History Timeline

Our History

BUCKS COUNTY PLAYHOUSE HAS A RICH HISTORY OF SUPPORTING THE PERFORMING ARTS IN NEW HOPE, PA THAT GOES BACK TO THE 1930s.

Founded 1930
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Founded 1930
Original Structure Built
1790

Benjamin Parry builds New Hope Mills on the site of the future Bucks County Playhouse, and soon the town became New Hope, PA

Birth of an Idea
1930s
1938

The last miller retired, and the mill ceased operation.

1939

In March, a group of theatre professionals led by Broadway orchestrator, Don Walker, broke ground on the project to convert the mills into Bucks County Playhouse. Playwright Moss Hart bought one share of the Playhouse for $100.

Artist and illustrator, Charles Child, Julie Child’s brother-in-law, designed and painted the Playhouse’s new fire curtain. The curtain remains in use today.

July 1, Bucks County Playhouse officially opens to the public. Al Hirschfeld captures the scene in a drawing for the New York Times.

Hollywood character actor, Edward Everett Horton stars in the Playhouse’s first production, “Springtime for Henry.”

The Early Years
1940s
1941

Playwrights Kauffman and Hart perform together on stage in their smash hit, “The Man Who Came to Dinner.” Harpo Marx joins the fun and surprises audiences by speaking on stage.

1946

The First Lady of the American Theater, Helen Hayes, appears with her daughter Mary at Bucks County in “Alice Sit-By-The-Fire.”

1948

Thornton Wilder stars in his own plays — “Our Town” and “The Skin of Our Teeth.”

1949

Grace Kelly makes her professional stage debut in her uncle’s play, “The Torch-Bearers.” She returns to Bucks County again in 1952, this time one of Hollywood’s brightest stars, to appear in “Accent on Youth.”

Broadway's Summer Residence
1950s
1951

The pre-Broadway try-out of “The Fourposter” is produced at the Playhouse, starring Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy. It is the first time they ever appeared onstage together.

1952

Beatrice Lillie launches her soon-to-be hit, Broadway-bound show, “An Evening with Beatrice Lillie” at the Playhouse. Angela Lansbury makes her American stage debut in “Affairs of State.”

1955

The Today Show broadcasts live, with host Dave Garroway, from the Playhouse with an NBC radio simulcast — something that had never been done before in the US.

1959

Robert Redford performs at the Playhouse for the first time in the play “Tiger at the Gate.” 

Dick Van Dyke launches his stage career in the new play, “Cradle and All.” He would make his Broadway debut later in the year in “Bye Bye Birdie.”

The Golden Age
1960s
1960

Neil Simon’s first play, “Come Blow Your Horn” makes its world premiere at the Playhouse.

1961

The Playhouse presents the first stock production of “A Raisin in the Sun.”

1962

New Hope’s Odette Myrtil appears in the comedy “Harvey” alongside noted Hollywood actor Tom Ewell.

1963

Neil Simon’s “Barefoot in the Park” (then titled “Nobody Loves Me”) makes its world premiere at the Playhouse, with Mildred Natwick, Robert Redford and Elizabeth Ashley. Mike Nichols directs.

James Daly and his family, 17-year-old Tyne, 15-year-old Glynn and 7-year-old Tim all appeared together in the comedy, “Jenny Kissed Me.”  Tyne Daly, who started her career by performing in summer stock with her family, earned her Equity Card at age 15, and made her professional debut at the Playhouse.

1964

Alongside renowned stage actor Chester Morris, Liza Minnelli lights up the stage in “Time Out for Ginger.”

Rob Reiner serves as a Playhouse Apprentice working on shows alongside Alan Alda, Merv Griffin and Shelly Berman.

The Arthur Godfrey Show, on CBS radio, originated from the stage of the BCP for two weeks while Mr. Godfrey starred in a revival of Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town.”

1965

James Daly and Colleen Dewhurst star in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf.” Also co-starring Daniel J. Travanti.

1966

George C. Scott and Colleen Dewhurst star in James Goldman’s “The Lion in Winter.”

Bernadette Peters appeared in “Riverwind,” starring Robert Alda and directed by James Hammerstein.

Changing Times
1970s
1970

John Lithgow appeared in multiple shows this season at the Playhouse including “The Roar of the Greasepaint, The Smell of the Crowd” and “The Magistrate.” He directed two shows including a revival of “Barefoot in the Park.”

1971

Stacy Keach and brother, James, wrote, produced and premiered their new play about Jesse and Frank James at BCP before it moved Off-Broadway.

1974

“Give ‘Em Hell Harry” had its world premiere starring James Whitmore.

Kevin Kline headlines a production of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”

1976

Anne Jackson and Eli Wallach’s two-week run of “The House of Blue Leaves” broke the Playhouse’s attendance record.

1977

Don Knotts appeared in “A Good Look At Boney Kern.”

A Slow Decline
1980s

There are tremendous gaps in our archives in the periods of 1980 – 2010. If you have playbills or any memorabilia to help us fill in our history, please email us at info@bcptheater.org.

1980

Eartha Kitt performs 2 sold-out concerts at the Playhouse.

1989

Audra McDonald earns raves for her turn as Aldonza in “Man of La Mancha.”

Going Dark
1990s

There are tremendous gaps in our archives in the periods of 1980 – 2010. If you have playbills or any memorabilia to help us fill in our history, please email us at info@bcptheater.org.

Time for Rebirth
2010s
2010

The Playhouse shuts down after a devastating flood and bankruptcy proceedings.

2012

Kevin and Sherri Daugherty’s Bridge Street Foundation buys the playhouse out of bankruptcy and funds a multi-million-dollar resurrection of the theater. 

