All About Wayside - User contributions [en]

Production Chronology

2018-12-17T19:39:45Z

Jameslaster: Created page with "1961 an ‘unknown’ year 1962 Maralarrick Players - - no information Larry Gleason, AD 1963 - - (one playbill, info only) Come Blow Your Horn Charley’s Aunt Bus Stop L..."

1961
an ‘unknown’ year

1962
Maralarrick Players - - no information

Larry Gleason, AD
1963 - - (one playbill, info only)
Come Blow Your Horn
Charley’s Aunt
Bus Stop
Light up the Sky
Summer and Smoke
The Fantasticks
Servitude (not performed)
The Drunkard
Misalliance

Owen Phillips, AD
1964 (had a Summer as well as Fall season)
Pursuit of Happiness
Marriage-Go-Found
My Three Angels
Period of Adjustment
Ah! Wilderness
Ten Nights in a Bar-Room
The Moon is Blue
Bye-Bye Birdie
Look Homeward Angel
A Streetcar named Desire
The Moon is Blue
The Romper Season
Angel Street
Champagne Complex
The Fourposter

1965
Mary, Mary
Ten Little Indians
The Winslow Boy
Never Too Late
Take Her, She’s Mine
Carnival
Picnic
Catch Me If You Can
The Women

1966
Invitation to a March
Time Our for Ginger
Dark at the Top of the Stairs
You Can’t Take it With You
George and Margaret
See How They Run
Ten Nights in a Bar-Room
Subject was Roses
Any Wednesday
Poor Richard
The Moon is Blue
Blithe Spirit
Wayside Yuletide Festival

1967
Barefoot in the Park
Tender Trap
The Rainmaker
The Odd Couple
Night Must Fall
The Physicists
Dames at Sea
The Armored Dove
A Girl Can Get Lucky

Gerald Slavet, AD
1968
The Private Ear & Public Eye
The Fantasticks
Dracula
The Show-Offs
Look Back in Anger
The Battles of the Sexes

1969
The Star Spangled Girl
Cactus Flower
Arms and the Man
Black Comedy
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
The Apple Tree

1970
The Owl & The Pussycat
The Knack
The Great Sebastians
You know I Can’t Hear You When the Water’s Running
The Price
I Do! I Do!

1971
Lovers and Other Strangers
Play it Again, Sam
School for Wives
Plaza Suite
Summertree
Stop the World I Want to Get Off

1972
The Marriage Proposal
Last of the Red Hot Lovers
Spoon-River Anthology
Tartuffe
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Write Me a Murder
You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown

1973
Butterflies are Free
Mister Roberts
The Imaginary Invalid
Irma La Douce
Joe Egg
It’s Funny

1974
6 RMS RIV VU
The Miser
Born Yesterday
Ernest in Love
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Kiss Me, Kate

Lou Furman, AD
1975
Sleuth
A Bird in the Hand
No Time for Sergeants
The Boys from Syracuse
The Sunshine Boys
The Boy Friend

1976
LUV
In One Bed and Out the Other
In Praise of Love
L’il Abner
Jeers, Tears & Cheers
Man with a Load of Mischief

1977
The Fourposter
Wait Until Dark
She Stoops to Conquer
Once Upon a Mattress
Bus Stop
Man of La Mancha

James Kirkland, AD
1978
The Norman Conquests
Vanities
Ring Round the Moon
Charley’s Aunt
Volpone
Bells Are Ringing
A Christmas Carol

Ed Steele, AD
1979
Side by Side by Sondheim
Angel Street
A Streetcar Named Desire
Harvey
Shakes & Co!
Hamlet
Twelfth Night
A Christmas Carol

1980
I Do! I Do!
Two for the Seesaw
Same Time Next Year
A Christmas Carol

1981
Chapter Two
Deathtrap
Life With Father
Bedroom Farce
The Rainmaker
The Amorous Flea
The Gifts of Christmas

1982
I Ought to be in Pictures
DA
Arsenic and Old Lace
The Bat
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
The Odd Couple
A Christmas Carol

1983
Talley’s Folly
Black Coffee
On Golden Pond
Dracula
A Thousand Clowns
The Owl and the Pussycat

1984
The Fantasticks
Dial “M” for Murder
Last of the Red Hot Lovers
The Lion in Winter
The Dining Room
The Glass Menagerie
A Christmas Carol

1985
Barefoot in the Park
The Innocents
Mark Twain, Himself
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Tribute
Crimes of the Heart
Private Lives
Mass Appeal
The Gift of the Magi

1986
Bully
The School for Wives
The Foreigner
Sleuth
Season’s Greetings
Cold Storage
Agnes of God

Christopher Owens, AD
1987
A Couple of White Chicks Sitting Around Talkin’
Give ‘Em Hell, Harry
Terra Nova
Sherlock Holmes and the Curse of the Sign of Four
Room Service
The Little Foxes
Greater Tuna
Christmas in Olde Vic

1988
Cole
Noises Off
Desire Under the Elms
Possessed for Romance
House of the Baskervilles
The Good Doctor
Billy Bishop Goes to War
A Christmas Carol

1989
Sherlock’s Last Case
I’m Not Rappaport
Dangerous Liasons
Relatively Speaking
The Mystery of Irma Vep
Broadway Bound
Filthy Rich
A Christmas Carol

1990
Romance, Romance
The Nerd
What I Did Last Summer
Steel Magnolias
Private Lives
Driving Miss Daisy
A Walk in the Woods
A Christmas Carol

1991
Summer and Smoke
The Boys Next Door
The Lion in Winter
Corpse!
The Price
How the Other Half Loves
A Christmas Carol

1992
Greater Tuna
Stage Struck
Other People’s Money
Taking Steps
Amadeus
The Foreigner
Lend Me a Tenor
A Christmas Carol

1993
Rumors
Mrs. California
Lettice & Lovage
I Hate Hamlet
The Diviners
Arms and the Man
Oleana
A Dicken’s Christmas Collation

1994
Nunsense
In One Bed and Out the Other
Lost in Yonkers
The Cocktail Hour
A Few Good Men
The Passion of Dracula
A Christmas Carol

1995
Dames at Sea
Born Yesterday
Forever Plaid
Equus
The Sisters Rosenweig
Sherlock’s Veiled Secret
A Christmas Carol

1996
Little Shop of Horrors
Nite Club Confidential
Charley’s Aunt
Greetings
Ten Little Indians
Dr. Jenkyll and Miss Hyde
A Christmas Carol

1997
Pump Boys and Dinettes
Moon Over Buffalo
Marvin’s Room
An Inspector Calls
Sylvia
A Bedfull of Foreigners
Cedar Creek
A Christmas Carol

