Mark Lamos News

Ninety years ago on June 29, 1931, Westport Country Playhouse opened its doors to its very first stage production. This year, on the exact same day, the Playhouse will mark its 90th anniversary with the opening of the virtual production, “Tiny House,” written by Michael Gotch, and directed by Mark Lamos, Playhouse artistic director. The regional premiere of the timely comedy about escaping urban life in an isolated mountain paradise will stream on demand from Tuesday, June 29 through Sunday, July 18.

Westport Country Playhouse announces its 2021 Joanne Woodward Internship class of three theater career aspirants who will enhance their professional skills and gain on-the-job experience working directly with Playhouse senior staff from June through mid-August.

Westport Country Playhouse will present a Script in Hand play reading of the comedy, “The Savannah Disputation,” filmed on the Playhouse stage and broadcast virtually, premiering Monday, June 14, at 7 p.m., and streaming on-demand from Tuesday, June 15 through Sunday, June 20.

Westport Country Playhouse’s New Works Initiative begins its 2021 season with a virtual workshop of ““The Immaculate Perfection of F---ing and Bleeding in the Gender Neutral Bathroom of an Upper-Middle Class High School,” written by Daniel Halpern and directed by Margot Bordelon, on Wednesday and Thursday, May 26 and 27.

Westport Country Playhouse Radio Theater, a free-of-charge broadcast series, in partnership with WSHU Public Radio, will present the new, audio play, “The Return,” on Saturday, May 29, at noon, followed by a rebroadcast on Sunday, May 30, at 4 p.m.

Antaeus Theatre Company launches their second season of their popular podcasts THE ZIP CODE PLAYS: LOS ANGELES May 20, 2021. Each play, set in six different L.A. zip codes, features acclaimed Antaeus actors enacting scripts written by members of the Antaeus Playwright Lab. Two-time Audiofile Award-winner Ramón de Ocampo reprises his role of series host, with Jeff Gardner and Ellen Mandel returning in their respective roles as audio producer/sound designer/foley artist and music composer.

Westport Country Playhouse has been approved for a $10,000 Grant for Arts Projects Award from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to support the musical, “Ain't Misbehavin,” set to take the Playhouse stage during the 2022 Season, co-produced with Barrington Stage.

Westport Country Playhouse will open its all-virtual 2021 production season with the regional premiere of “Tiny House,” a timely new comedy about downsizing, going green, escaping urban life, and fresh starts, written by Michael Gotch, and directed by Mark Lamos, Playhouse artistic director.

Paul Edward Kellogg came to Cooperstown, New York, in 1975 to write, but stayed to develop one of the premiere summer opera and music-theater festivals in the United States. He leaves as a beloved member of the greater Cooperstown community. Paul Kellogg died in Cooperstown at Bassett Hospital on April 28, 2021, of natural causes. He was 84.

Single tickets for Westport Country Playhouse’s all-virtual 2021 Season will go on sale, beginning Tuesday, May 4, at noon EDT.  The Playhouse’s 2021 Season, from June 15 through December 19, has been reconceived as a diverse entertainment offering that can excel in a virtual environment.

There is something really exciting about a Brand New Musical Theatre Program in New York City - Welcome to the Manhattan School of Music's New Musical Theatre Degree! I had the pleasure of speaking with Liza Gennaro, the Associate Dean and Director of the Musical Theatre Program at MSM. MSM has produced several quarantine musicals over the last year, including Rupert Holmes's The Mystery of Edwin Drood!

Westport Country Playhouse's “From Concept to Curtain” virtual documentary series will present “Telling Mlima's Tale,” premiering on Thursday, April 15, at 7 p.m., on the Playhouse's website (westportplayhouse.org) and Youtube channel (WestportPlayhouse), free-of-charge.

Westport Country Playhouse has announced an all-virtual 2021 Season, featuring two productions- a new comedy and a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning drama; two archival productions recorded in HD video; and four Script in Hand play readings.  

Alisyn Camerota, journalist, author, anchor of CNN's morning show 'New Day,” and Westport, CT resident, is elected to the board of trustees at Westport Country Playhouse.

Westport Country Playhouse will present “Cocktails with Mark,” a virtual conversation hosted by Mark Lamos, Playhouse artistic director, on Thursday, March 11, at 7 p.m.  Lamos' guest will be Melia Bensussen, Hartford Stage artistic director. The free-of-charge event will be streamed on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), and YouTube (WestportPlayhouse), running approximately 20 minutes.

Stars in the House continues tonight (8pm ET) celebrating William Finn's Birthday with Alison Fraser, Norm Lewis, Micheal Rupert, Mary Testa, Lillias White and Chip Zien.

Participating in the “Our Town at the Playhouse” panel will be Howard Sherman, author; Anne Keefe, current Playhouse associate artist, and former associate artistic director with Joanne Woodward at the time of the Playhouse’s 2002 production of “Our Town”; and Jake Robards, who appeared in the Playhouse production. 

Westport Country Playhouse, in partnership with WSHU Public Radio, will present a free-of-charge audio play, “A Merry Little Christmas Carol,” on Saturday, December 19, at noon, followed by a rebroadcast on Saturday, December 26, at 8 p.m. WSHU frequencies and locations are listed at wshu.org in the About Us drop-down menu.

Westport Country Playhouse will present the premiere of “Cocktails with Mark,” a virtual discussion series hosted by Mark Lamos, Playhouse artistic director, on Thursday, November 19, at 7 p.m.

Westport Country Playhouse will present a?oePlayhouse at the Drive-in,a?? a one-night-only benefit event and screening of special filmed performances and a short-form documentary celebrating the theater's 90-season history, on Saturday, October 17, at the Remarkable Theater Drive-in, 47 Imperial Ave., Westport.