3-4 drama and comedy plays, and 1-2 musicals. It is also interesting to note that a play costs about $350,000 to produce whereas a musical will cost much more, double the price or higher, due to the cost of the musicians, musical director, equipment, and that each instrument needs to have a microphone, as do the actors, whereas actors do not have microphones for non-musicals.

Edward F. Nesta backstage

Casting and More Interesting Facts

There are open casting calls which means that actors can audition even if they do not fit cast requirements. Next, there are closed casting calls, where the director has contacted agencies with a list of role specifications. As theaters are “dark’ on Mondays (there are no performances), auditions are held on Mondays.

The terminology Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off Broadway does not refer to a theater’s location but rather denotes the number of seats in the theater. Broadway has 500 or more seats, Off-Broadway has 149-499 seats, and Off-Off Broadway less than 149 seats.

Ghost Light

We also learned about the “ghost light” placed center-stage that is left on when theatre is unoccupied to appease the theater’s ghost, so it knows that it is welcome and safe. Ghost lights are one of many interesting theater traditions.

If you have ever wondered what it is like to be onstage, backstage, or want to know more about the Westport Country Playhouse, do take one of their upcoming Theatre Tours, and of course, go to see one of their amazing upcoming plays.

Until next time, keep enjoying and supporting the arts!

For more information on experiencing a Theatre Tour or purchasing tickets to one of their many exciting upcoming performances, please visit the website: www.WestportPlayhouse.org

Theatre Tours: Westport Country Playhouse offers free theater tours on the following dates: May 16 and 17, June 20 and 28, July 18 and 19, and August 16 and 22. Tours take place at 10:30 am. Tours are free, donations to support the Playhouse encouraged. Tours last about 90 minutes and are limited to 25 patrons. Reservations are required.

A Sampling of Westport Country Playhouse’s Upcoming Performances Schedule for 2025

Westport Country Playhouse
The Howard J. Aibel Theater Center
25 Powers Court
Westport, Connecticut 06880
United States
Box Office: +1—203-227-4177
Toll-Free: 1-888-927-7529
Website: www.WestportPlayhouse.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/WestportCountryPlayhouse
Instagram: www.instagram.com/wcplayhouse @wcplayhouse

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