1998
The Fourposter
Forever Plaid
Perfect Wedding
Quilters
The Mousetrap
A Christmas Carol

Warner Crocker, AD
1999
Measure for Measure
Bedroom Farce
The Last Night of Ballyhoo
Tintypes
Stonewall Jackson’s House
La Bête
A Christmas Carol

2000
Matchmaker
Steel Magnolias
All I Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten
Talley’s Folly
The Woman in Black
A Christmas Carol

2001
Kiss Me, Kate
Barefoot in the Park
On Golden Pond
Art
Dracula
Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Clause

2002
Greater Tuna
The Fantasticks
The Human Comedy
Laughter on the 23rd Floor
Foxfire
Wuthering Heights
Turn of the Screw
Miracle on 34th Street
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
My Way
Cotton Patch Gospel

2003-2004
I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change
The Odd Couple
Loot
Grace & Glorie
Ten Little Indians
A Christmas Carol
A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline
The Sunshine Boys

2004-2005
Honk!
The Importance of Being Ernest
The Spitfire Grill
Robert E. Lee & John Brown: Lighting the Fuse
Blithe Spirit
The Christmas Schooner
Hank Williams: Lost Highway
The Complete History of America

2005-2006
Sister Amnesia’s Country Western Nunsense
The Underpants
God’s Man in Texas
The Killer Angels
Sleuth
A Christmas Story
Smoke on the Mountain
Searching for Eden-Diaries of Adam & Eve

2006-2007
Are We There Yet
Lying in State
The Smell of the Kill
Othello
Black Coffee
A Christmas Story
Sanders Family Christmas
Buddy: Buddy Holly Story
Stones in His Pocket

2007-2008
Forever Plaid
Tuesdays with Morrie
Shadow of the Raven
It’s a Wonderful Life
Smoke on the Mountain: Homecoming
Driving Miss Daisy
\
2008-2009
Always, Patsy Cline
Moonlight and Magnolias
Unnecessary Farce
The Mousetrap
A Christmas Carol
Southern Crossroads
Cotton Patch Gospel

2009-2010
Man of LaMancha
The Gin Game
Robert E. Lee & John Brown: Lighting the Fuse
Sherlock Holmes: Final Adventure
Miracle on 34th Street
Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story
Harvey

2010-2011
Always Patsy Cline (at Jordan Springs)
Shenandoah
Dead Man’s Cell Phone
Striking 12
Mark Twain’s A Murder, A Mystery, A Marriage
A Christmas Carol
Southern Crossroads: The New Orleans Adventure
Groucho

2011-2012
Reunion
The Nerd
Steel Magnolias
The Woman in Black
Glory Bea! A Shenandoah Valley Christmas Story
Smoke on the Mountain
Greater Tuna

2012-2013
Hank Williams: Lost Highway
Private Lives
Tuna Does Vegas
Wait Until Dark
Glory Bea! A Shenandoah Valley Christmas Story
Smoke on the Mountain: Homecoming
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

2013-2014
Church Basement Ladies
Boeing, Boeing

Background

2018-10-22T16:57:34Z

Jameslaster: /* Why Middletown? */

==Why Middletown?==
How did a professional theatre find a home in Middletown, Virginia, a town of 1,152 residents, according to a 2009 publication? Is there anything about this town that would give the slightest clue that it would be the home for an Equity Theatre for fifty years? Could Peter Senseny, the founder of Middletown, imagine in 1794 when he “… applied to the state General Assembly for a charter for the town he had drawn up (probably with the assistance of local clockmaker jeweler, and surveyor Jacob Danner) on land Senseney owned a few miles south of what is now Stephens City,” that someday there “would be actors from Broadway strolling its streets?” <ref>Dillard. TWaS. 4 Aug. 1966)</ref>. Is there anything in the town’s long history that could possibly point in this direction?

Middletown was first called Senseny Town, as, “It was founded on a tract of land owned by Dr. Peter Senseny” <ref>Dillard. TWaS. 4 Aug. 1966</ref>. But, there are other versions of the town’s origin. A clipping from one of the Theatre’s scrapbooks suggests, “The town, from the beginning, has been called Midtown or Middletown” <ref>McCarty. The Winchester Star. Undated</ref>. This name aptly describes its location, as it is “five miles south of Newtown (now Stephens City) and five miles north of Stover Town (now Strasburg)” <ref>Brehm. “Middletown Looks to ….” TWS. 20 June 2001</ref>.

According to Cartnell’s History of Frederick County, “Middletown by 1878 was regularly incorporated and was governed by a mayor and common council …. It was during this period that the town enjoyed its most prosperous years. It was considered a manufacturing center for clocks, watches and compasses or surveyor’s instruments … as well as the first successful effort to produce a machine to thresh wheat.” Despite the creation of this labor-saving device, records indicate that “The machine was so successful that the farmers were suspicious of it” <ref>Dillard. 4 Aug. 1966</ref>.

During the flourishing “Middletown Boom” in the late 1800s, a suburb was laid out west of the town to accommodate the growing population. “But something happened — somebody pricked the bubble and the boom was over” <ref>Dillard. 4 Aug. 1966</ref>. Additional growth did not take place, and it is felt by some that the town has never completely recovered.

Today, Middletown contains residences of varying architectural styles and ages, some shops, and two new businesses: a Dollar General on Main Street and a MacDonald’s located outside the town at exit 302 of Interstate 81. There are a couple of historical landmarka, “In addition to the Wayside Inn, one of the town’s oldest building is the St. Thomas Chapel, now a non-denominational chapel, dating from 1836. South of the town is an historic plantation where a stately house, known as Belle Grove, dating back to the mid-1790s, sits boldly on the rollling Virginia landscape” <ref>McCarty, TWS. Undated</ref>. While not an “industry” as such, the [https://lfcc.edu Lord Fairfax Community College], should be included, as its student population brings many people to Middletown. Located just beyond the town’s nothern boundary, this two-year institution could be considered the town’s biggest industry due to the size of its student enrollment.

