Apple Hill Playhouse

Last updated

Apple Hill Playhouse is a theatre company located in Delmont, Pennsylvania. Established by Gerta Bendl [1] as a theatre space around 1956 in a pre-Civil War barn that was part of Martz Farm, the theater grew when Bill Loucks and a group from Pittsburgh Playhouse expanded the building and named it the William Penn Theater. It was renamed Apple Hill Playhouse when a trio of theatre practitioners associated with Mountain Playhouse bought the building in 1964; their first production was a one-woman show starring Totie Fields.

In 1982, the theater was bought by Pat Beyer, who has since served as artistic director for the theater. [2] [3] The theater produces a season that runs from May to October. During the summer, children's plays are produced under the moniker Johnny Appleseed Children's Theater; many of the plays are staged versions of classic stories such as Snow White , Rumpelstiltskin , Aladdin , Sleeping Beauty , Jack and the Beanstalk and The Emperor's New Clothes . [2] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] Apple Hill also produces a season of adult programming, which has included contemporary plays such as Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge , Rabbit Hole , and Suite Surrender as well as plays from earlier eras such as Butterflies Are Free and The Prisoner of Second Avenue . [3] [9] [10] [11] [12] They have also produced the courtroom drama Nuts in the Westmoreland County Courthouse. [13] Apple Hill has also produced many musicals over the years, including Evita, Sweet Charity , and And the World Goes 'Round . [14] [15] [16]

On July 23, 2020, Apple Hill Playhouse announced that it would close down, in part because of the impact of the coronavirus. The theater company itself will seek a new home. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Pittsburgh Tribune-Review</i> Daily newspaper in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, also known as "the Trib," is the second largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Although it transitioned to an all-digital format on December 1, 2016, it remains the second largest daily in the state, with nearly one million unique page views a month. Founded on August 22, 1811, as the Greensburg Gazette and in 1889 consolidated with several papers into the Greensburg Tribune-Review, the paper circulated only in the eastern suburban counties of Westmoreland and parts of Indiana and Fayette until May 1992, when it began serving all of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area after a strike at the two Pittsburgh dailies, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Pittsburgh Press, deprived the city of a newspaper for several months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Crivello</span> American actor and singer

Anthony Crivello is an American actor and singer. He has appeared in the original cast of several Broadway shows, including Les Misérables, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Golden Boy, Marie Christine, and The News. In 1993, he won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance as Valentin in Kiss of the Spider Woman.

The Pittsburgh crime family, also known as the LaRocca crime family or Pittsburgh Mafia, is an Italian-American Mafia crime family based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The LaRocca family is one of the original 26 mafia families in United States. In 2021, the last known made member Thomas "Sonny" Ciancutti died.

Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge is a musical comedy written by Christopher Durang, a parody of the Charles Dickens story A Christmas Carol. Durang was commissioned by Pittsburgh City Theatre Artistic Director Tracy Brigden to write a Christmas comedy. The show premiered November 7, 2002 at the City Theatre with Kristine Nielsen in the title role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pittsburgh Playhouse</span>

Pittsburgh Playhouse is Point Park University's performing arts center located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It houses three performance spaces and is home to The Rep, Point Park's resident professional theatre company, as well as three student companies—Conservatory Theatre Company, Conservatory Dance Company, and Playhouse Jr. The Conservatory Theatre Company offers five productions each year that are performed by undergraduate students at Point Park; each season consists of a mixture of established plays and musicals, as well as occasional new works.

Mountain Playhouse is Pennsylvania's oldest professional summer stock theatre company and is located in Jennerstown, Pennsylvania. Housed in a restored 1805 gristmill, the theatre was founded by James Stoughton in 1939. It produces musicals, farces, and dramas each summer and also hosts productions by Theatreworks USA. As stated on its website, the theatre employs "actors from Actors' Equity Association, directors from the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, and musicians from the American Federation of Musicians." Mountain Playhouse has employed many actors from the nearby Pittsburgh theatre scene, New York City, and Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theatre in Pittsburgh</span> Overview about theatre in Pittsburgh

Theater in Pittsburgh has existed professionally since the early 1800s and has continued to expand, having emerged as an important cultural force in the city over the past several decades.

