Bucks County Playhouse Unveils Major Renovation Plans

Bucks County Playhouse (BCP), New Hope, Pennsylvania, has revealed sweeping renovation plans to its storied facilities. The long-term vision is centered on how to make the Playhouse more functional, self-sustaining, and enjoyable for all who visit, and these renovations will be executed in phases.

Future plans include: enhancing the functionality and esthetics of the water front area, updating actor's accommodations, and potentially building a deck around the back of the playhouse overlooking the Delaware. "The most difficult challenge is ensuring that we balance the scope of this first phase in a manner that addresses compliance issues, yet is conservative on expenditures in areas of the playhouse that are slated for future renovations," stated Tanya Cooper, president of the Bridge Street Foundation. "These plans have been born out of a close collaboration with architect Michael Schnoerring from the firm of Mills and Schnoerring (architects of the Westport Country Playhouse)."

To help fund these broad capital improvements, the Bucks County Playhouse has created a Founders Club program. The Founders Club is an outreach from Kevin and Sherri Daugherty to engage a group of uniquely philanthropic individuals to share the goal of returning the playhouse to its former glory. The hope is to achieve a goal of $1,000,000 in support of reopening BCP. For more information about the Founders Club, call 215-315-7788.

BCP is scheduled to reopen in summer of 2012. The first production will begin previews on Monday, July 2, 73 years and a day after the playhouse first opened. The second production will begin performances on Tuesday, August 7. Each production will run for three weeks.

A local landmark that has sat empty since late 2010, Bucks County Playhouse has showcased some of Broadway's most recognizable talent since it opened in 1939. Under the leadership of producing director Jed Bernstein and, most importantly, with support from the local community, the playhouse will soon delight theatre fans again. Having lost its Equity status under the previous leadership, it is now on the path to return to Equity status. Additionally, an important goal for the theatre is to bring back live music in various productions.

Located 90 minutes from New York City, the Bucks County Playhouse opened in 1939 on the site of a grist mill dating from the late eighteenth century. Ironically, the structure was at that time in danger of demolition; however playwright Moss Hart and the local community rallied to save the building and re-opened it as a theatrical venue, which quickly became one of the country's most famous regional theatres. In continuous operation until December 2010, a veritable who's who of American theatrical royalty has trod its boards, including Kim Hunter, Helen Hayes, Kitty Carlisle, Colleen Dewhurst, Shirley Booth, Lillian Gish, June Lockhart, Grace Kelly, Robert Redford, Bert Lahr, Leslie Nielsen, and Walter Matthau.