Despite this small-town environment, Wayside Theatre gave Middletown its largest influx of visitors by attracting people from an approximate 100 mile radius, who would otherwise have had no other reason to stop. What was the draw of this theatre nestled in a fairly rural setting? Was it the assurance of seeing first-class performances? Former Artistic Director, [[Gerry Slavet]], expressed his amazement at the quality of the theatre’s productions, when he referred to Wayside as the “Theatre in the Wild” <ref>Secrest. The Washington Post. 16 Aug. 1970</ref>. Slavet stated in another interview, “We shouldn’t be here! It’s unheard of to have this kind of professionalism and talent from the major centers like New York, Washington, the West Coast in Middletown” <ref>Jolly, B. “Women Back Wayside. Daily News Record. 17 Apr. 1973</ref>. Others refered to Middletown as “a magical place, a theatrical oasis in the middle of nowhere” <ref>Lawless. Email. 6 Aug. 2011</ref>. A guest director for Wayside’s 1985 season commented, “I think it’s a small miracle. You’re in the middle of the countryside with the cows and yet the theatre is quite good” <ref>Strohmeyer. “Wayside Summer Season …. ” NVD. 6 June 1985</ref>. Another writer, in describing Wayside, refers to it as “the vest-pocket theatre” with a seating capacity of about 260 people, and a “balcony that extends over most of the main floor” <ref>Matheny. “Middletown: A Showplace ….” Richmond Times and World News. 10 June 1978</ref>. When the twenty-fifth anniversary was observed, one writer referred to the Theatre as “ ‘the little dinosaur’ … a success in an area with few other attractions” <ref>Robbins. “Little Dinosaur ….” WES. 15 Feb. 1986</ref>.

Despite its rural location, Wayside was very active for fifty years, providing professional theatrical entertainment while overcoming many hardships, most of which were financial. It worked hard to remain a vital and valid theatrical organization with one single goal: that of producing quality, professional theatre in the Shenandoah Valley. And, this it did with great success.

But, in the middle of the 2013 season, all of this was cut short due to lack of funds, coupled with the prospect of being unable to correct the financial abyss into which it had fallen. The Theatre’s doors were closed. Middletown lost one of its star attractions, and the vision of the town’s founder was snuffed out. Therefore, in the light of Wayside Theatre’s wonderful history, it is imperative that some type of chronicle be compiled to celebrate its amazing years.

The answer to the question, “Why Middletown?” is best explained by a chance encounter of a Washington businessman who passed through Middletown and caught sight of an old building. The rest is history.

=====Citations=====
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==Leo and The Inn==
Early in the twentieth century, a Middletown resident describes the sleepy town’s main thoroughfare as follows: “Along with residences that line the street today, there were numerous businesses …, an ice cream store that had a soda fountain, a blacksmith’s shop, the Middletown Movie Theatre, a restaurant, the Middletown State Bank (now the location of Nana’s Irish Pub, formerly the The Irish Isle), and several grocery and dry-good stores, including Herbert Rhodes Dry Goods, Parker’s Store, Doug Edmondson’s Dry Goods, and Little & Larrick Grocery Store” (McCarty. TWS. Undated). Certainly not a booming metropolis, but certainly not a dead one.
Not mentioned in the above list were two very obvious landmarks. At Middletown’s single traffic light, located at the intersection of Main Street (Route 11) and First Street, stands the imposing, historic Wayside Inn. Since 1797, the Inn hosted travelers who traversed this major north-south artery. Just one block south of the Inn is the town’s other major landmark, The Wayside Theatre. Despite the gap in their dates, 1797 for the Inn, and the 1960s for the Theatre, there is a close connection between these two buildings.
In the early 1960s, neither the Inn nor the town were in a thriving state. “If the Inn was in bad shape,” states one source, “Middletown itself was not the picture of health. Unemployment was a significant problem, the only sanitation facilities were septic tanks and outhouses and the population count hadn’t changed appreciably in decades. The town had stopped on dead center, one resident recalls.” It was into this rather stagnant environment that Leo Bernstein stumbled, and his action became “a sort of catalyst to community development” (Blackwell. “Wayside Inn Gives ….” TWP. 10 Apr. 1969).
Some improvements in the town were already taking place before Bernstein’s arrival on the scene. Some residents felt that these changes in the community were the result of what was taking place at the Inn. It is not clear which came first. Leo Bernstein “is quick to point out that these signs of future prosperity were not his doing alone.” While this may have been the case, one cannot cannot deny that, “It is apparent … that [Bernstein] at least got the movement started.” Other Middletown residents feel that his purchase of the Inn provided the stimulus for the town council to seek a grant to cover the cost for a local sewer system. Archie J. Manuel, the mayor of Middletown at the time, says of Bernsetin, “He’s really been a big help to Middletown. I respect his knowledge of business and I respect him” (Blackwell. “Wayside Inn ….” TWP. 10 Apr. 1969).
Some of the residents expressed their approval of Bernstein’s purchase of the Inn and his plan to revitalize it. One report states, “Gene T. Dicks, mayor of the town, is enthusiastic about Bernstein’s work and plans” (“Small Town Catches …” TWP. 24 Feb. 1962). But, not everyone in Middletown felt that this purchase by an outsider had been a positive move. Some in the community objected to Bernstein’s “interference and throwing his money around.” Yet, even these doubters had to acknowledg that “change is always difficult” (Blackwell. “Wayside Inn ….” 10 Apr. 1969).
The history of the Wayside Inn is long, colorful, and well established. No less colorful is the story of the Inn’s acquisition by the Washington DC banker/real estate magnate, Leo Bernstein. Basically, the story states that Bernstein was returning from a business trip in one of the Carolinas and heading to his home in Washington, DC. As he drove through Middletown, he caught sight of the Inn, turned around after passing it, went in for a meal, and ended up purchasing the property that very day!
There are several versions to this story along with a variety of dates as to the date this transaction took place. One tells of Leo Bernstein, returning to DC after a meeting in 1959, sees the Inn and falls in love with it, and purchases it. (The Shenandoah Free Press. 19 Nov. 1986). Another recounts the event in the jargon of a town native. “A stranger with DC plates on his Cadillac drove slowly through town on Rte 11 one day in May, 1960, seemed to hesitate when he passed the Wayside Inn, turned around in a service station driveway and then pulled into the Inn’s parking lot” (Blackwell. “Wayside Inn ….” 10 Apr. 1969). Still, a different date for this incident is found in a Winchester paper that states, “[…] fifteen years ago (1961) Leo saw the inn and signed the contract ‘then and there’ ” … with the agreement with the owner Mrs. Genarro [Gertrude F. Jeannaro] to “let her have what was in it.” (Burke, S. “He Came, Bought an Old Inn.” WES. 20 Jan. 1976). The records found among the Leo Bernstein papers held at the Jewish Historical Society in Washington, DC, adds still more confusion. In response to a question, the JHS archivist replied, “a Washington Post newspaper article written in the 1980s about the Inn, and a Wayside Inn newspaper called the Wayside InnQuirer, published circa 1966, both give the dates (for the purchase) as May 1961 … while an undated oral history transcript done by Leo … gives the date as 1957, quoting Bernstein as saying, ‘when I was 42’ ” (Turman. Email, 2015).
Despite the variations in the date as to when this transaction took place, 1957, 1959, 1960, or 1961, the proprty records show that Bernstein purchased the Inn on June 8, 1961 (Frederick County Court House). It is the general consensus that the Inn was definitely not in perfect physical condition at the time of the purchase. One description of the property goes so far as to say that it was “… in shambles. It had no heating system and business was terrible” (Blackwell. “Wayside Inn ….” 10 Apr. 1969). Purchasing a property in such a state of disrepair illustrates the confidence and the vision the buyer had for this property, and confirms Bernstein’s reputation as an entrepreneur in the world of real estate.
Bernstein’s purchase of the Wayside Inn was a monumental event for Middletown. One headline calls the acquisition a major coup, stating, “A tiny Virginia town with an historic inn is getting a shot of private-capital adrenalin from a Washington financier. The town is Middletown (pop. 386) and the ‘doctor’ is Leo M. Bernstein.” The purpose of this acquisition, writes the unnamed author, was to make Middletown “a stopping-off place for tourists attracted to the Nation’s Capital and all parts of Virginia” (“Small Town Catches ….” TWP. 24 Feb. 1962).
Another source suggests that Bernstein might have had a long-range plan when he acquired the Inn, which was “… to convert an old movie house into a theatre for summer stock” (Blackwell. “Wayside Inn ….” 10 Apr, 1969). The almost exact wording is used by another reporter, noting that Bernstein had “A plan […] to convert an old movie house into a theater for summer stock” (“Small Town Catches ….” TWP ).
Could it have been possible that, when Bernstein passed through Middletown on his way to DC, he noticed that there were two buildings in need of attention -- a theatre and an Inn that were separated by only a single block? Driving north, he would first have passed the movie house, that had been closed since 1958, before approaching the historic Inn. Wile driving the short distance between the two buildings, could the idea have materialized that by connecting the two, a profitable venture could be created that would be a way to increase the tourist trade in this vicinity? One can only wonder.
Despite the confusing accounts found in various sources, as of June 1961, the Inn was now under new ownership, and an imaginative entrepreneur was about to work his magic.

