A History of Theater in New England

New England has a rich history of the performing artsfrom The Grand Theatre, built in 1938 in Ellsworth, Maine to Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Connecticut formed in 1931. Throughout the New England theater scene, the shows produced have routinely been groundbreaking and critically successful. There is a long history of producers trying out shows in New England and even today many Tony Award-winning plays and musicals originate from theaters in New England before transferring to Broadway. These theaters are where so many stars honed their craft before breaking out onto the Great White Way! Theatre critic Tim Leininger takes the reader to across New England telling the story of theater in the region through interviews with historians and leaders of the theaters community. There is a history of the venues themselvesover 100 theaters are featured followed by profiles of significant performances and visitor information From Williamstown to Cape Cod to the Great Barrington Stage, there are few regions in America as steeped in theater tradition as New England.