On July 2, The Playhouse reopens with Producer Jed Bernstein at the helm — marking the return of Actors Equity to the Playhouse. 

James Earl Jones and Tyne Daly perform benefit readings of “Love Letters.

William Goldman’s stage adaptation of “Stephen King’s Misery” makes it world premiere at the Playhouse. The show debuts on Broadway in 2016.

2013

Terrence McNally’s “Mothers and Sons,” starring Tyne Daly, received its world premiere at the Bucks County Playhouse in June 2013 and made the leap to Broadway in Spring 2014.

2014

Alexander Fraser and Robyn Goodman are named the Playhouse’s new producing team.

The inaugural Oscar Hammerstein Festival is held — a musical theatre development program focused on the importance of lyrics in the creation of new musicals.

Playwright Christopher Durang appears along Marilu Henner in his own play, “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” – breaking box office records.

Marsha Mason does double duty appearing in “Death Trap” and directing Neil Simon’s “Chapter Two.”

2015

The Bridge Street Foundation gifts Lambertville Hall to the Playhouse for use by its burgeoning educational programming. 

Adrienne Warren stands out in a new production of “Ain’t Misbehavin” directed by Hunter Foster and choreographed by Lorin Latarro.

Lorin Latarro makes her directorial debut with the world premiere musical, “A Taste of Things to Come.”

Two Playhouse productions gained national attention when “Company” starring Justin Guarini, and “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” were named by The Wall Street Journal to its “Best of Theatre” list for 2015

2016

Directed by Marsha Mason, a starry revival of “Steel Magnolias” opens featuring Patricia Richardson, Elaine Hendrix, Clea Alsip, Jessica Walter, Susan Sullivan, and Lucy DeVito. It marks Walters return to the Playhouse, where she served as an apprentice nearly five decades earlier.

The original cast of Charles Busch’s “The Divine Sister” —including Charles Busch, Julie Halston and Alison Fraser — reunites for a three-week run at the Playhouse.

Euan Morton, Justin Guarini and Michelle Ragusa star in a revised version of the new musical “Cake Off” with a score by Adam Gwom.

2017

“Guys and Dolls” starring Elena Shadow, Clarke Thorell, Steve Rosen and Lesli Margherita in a hysterical turn as Miss Adelaide breaks the house record.

The Playhouse moves its popular production of “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story” to the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia for a mid-summer run.

The Playhouse presents four world premieres in one season: “Clue: On Stage” featuring Sally Struthers as Mrs. Peacock directed by Hunter Foster; “Rock and Roll Man: The Alan Freed Story” starring Alan Campbell and George Wendt; “The New World” with Justin Guarini and Ann Harada, and “Ebenezer Scrooge’s Big Playhouse Christmas Show” by Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen.

2018

The Playhouse launches the Play Discover Series, a series of benefit readings of new plays, and plays from the Playhouse’s heritage with a reading of “The Outgoing Tide” starring Peter Strauss and Marsha Mason. Mason also curates the series.

Elizabeth Ashley returns to the Playhouse for the first time in 55 years to appear in “I Hate Hamlet” alongside Broadway’s Tom Hewitt.

The Oscar Hammerstein Festival presents a starry staged concert reading of “Show Boat” starring Laura Osnes, James Snyder, Natasha Yvette Williams, Michel Bell and Jessica Walter.

The Playhouse expands with the opening of The Deck Restaurant and Bar, attached to and offering direct access to the theater.

2019

The Playhouse’s biggest year yet with “Mamma Mia,” directed by Jon Tartaglia with choreography by Shannon Lewis, smashing the box office record again and attracting more than 15,000 patrons. Productions of “Always … Patsy Cline” with Sally Struthers and Carter Calvert, “Dial M for Murder” and “Once” help bring in nearly 80,000 patrons.

“Once,” with direction by Travis Greisler, earns a rave from The Wall Street Journal and ends up on the year end best list.

The Playhouse revives “The Torch-Bearers” for a one-night benefit featuring Grace Kelly’s grandniece, Ginna Le Vine in the same role Kelly played in her professional debut. Directed by Dylan Baker, the all-star cast featured Becky Ann Baker, Dana Ivey, Marsha Mason, and John Rubinstein

2020+
2020

Play Discovery Series returns with an all-star cast in “The Man Who Came to Dinner” with Brooke Shields and Walter Bobbie, alongside John Behlmann, Jimmy Brewer, Jill Eikenberry, John Glover, Ruth Gottschall, Tessa Grady, Jill Paice, Patricia Richardson, Lance Roberts and Grant Shaud. 

Prepping for the world premiere of the new musical, “Other World,” the largest show the Playhouse has ever produced, Bucks County Playhouse is shut down for the Covid-19 pandemic.

Activity is shifted online with a Virtual Variety Show, Word of Mouth Story-telling events, plus an online gala featuring Cyndi Lauper.

Mark Brokaw directs Marsha Mason and Brian Cox in a virtual reading of Jerome Kilty’s “Dear Liar.”

2021

Live performances include a concert series featuring Christy Altomare, Billy Stritch, Constantine Maroulis, Melissa Errico and more.

Candace Bushnell debuts her world-premiere play, “Is There Still Sex in the City?” prior to moving Off-Broadway.

Marilu Henner premieres her new show, “The Marilu Henner Show” at the Playhouse.

2022

Emmy-award winner, Jodi Long, debuts her autobiographical play, “American Jade” at the Playhouse. The performance is filmed for television.

The 2015 Tony-nominated revival of “Dames at Sea” is restaged for the Playhouse under the direction of multiple Tony-nominee Randy Skinner. Lesli Margherita revisits her Broadway role of Mona Kent.

The Playhouse is one of the first theatres in the country to mount its own production of “Million Dollar Quartet Christmas.”