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==From Movie House to Theatre==
By contrast, the history of the abandoned movie theatre that became the home of the Wayside Theatre is not quite as colorful. Records dating to 1797 show that a store and tavern once stood where the Theatre is located. In the latter 1800s, the Danner Hotel, also called the “old Hotel,” occupied one portion of the property, the other half was called the Storehouse. From 1906, the building was rented to a variety of tenants: housing the Town Hall and jail, a general store, and other businesses.out until destroyed by fire in 1941 (Jones, G. from “The First Tavern.” Undated.)
Records show that the former building had been divided into three businesses: Little & Larrick’s Store managed by Dorothy Larrick and Arthur Tevault; a restaurant belonging to Ed Goode, and another store owned by Ed Sperry. After the 1941 fire, the lot remained empty until 1944, when the property was purchased by Herschel C. Borden, who erected a new building on the site, feeling that a movie theatre would be good addition for the population of Middletown. After the completion of the new building, Borden “lived in an apartment on the second floor for several years” (Robbins. “Little Dinosaur ….”TWS. 15 Feb. 1986).
This new structure was also divided into three sections: a movie theatre, a pharmacy, and a store that was managed by J. C. Borden. The second floor housed an apartment located in the back portion of the building, that would later be used as theatre rehearsal space and, in more recent years, as the Theatre’s costume shop. Beyond this area was a porch with steps leading down to the ground, where a paint-deck was located when the building was transformed into a theatre. The front part of the second floor was the location of the law office for Bob O’Neil, and later became an apartment for a family of three. In later years, this section was altered and served as the Theatre’s administrative offices. From 1959 – 1962, the ground floor space that had been the pharmacy became the home of Middletown’s town government, including the police department (Savaiano. Interview. 1 Sept. 2009).
The basement area of the building also went through various transformations. Prior to the time of the Theatre, one section was a barber shop, complete with a barber pole that hung outside the door. Some people recall a betting parlor located here, “where not quite legal wagers were placed … on the Races … that were run at nearby Charles Town, West Virginia” (Lickson, The Lure and Lore of the Wayside Theatre). Others recall a Winchester lady, usually drunk, who rented a section of the basement for a beauty shop until she disappeared in 1962. Each of these separate areas in the basement had outside entrances that opened on to Second Street. When the Theatre took over the building, the first door of the basement served as the entrance to the costume shop, the second door was for prop storage, and the third door was for storage of scenery that was not being used. Due to the lack of adequate storage space, some scenery was stored in buildings located outside of Middletown, where one of these buildings had been a chicken coop that had never been cleaned out! (Stern. Interview. 7 Feb. 2011).
Joe Dwyer purchased the building in 1959, and is said to have sold the theatre seats, as well as all the projection equipment for viewing films to various movie theatres in the area. An undated notice states that when The Opera House in Berryville, formerly known as Pitts Clarco Theatre was undergoing a remodeling, the old seats and projectors were replace by newer seats and projectors purchased a few years earlier from the Wayside (Movie) Theater in Middletown. (“Out of the Past.” TWS. 22 July 2013). The installation of the seats into the Berryville space would have taken place around 1961 or 1962, when the Middletown theatre was closed and before Bernstein purchased it.
Some sources erroneously state that films were shown in the Middletown building until 1962, but records indicate this was not the case. Dwyer remained the owner of the building until Berntein purchased it on 22 February 1962.
Two small buildings, both painted red, were located at the rear of the Theatre. The concrete-block structure had been a dry-cleaning establishment at one time. Theatre staff, who had worked at Wayside in the early years, will recall this building as the scene shop. Also located behind the theatre was a tiny frame building, which was nick-named The Love Shack. This small structure had an interesting history in itself serving at one time as a residence for staff and actors, and later as a storage place for scenery. Both of these structures were torn down in 2005 when the Theatre’s ill-fated expansion campaign was begun.

Background

2018-10-22T16:57:19Z

Jameslaster: /* Why Middletown? */

==Why Middletown?==
How did a professional theatre find a home in Middletown, Virginia, a town of 1,152 residents, according to a 2009 publication? Is there anything about this town that would give the slightest clue that it would be the home for an Equity Theatre for fifty years? Could Peter Senseny, the founder of Middletown, imagine in 1794 when he “… applied to the state General Assembly for a charter for the town he had drawn up (probably with the assistance of local clockmaker jeweler, and surveyor Jacob Danner) on land Senseney owned a few miles south of what is now Stephens City,” that someday there “would be actors from Broadway strolling its streets?” <ref>Dillard. TWaS. 4 Aug. 1966)</ref>. Is there anything in the town’s long history that could possibly point in this direction?

