Ogunquit Playhouse
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Ogunquit Playhouse
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| Location | 10 Main Street (US 1), Ogunquit, Maine |
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| Coordinates | 43°14′20″N 70°36′2″W / 43.23889°N 70.60056°WCoordinates: 43°14′20″N 70°36′2″W / 43.23889°N 70.60056°W |
| Area | 4.1 acres (1.7 ha) |
| Built | 1937 |
| Architect | Wyckoff, Alexander |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| NRHP Reference # | 95001458 |
| Added to NRHP | December 14, 1995 |
The Ogunquit Playhouse is a regional theater at 10 Main Street (United States Route 1) in Ogunquit, Maine. The Ogunquit Playhouse is one of the last remaining summer theatres from the Straw Hat Circuit, also referred to as , still producing live musical theatre. The theatre is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2015, the listing was raised to National Level of Significance "in consideration of the significant contributions made by its founder Walter J. Hartwig and the Playhouse to Performing Arts Education throughout the nation."
The Ogunquit Playhouse produces five (sometimes more) musicals each season, with each season running mid-May through mid-October with performances Tuesday through Sunday. Each show is cast for its audience, and shows are produced and rehearsed onsite or in New York City.
The Children's Theatre Program began in the late 1990s, now offering children from ages 5–18 an opportunity to learn and perform on the Playhouse campus and stage.It gives these children a real-life experience, working with professional mics/makeup/wigs as well as the professional Ogunquit Playhouse Crew. As of 2016, the Workshop program has come back, providing students an ability to work on specific parts of the theater world.
With the expansion of the season from 10 to 24 weeks, the Playhouse was able to offer more educational opportunities to middle and high school children. With the children's theater program and at least one kid-friendly performance each year, students are able to see Broadway-quality shows and meet the actors backstage in a professional theater close to home.
The Ogunquit Playhouse was established by Walter and Maude Hartwig in 1933 in a renovated garage in the center of Ogunquit, Maine. As part of the Little Theatre Movement of the 1920s and early 30s, Walter Hartwig organized an annual theatre tournament in New York. When the Depression put an end to the tournament, Hartwig started the Manhattan Theatre Colony and brought it to the town of Ogunquit. In 1937, the theatre moved to a new building at its present-day location on Main Street in Ogunquit, Maine. The Ogunquit Playhouse was the first, and remains the only, summer theatre from the summer stock era built exclusively as a seasonal theatre. After Walter's death in 1941, Maude carried on his legacy at the Playhouse.
In 1950, John Lane became the general manager and eventually took ownership of the Playhouse with his business partner, Henry Weller. Together they focused on modernizing and improving the building and grounds, and through John Lane's direction, audiences enjoyed the brightest stars and finest professional actors performing in Broadway's best shows. After a long and successful career, John Lane retired in 1994. He transferred ownership to the Ogunquit Playhouse Foundation, a not-for-profit foundation that currently oversees the Ogunquit Playhouse. John Lane died in 2000.
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