It took a trip to breathtaking Stockholm, Sweden and one of its nearby islands to learn more about theater superstitions, myths and ancient stage machinery than we could in ‘younger’ historic American theaters: The 1876 Goodspeed Opera House, Westport Country Playhouse - originally an 1835 cow barn, or Ivoryton Playhouse, a 1911 recreation hall until it became a theater in 1930. That’s where Katharine Hepburn first played leading roles before her legendary success in film.

However, the trip to Stockholm and the Drottningholm Court Theater, a perfectly preserved jewel of the 18th-century, gave us renewed interest in the preservation and history of all historic theatres throughout the world.

The Stockholm Tourist Board’s well-trained and hospitable staff urged us to include at least a day for a leisurely boat ride through some of the fourteen islands that make up picturesque Stockholm.  Our destination was Lovon Island to see the Swedish Royal family’s home, Drottningholm, a magnificent 16th-century palace and its 1766 court theater - a UNESCO Heritage site. 

After strolling the extensive and beautifully waterside grounds we made our first stop at the 1766 court theater for a guided tour of this glorious landmark that is still famous for its current productions.

(In the photo: The Drottningham Court Theater
Photo Credit: Bengt Wanselius.)

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Almost a Century of Live Theater              

By Amy J. Barry

The Ivoryton Playhouse kicks off its 99th season next month with The Philadelphia Story, followed by six more productions—musicals, romantic comedies, dramas, murder mysteries, and a little rock ‘n roll—a mix that’s sure to keep audiences entertained and enthralled through next November.
 
Jacqui Hubbard, the theater’s executive director, points out that despite many small theaters closing their doors during these hard economic times, “the Ivoryton Playhouse remains a testament to the power of live theater and the incredible support of this community.”
 
According to Hubbard, there will be a lot of new faces on stage this season.

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“Leaf Coneybear” Spells it Out

Billy Dempster (Leaf Coneybear) is no stranger to TheatreWorks New Milford, having appeared as Hysterium in “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to The Forum” and Howard in “Moon Over Buffalo.” Billy has a BA in Theater Arts from WCSU and has toured the country with several children’s theatre companies.  He is currently an employee of Danbury Hospital, where he's been for 20 years.

When asked about his role in “Spelling Bee,” Billy notes that he is excited to play a “kid” after having kids of his own.  He had a great deal of fun pulling inspiration from his three girls Sabine, Delaney and Isabelle as he developed the role of Leaf. He also finds the amount of improvisation in this show and having the audience on stage with the cast to be quite challenging, in a good way!

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