[[File:Rules_for_singing.jpg]]

Middletown was first called Senseny Town, as, “It was founded on a tract of land owned by Dr. Peter Senseny” <ref>Dillard. TWaS. 4 Aug. 1966</ref>. But, there are other versions of the town’s origin. A clipping from one of the Theatre’s scrapbooks suggests, “The town, from the beginning, has been called Midtown or Middletown” <ref>McCarty. The Winchester Star. Undated</ref>. This name aptly describes its location, as it is “five miles south of Newtown (now Stephens City) and five miles north of Stover Town (now Strasburg)” <ref>Brehm. “Middletown Looks to ….” TWS. 20 June 2001</ref>.

According to Cartnell’s History of Frederick County, “Middletown by 1878 was regularly incorporated and was governed by a mayor and common council …. It was during this period that the town enjoyed its most prosperous years. It was considered a manufacturing center for clocks, watches and compasses or surveyor’s instruments … as well as the first successful effort to produce a machine to thresh wheat.” Despite the creation of this labor-saving device, records indicate that “The machine was so successful that the farmers were suspicious of it” <ref>Dillard. 4 Aug. 1966</ref>.

During the flourishing “Middletown Boom” in the late 1800s, a suburb was laid out west of the town to accommodate the growing population. “But something happened — somebody pricked the bubble and the boom was over” <ref>Dillard. 4 Aug. 1966</ref>. Additional growth did not take place, and it is felt by some that the town has never completely recovered.

Today, Middletown contains residences of varying architectural styles and ages, some shops, and two new businesses: a Dollar General on Main Street and a MacDonald’s located outside the town at exit 302 of Interstate 81. There are a couple of historical landmarka, “In addition to the Wayside Inn, one of the town’s oldest building is the St. Thomas Chapel, now a non-denominational chapel, dating from 1836. South of the town is an historic plantation where a stately house, known as Belle Grove, dating back to the mid-1790s, sits boldly on the rollling Virginia landscape” <ref>McCarty, TWS. Undated</ref>. While not an “industry” as such, the [https://lfcc.edu Lord Fairfax Community College], should be included, as its student population brings many people to Middletown. Located just beyond the town’s nothern boundary, this two-year institution could be considered the town’s biggest industry due to the size of its student enrollment.

Despite this small-town environment, Wayside Theatre gave Middletown its largest influx of visitors by attracting people from an approximate 100 mile radius, who would otherwise have had no other reason to stop. What was the draw of this theatre nestled in a fairly rural setting? Was it the assurance of seeing first-class performances? Former Artistic Director, [[Gerry Slavet]], expressed his amazement at the quality of the theatre’s productions, when he referred to Wayside as the “Theatre in the Wild” <ref>Secrest. The Washington Post. 16 Aug. 1970</ref>. Slavet stated in another interview, “We shouldn’t be here! It’s unheard of to have this kind of professionalism and talent from the major centers like New York, Washington, the West Coast in Middletown” <ref>Jolly, B. “Women Back Wayside. Daily News Record. 17 Apr. 1973</ref>. Others refered to Middletown as “a magical place, a theatrical oasis in the middle of nowhere” <ref>Lawless. Email. 6 Aug. 2011</ref>. A guest director for Wayside’s 1985 season commented, “I think it’s a small miracle. You’re in the middle of the countryside with the cows and yet the theatre is quite good” <ref>Strohmeyer. “Wayside Summer Season …. ” NVD. 6 June 1985</ref>. Another writer, in describing Wayside, refers to it as “the vest-pocket theatre” with a seating capacity of about 260 people, and a “balcony that extends over most of the main floor” <ref>Matheny. “Middletown: A Showplace ….” Richmond Times and World News. 10 June 1978</ref>. When the twenty-fifth anniversary was observed, one writer referred to the Theatre as “ ‘the little dinosaur’ … a success in an area with few other attractions” <ref>Robbins. “Little Dinosaur ….” WES. 15 Feb. 1986</ref>.

Despite its rural location, Wayside was very active for fifty years, providing professional theatrical entertainment while overcoming many hardships, most of which were financial. It worked hard to remain a vital and valid theatrical organization with one single goal: that of producing quality, professional theatre in the Shenandoah Valley. And, this it did with great success.

But, in the middle of the 2013 season, all of this was cut short due to lack of funds, coupled with the prospect of being unable to correct the financial abyss into which it had fallen. The Theatre’s doors were closed. Middletown lost one of its star attractions, and the vision of the town’s founder was snuffed out. Therefore, in the light of Wayside Theatre’s wonderful history, it is imperative that some type of chronicle be compiled to celebrate its amazing years.

The answer to the question, “Why Middletown?” is best explained by a chance encounter of a Washington businessman who passed through Middletown and caught sight of an old building. The rest is history.

