By Ahmad Yassir, Vermont Country Magazine.
In a village of just a few hundred residents, audiences have been gathering for nearly nine decades to experience something timeless: the shared magic of live theater.
This year, Weston Theater Company celebrates its 90th season, marking an extraordinary milestone not only for the organization itself, but for Vermont’s cultural landscape. From its earliest days during the Great Depression to its current role as one of the nation’s most respected regional theaters, Weston has remained rooted in a simple idea: bringing people together through stories.
The theater’s origins trace back to a time when Weston was largely isolated during long Vermont winters. Residents gathered to stage productions that connected them to worlds beyond the surrounding hills. A former church, renovated by Weston-born architect Raymond Austin for the town’s dramatic club, eventually became home to the theater’s first professional summer season under director Harlan Grant in 1937.
Over the decades, the theater persevered through wartime uncertainty, devastating fires, floods and changing cultural landscapes. Families including the Walkers, the Lloyds, and many others helped build a theater that grew in reputation while never losing its connection to community.
By the 1950s, the Weston Playhouse had become a destination for visitors traveling throughout Southern Vermont. The pathway between Walker Farm and the Playhouse became known as the “Avenue of the Stars,” reflecting the growing number of notable performers who found their way to Weston.
A major transformation came under the three-decade leadership of Malcolm Ewen, Tim Fort and Steve Stettler, starting in 1988. During that era, Weston evolved into a fully professional theater known for bringing Broadway-caliber talent to Vermont while maintaining its welcoming, community-centered spirit. Audiences came to know Weston as the home of “Broadway in Vermont.”
The next chapter began in 2017 with the opening of a second venue at Walker Farm, creating a year-round center for the arts that expanded the organization’s educational programming, original works development and community engagement. In 2021, the organization formally became Weston Theater Company, reflecting a broader mission that extended beyond a single stage.
Today, the company welcomes more than 15,000 visitors annually, connecting Weston to audiences from across Vermont and beyond.
That commitment to connection sits at the heart of Season 90.
For nine decades, Weston has been a place where strangers become neighbors and where conversations continue long after the curtain falls. This anniversary season celebrates that legacy while looking toward the future through a diverse lineup of productions, artists and events.
By the time this issue reaches readers, audiences will have already enjoyed the season’s opening productions, Ring of Fire and Schoolhouse Rock Live!, which launched the anniversary year with music, storytelling, and family-friendly entertainment.
Still to come is one of the most celebrated musicals of the modern era, and a show celebrating its own 30th Anniversary.
From July 22 through Aug. 16, Weston presents Rent, Jonathan Larson’s groundbreaking rock musical that transformed American theater. Set in New York City’s East Village during the AIDS crisis, the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning production follows a group of friends navigating love, loss, creativity, and chosen family. Nearly 30 years after its debut, Rent remains as urgent, heartfelt, and exhilarating as ever.
Later in the season, from Aug. 26 through Sept. 6, audiences can experience Primary Trust by Eboni Booth. Winner of the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the play follows Kenneth, a man whose carefully structured life is suddenly disrupted, forcing him to confront change, vulnerability, and the possibility of deeper connection. Both moving and unexpectedly funny, the production offers an intimate reflection on friendship, resilience, and personal transformation.
Beyond the mainstage productions, Weston continues to offer opportunities for audiences to engage with artists and ideas through its Spotlight Sessions series and special events. Summer highlights include performances by celebrated Weston and Broadway artists Margo Seibert, Jefferson McDonald, and Julie Benko, as well as an appearance by Pulitzer-Prize Winning journalist for The New York times, author David E. Sanger. The season culminates with The Stick Season Gala in October.
As Weston Theater Company celebrates 90 years, its mission remains remarkably consistent: to create theater that engages, entertains, and inspires an ever-expanding community.
For residents, second-home owners, and visitors alike, the theater remains one of Southern Vermont’s most enduring cultural destinations, a place where the lights dim, the curtain rises, and stories continue to bring people together.
For tickets, subscriptions, and season information, visit westontheater.org or contact the box office at 802-824-5288.