=====Citations=====
<references />

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==Leo and The Inn==
Early in the twentieth century, a Middletown resident describes the sleepy town’s main thoroughfare as follows: “Along with residences that line the street today, there were numerous businesses …, an ice cream store that had a soda fountain, a blacksmith’s shop, the Middletown Movie Theatre, a restaurant, the Middletown State Bank (now the location of Nana’s Irish Pub, formerly the The Irish Isle), and several grocery and dry-good stores, including Herbert Rhodes Dry Goods, Parker’s Store, Doug Edmondson’s Dry Goods, and Little & Larrick Grocery Store” (McCarty. TWS. Undated). Certainly not a booming metropolis, but certainly not a dead one.
Not mentioned in the above list were two very obvious landmarks. At Middletown’s single traffic light, located at the intersection of Main Street (Route 11) and First Street, stands the imposing, historic Wayside Inn. Since 1797, the Inn hosted travelers who traversed this major north-south artery. Just one block south of the Inn is the town’s other major landmark, The Wayside Theatre. Despite the gap in their dates, 1797 for the Inn, and the 1960s for the Theatre, there is a close connection between these two buildings.
In the early 1960s, neither the Inn nor the town were in a thriving state. “If the Inn was in bad shape,” states one source, “Middletown itself was not the picture of health. Unemployment was a significant problem, the only sanitation facilities were septic tanks and outhouses and the population count hadn’t changed appreciably in decades. The town had stopped on dead center, one resident recalls.” It was into this rather stagnant environment that Leo Bernstein stumbled, and his action became “a sort of catalyst to community development” (Blackwell. “Wayside Inn Gives ….” TWP. 10 Apr. 1969).
Some improvements in the town were already taking place before Bernstein’s arrival on the scene. Some residents felt that these changes in the community were the result of what was taking place at the Inn. It is not clear which came first. Leo Bernstein “is quick to point out that these signs of future prosperity were not his doing alone.” While this may have been the case, one cannot cannot deny that, “It is apparent … that [Bernstein] at least got the movement started.” Other Middletown residents feel that his purchase of the Inn provided the stimulus for the town council to seek a grant to cover the cost for a local sewer system. Archie J. Manuel, the mayor of Middletown at the time, says of Bernsetin, “He’s really been a big help to Middletown. I respect his knowledge of business and I respect him” (Blackwell. “Wayside Inn ….” TWP. 10 Apr. 1969).
Some of the residents expressed their approval of Bernstein’s purchase of the Inn and his plan to revitalize it. One report states, “Gene T. Dicks, mayor of the town, is enthusiastic about Bernstein’s work and plans” (“Small Town Catches …” TWP. 24 Feb. 1962). But, not everyone in Middletown felt that this purchase by an outsider had been a positive move. Some in the community objected to Bernstein’s “interference and throwing his money around.” Yet, even these doubters had to acknowledg that “change is always difficult” (Blackwell. “Wayside Inn ….” 10 Apr. 1969).
The history of the Wayside Inn is long, colorful, and well established. No less colorful is the story of the Inn’s acquisition by the Washington DC banker/real estate magnate, Leo Bernstein. Basically, the story states that Bernstein was returning from a business trip in one of the Carolinas and heading to his home in Washington, DC. As he drove through Middletown, he caught sight of the Inn, turned around after passing it, went in for a meal, and ended up purchasing the property that very day!
There are several versions to this story along with a variety of dates as to the date this transaction took place. One tells of Leo Bernstein, returning to DC after a meeting in 1959, sees the Inn and falls in love with it, and purchases it. (The Shenandoah Free Press. 19 Nov. 1986). Another recounts the event in the jargon of a town native. “A stranger with DC plates on his Cadillac drove slowly through town on Rte 11 one day in May, 1960, seemed to hesitate when he passed the Wayside Inn, turned around in a service station driveway and then pulled into the Inn’s parking lot” (Blackwell. “Wayside Inn ….” 10 Apr. 1969). Still, a different date for this incident is found in a Winchester paper that states, “[…] fifteen years ago (1961) Leo saw the inn and signed the contract ‘then and there’ ” … with the agreement with the owner Mrs. Genarro [Gertrude F. Jeannaro] to “let her have what was in it.” (Burke, S. “He Came, Bought an Old Inn.” WES. 20 Jan. 1976). The records found among the Leo Bernstein papers held at the Jewish Historical Society in Washington, DC, adds still more confusion. In response to a question, the JHS archivist replied, “a Washington Post newspaper article written in the 1980s about the Inn, and a Wayside Inn newspaper called the Wayside InnQuirer, published circa 1966, both give the dates (for the purchase) as May 1961 … while an undated oral history transcript done by Leo … gives the date as 1957, quoting Bernstein as saying, ‘when I was 42’ ” (Turman. Email, 2015).
Despite the variations in the date as to when this transaction took place, 1957, 1959, 1960, or 1961, the proprty records show that Bernstein purchased the Inn on June 8, 1961 (Frederick County Court House). It is the general consensus that the Inn was definitely not in perfect physical condition at the time of the purchase. One description of the property goes so far as to say that it was “… in shambles. It had no heating system and business was terrible” (Blackwell. “Wayside Inn ….” 10 Apr. 1969). Purchasing a property in such a state of disrepair illustrates the confidence and the vision the buyer had for this property, and confirms Bernstein’s reputation as an entrepreneur in the world of real estate.
Bernstein’s purchase of the Wayside Inn was a monumental event for Middletown. One headline calls the acquisition a major coup, stating, “A tiny Virginia town with an historic inn is getting a shot of private-capital adrenalin from a Washington financier. The town is Middletown (pop. 386) and the ‘doctor’ is Leo M. Bernstein.” The purpose of this acquisition, writes the unnamed author, was to make Middletown “a stopping-off place for tourists attracted to the Nation’s Capital and all parts of Virginia” (“Small Town Catches ….” TWP. 24 Feb. 1962).
Another source suggests that Bernstein might have had a long-range plan when he acquired the Inn, which was “… to convert an old movie house into a theatre for summer stock” (Blackwell. “Wayside Inn ….” 10 Apr, 1969). The almost exact wording is used by another reporter, noting that Bernstein had “A plan […] to convert an old movie house into a theater for summer stock” (“Small Town Catches ….” TWP ).
Could it have been possible that, when Bernstein passed through Middletown on his way to DC, he noticed that there were two buildings in need of attention -- a theatre and an Inn that were separated by only a single block? Driving north, he would first have passed the movie house, that had been closed since 1958, before approaching the historic Inn. Wile driving the short distance between the two buildings, could the idea have materialized that by connecting the two, a profitable venture could be created that would be a way to increase the tourist trade in this vicinity? One can only wonder.
Despite the confusing accounts found in various sources, as of June 1961, the Inn was now under new ownership, and an imaginative entrepreneur was about to work his magic.

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==From Movie House to Theatre==
By contrast, the history of the abandoned movie theatre that became the home of the Wayside Theatre is not quite as colorful. Records dating to 1797 show that a store and tavern once stood where the Theatre is located. In the latter 1800s, the Danner Hotel, also called the “old Hotel,” occupied one portion of the property, the other half was called the Storehouse. From 1906, the building was rented to a variety of tenants: housing the Town Hall and jail, a general store, and other businesses.out until destroyed by fire in 1941 (Jones, G. from “The First Tavern.” Undated.)
Records show that the former building had been divided into three businesses: Little & Larrick’s Store managed by Dorothy Larrick and Arthur Tevault; a restaurant belonging to Ed Goode, and another store owned by Ed Sperry. After the 1941 fire, the lot remained empty until 1944, when the property was purchased by Herschel C. Borden, who erected a new building on the site, feeling that a movie theatre would be good addition for the population of Middletown. After the completion of the new building, Borden “lived in an apartment on the second floor for several years” (Robbins. “Little Dinosaur ….”TWS. 15 Feb. 1986).
This new structure was also divided into three sections: a movie theatre, a pharmacy, and a store that was managed by J. C. Borden. The second floor housed an apartment located in the back portion of the building, that would later be used as theatre rehearsal space and, in more recent years, as the Theatre’s costume shop. Beyond this area was a porch with steps leading down to the ground, where a paint-deck was located when the building was transformed into a theatre. The front part of the second floor was the location of the law office for Bob O’Neil, and later became an apartment for a family of three. In later years, this section was altered and served as the Theatre’s administrative offices. From 1959 – 1962, the ground floor space that had been the pharmacy became the home of Middletown’s town government, including the police department (Savaiano. Interview. 1 Sept. 2009).
The basement area of the building also went through various transformations. Prior to the time of the Theatre, one section was a barber shop, complete with a barber pole that hung outside the door. Some people recall a betting parlor located here, “where not quite legal wagers were placed … on the Races … that were run at nearby Charles Town, West Virginia” (Lickson, The Lure and Lore of the Wayside Theatre). Others recall a Winchester lady, usually drunk, who rented a section of the basement for a beauty shop until she disappeared in 1962. Each of these separate areas in the basement had outside entrances that opened on to Second Street. When the Theatre took over the building, the first door of the basement served as the entrance to the costume shop, the second door was for prop storage, and the third door was for storage of scenery that was not being used. Due to the lack of adequate storage space, some scenery was stored in buildings located outside of Middletown, where one of these buildings had been a chicken coop that had never been cleaned out! (Stern. Interview. 7 Feb. 2011).
Joe Dwyer purchased the building in 1959, and is said to have sold the theatre seats, as well as all the projection equipment for viewing films to various movie theatres in the area. An undated notice states that when The Opera House in Berryville, formerly known as Pitts Clarco Theatre was undergoing a remodeling, the old seats and projectors were replace by newer seats and projectors purchased a few years earlier from the Wayside (Movie) Theater in Middletown. (“Out of the Past.” TWS. 22 July 2013). The installation of the seats into the Berryville space would have taken place around 1961 or 1962, when the Middletown theatre was closed and before Bernstein purchased it.
Some sources erroneously state that films were shown in the Middletown building until 1962, but records indicate this was not the case. Dwyer remained the owner of the building until Berntein purchased it on 22 February 1962.
Two small buildings, both painted red, were located at the rear of the Theatre. The concrete-block structure had been a dry-cleaning establishment at one time. Theatre staff, who had worked at Wayside in the early years, will recall this building as the scene shop. Also located behind the theatre was a tiny frame building, which was nick-named The Love Shack. This small structure had an interesting history in itself serving at one time as a residence for staff and actors, and later as a storage place for scenery. Both of these structures were torn down in 2005 when the Theatre’s ill-fated expansion campaign was begun.

2018-08-06T15:36:55Z

Jameslaster:

During the summer of 2011, the world-renowned Shaw Festival, located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada, observed its 50th anniversary. Next to the imposing Festival Hall, in the lobby of the smaller Studio Theatre, was a display of posters and production photographs. A larger and more comprehensive exhibit of the Shaw’s impressive history was to be found a few blocks away at the town library.
Upon entering the lobby, one was drawn to a three-panel screen. The text on these panels served as an introduction to the items that were on display, only a few steps away.

It just so happened that the 50th anniversary of the Shaw Festival coincided with the observance of Wayside Theatre’s 50th season. It was the opening sentence on the first panel that caught my attention, as I had just begun to delve into Wayside’s history. It read:

Theatre is always doomed to become a memory once the final curtain falls. A few tangible records remain — house programmes, newspaper reviews, a poster; (photographs) …. These bits and pieces are no less ephemeral than the theatre experience itself. <ref>Shaw Festival Display. Summer 2011</ref>

It was these bits and pieces, or “items of memory,” of Wayside’s history that had already begun to encroach on the floor of my study. These “memories” had surfaced from various sources: thumbing through playbills; viewing photographs of past production; listening to actors recount their experiences of rehearsals and performances; jogging the memories those who had served on the artistic staff and had created the sets, hung the lights, and built the costumes. These “memories” had also included talking with people who had sat in the theatre’s seats, who had applauded what they had seen on the stage, and who had left the space filled with the magic that only theatre can bring.

What a privilege it has been to come into contact with these Wayside “memories.” When this project began in 2011, it was assumed its final form would be as a coffee-table book, combining historical narrative with abundant photographs. Because new information continues to surface, it was decided not to freeze this story into print, but to keep it flexible in some type of electronic format, so that when additional information appeared it could be added. Regardless of the project’s format issues, it was assumed that collecting these memories would be a long and tedious process.

But, further “memories” were not to be. In July of 2013, the Board of Directors made the decision to close the Theatre due to financial reasons. Consequently, there will be nothing more to add, only the reconstructing of what has gone on before. This project is now an historical document about a defunct organization with a rich past.

It is with hope that these memories will be all the more valuable to those who read the story of Wayside Theatre. May this “jewel in the Shenandoah Valley” not be forgotten.

''[[JHL]]''

----

=====Citations=====
<references />

User:Jameslaster

2018-08-06T15:35:24Z

2018-08-06T15:02:57Z

Jameslaster:

=INTRODUCTION=

:''AllAboutWayside.com'' is an attempt to document the fifty-year history of the Wayside Theatre that produced live, professional theatre in Middletown, Virginia. It is by no means a complete document, as there are still many unanswered questions. But, it does attempt to tell the story of this organization and give an overview of what took place on its stage, along with the impact this theatre had on the cultural life of the Shenandoah Valley. As it is a work in progress, it will be updated, amended, and corrected as material comes to the author’s attention. Most of the writing completed to date covers the years from 1963 – 1998. The remaining years will be dealt with at some point in the future.

:The organization for this document is chronological beginning with the founding of the Theatre and its earliest productions, with a year-by-year chronology of performances. The last fifteen years up to the time of the theatre’s closing will be added at a later date. The discussion of each year is based on Information found in the theatre’s playbills, newspaper reviews of productions, articles dealing with various theatre activities, along with information from personal contacts. The Appendix deals with topics that span more than a single year as well as topics of a non-performance nature.

----

<nowiki>
''Frequently cited newspaper titles are abbreviated as follows:''
* CSC – Culpeper Star Exponent
* TDM – The Daily Mail
* HDNR – Harrisonburg Daily News Record
* NVD – Northern Virginia Daily
* TMJ – The Martinsburg Journal
* PN&C – Paige News and Courier
* RTD – Richmond Times Dispatch
* TWP – The Washington Post
* TWaS – The Warren Sentinel
* WES – Winchester Evening Star
* TWS – The Winchester Star
</nowiki>

Main Page

2018-08-06T15:02:11Z

Jameslaster:

=INTRODUCTION=

:''AllAboutWayside.com'' is an attempt to document the fifty-year history of the Wayside Theatre that produced live, professional theatre in Middletown, Virginia. It is by no means a complete document, as there are still many unanswered questions. But, it does attempt to tell the story of this organization and give an overview of what took place on its stage, along with the impact this theatre had on the cultural life of the Shenandoah Valley. As it is a work in progress, it will be updated, amended, and corrected as material comes to the author’s attention. Most of the writing completed to date covers the years from 1963 – 1998. The remaining years will be dealt with at some point in the future.

:The organization for this document is chronological beginning with the founding of the Theatre and its earliest productions, with a year-by-year chronology of performances. The last fifteen years up to the time of the theatre’s closing will be added at a later date. The discussion of each year is based on Information found in the theatre’s playbills, newspaper reviews of productions, articles dealing with various theatre activities, along with information from personal contacts. The Appendix deals with topics that span more than a single year as well as topics of a non-performance nature.

----

<nowiki>
'''Frequently cited newspaper titles are abbreviated as follows:'''
*CSC – Culpeper Star Exponent
*TDM – The Daily Mail
*HDNR – Harrisonburg Daily News Record
*NVD – Northern Virginia Daily
*TMJ – The Martinsburg Journal
*PN&C – Paige News and Courier
*RTD – Richmond Times Dispatch
*TWP – The Washington Post
*TWaS – The Warren Sentinel
*WES – Winchester Evening Star
*TWS – The Winchester Star
</nowiki>

Main Page

2018-08-06T15:00:34Z

Jameslaster: /* = */

=INTRODUCTION=

AllAboutWayside.com is an attempt to document the fifty-year history of the Wayside Theatre that produced live, professional theatre in Middletown, Virginia. It is by no means a complete document, as there are still many unanswered questions. But, it does attempt to tell the story of this organization and give an overview of what took place on its stage, along with the impact this theatre had on the cultural life of the Shenandoah Valley. As it is a work in progress, it will be updated, amended, and corrected as material comes to the author’s attention. Most of the writing completed to date covers the years from 1963 – 1998. The remaining years will be dealt with at some point in the future.

The organization for this document is chronological beginning with the founding of the Theatre and its earliest productions, with a year-by-year chronology of performances. The last fifteen years up to the time of the theatre’s closing will be added at a later date. The discussion of each year is based on Information found in the theatre’s playbills, newspaper reviews of productions, articles dealing with various theatre activities, along with information from personal contacts. The Appendix deals with topics that span more than a single year as well as topics of a non-performance nature.

===Frequently cited newspaper titles are abbreviated as follows:
CSC – Culpeper Star Exponent
TDM – The Daily Mail
HDNR – Harrisonburg Daily News Record
NVD – Northern Virginia Daily
TMJ – The Martinsburg Journal
PN&C – Paige News and Courier
RTD – Richmond Times Dispatch
TWP – The Washington Post
TWaS – The Warren Sentinel
WES – Winchester Evening Star
TWS – The Winchester Star
<nowiki>
==Frequently cited newspaper titles are abbreviated as follows:==
*CSC – Culpeper Star Exponent
*TDM – The Daily Mail
*HDNR – Harrisonburg Daily News Record
*NVD – Northern Virginia Daily
*TMJ – The Martinsburg Journal
*PN&C – Paige News and Courier
*RTD – Richmond Times Dispatch
*TWP – The Washington Post
*TWaS – The Warren Sentinel
*WES – Winchester Evening Star
*TWS – The Winchester Star
</nowiki>

Main Page

2018-08-06T14:56:40Z

Jameslaster:

Main Page

2018-08-06T14:56:23Z

Jameslaster:

=INTRODUCTION=

AllAboutWayside.com is an attempt to document the fifty-year history of the Wayside Theatre that produced live, professional theatre in Middletown, Virginia. It is by no means a complete document, as there are still many unanswered questions. But, it does attempt to tell the story of this organization and give an overview of what took place on its stage, along with the impact this theatre had on the cultural life of the Shenandoah Valley. As it is a work in progress, it will be updated, amended, and corrected as material comes to the author’s attention. Most of the writing completed to date covers the years from 1963 – 1998. The remaining years will be dealt with at some point in the future.

The organization for this document is chronological beginning with the founding of the Theatre and its earliest productions, with a year-by-year chronology of performances. The last fifteen years up to the time of the theatre’s closing will be added at a later date. The discussion of each year is based on Information found in the theatre’s playbills, newspaper reviews of productions, articles dealing with various theatre activities, along with information from personal contacts. The Appendix deals with topics that span more than a single year as well as topics of a non-performance nature.

===Frequently cited newspaper titles are abbreviated as follows:===
CSC – Culpeper Star Exponent
TDM – The Daily Mail
HDNR – Harrisonburg Daily News Record
NVD – Northern Virginia Daily
TMJ – The Martinsburg Journal
PN&C – Paige News and Courier
RTD – Richmond Times Dispatch
TWP – The Washington Post
TWaS – The Warren Sentinel
WES – Winchester Evening Star
TWS – The Winchester Star

Main Page

2018-08-06T14:55:52Z

Jameslaster: Pasting in the Introduction

=INTRODUCTION=

AllAboutWayside.com is an attempt to document the fifty-year history of the Wayside Theatre that produced live, professional theatre in Middletown, Virginia. It is by no means a complete document, as there are still many unanswered questions. But, it does attempt to tell the story of this organization and give an overview of what took place on its stage, along with the impact this theatre had on the cultural life of the Shenandoah Valley. As it is a work in progress, it will be updated, amended, and corrected as material comes to the author’s attention. Most of the writing completed to date covers the years from 1963 – 1998. The remaining years will be dealt with at some point in the future.

The organization for this document is chronological beginning with the founding of the Theatre and its earliest productions, with a year-by-year chronology of performances. The last fifteen years up to the time of the theatre’s closing will be added at a later date. The discussion of each year is based on Information found in the theatre’s playbills, newspaper reviews of productions, articles dealing with various theatre activities, along with information from personal contacts. The Appendix deals with topics that span more than a single year as well as topics of a non-performance nature.

===Frequently cited newspaper titles are abbreviated as follows:===
CSC – Culpeper Star Exponent
TDM – The Daily Mail
HDNR – Harrisonburg Daily News Record
NVD – Northern Virginia Daily
TMJ – The Martinsburg Journal
PN&C – Paige News and Courier
RTD – Richmond Times Dispatch
TWP – The Washington Post
TWaS – The Warren Sentinel
WES – Winchester Evening Star
TWS – The Winchester Star