Stage Right! is a professional theatre company and performing arts school located in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Established in 1998 as an organization for young people to take classes in musical theatre by Chris Rizk, Stage Right! also became a professional theatre company in 1999, established by artistic director Anthony Marino, Rizk's brother. The company produces a full season of musicals, utilizing professional actors from the Pittsburgh theatre scene as well as students from their classes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henne Jewelers</span>

Henne Jewelers is a family owned jewelry store located in the Shadyside (Pittsburgh) neighborhood of Pittsburgh. The store was founded in 1887 by Rudolf Joseph Henne.

Jewish Theatre of Pittsburgh is a Pittsburgh-based theatre company that produces theatre from a Jewish perspective. Established in 2001 by Tito Braunstein, the company held productions in the Jewish Community Center in Squirrel Hill until 2007, when it went dark. In 2011, the theater re-formed with a new board of directors and began producing plays at the Rodef Shalom Congregation in Shadyside. The theatre has produced established plays such as Israel Horovitz's Lebensraum, Arthur Miller's The Price, and Alfred Uhry's The Last Night of Ballyhoo, as well as newer works such as Aaron Posner's The Chosen and Amy Hartman's Mazel and musicals such as That's Life and Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years.

Future Ten is an annual ten-minute play festival located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Established in 2003 by Future Tenant, an organization that showcases art projects from a variety of disciplines, the festival presents 8-10 plays selected from an anonymous review process. The festival was initially held in a storefront space on Liberty Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh but is now held in a space on Penn Avenue. The festival has grown in recognition over the years and received praise from such publications as Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Pittsburgh City Paper.

Stage Right is a theatre company located in the Fox Chapel area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Established in the mid-1960s, the theatre has staged productions of contemporary plays such as Alan Ayckbourn's Absurd Person Singular, Ken Ludwig's Leading Ladies, Paul Rudnick's I Hate Hamlet, and Yasmina Reza's 'Art'. Stage Right's productions are held in the Boyd Community Center in O'Hara Township and utilizes local actors from Pittsburgh's theatre scene. The company has also produced plays in conjunction with the Pittsburgh New Works Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelly-Strayhorn Theater</span>

Kelly Strayhorn Theater is a performing arts center located at 5941 Penn Avenue in the East Liberty neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. named in honor of Pittsburgh natives Gene Kelly and Billy Strayhorn. The theater is committed to providing a platform for emerging artists, community producers, and progressive arts and cultural experiences that address contemporary issues.

Jed Allen Harris is an American stage director. Harris has been teaching at the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama since 1990 and has been the Option Coordinator for Carnegie Mellon University's undergraduate John Wells BFA Directing program since 2008.

Bibiana Boerio is an American businesswoman. She has served as the managing director of Jaguar Cars, chief of staff to U.S. Representative Joe Sestak (D-PA), and interim president of Seton Hill University. She was the Democratic nominee for Pennsylvania's 14th congressional district in the 2018 election, losing to Republican Guy Reschenthaler.

Loti Falk Gaffney was an art philanthropist in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Gerta Bendl was a Kentucky community activist and legislator who served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1976 until her death in 1987. She was the first woman to chair the Health and Welfare Committee. Her legislation involved "establishing a 'children's survival bill;' creating boarding-home regulations and bills of rights for nursing home residents and persons with developmental disabilities; mandating health insurance coverage for mentally ill; and providing for a living will." She was described as a "leading force" and "force of nature".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sri Venkateswara Temple, Pittsburgh</span> Hindu temple in Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area

Sri Venkateswara Temple, Pittsburgh is a Hindu temple in Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, and serves the Hindu population of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area. The temple is located on South Mccully Drive. The temple is modeled on shrines in Southern India and, as of 2014, served nearly 10,000 Hindus in the area. The temple has 50,000 members worldwide with pilgrims coming from as far as India and Canada to visit.

Jaylen Guy Twyman is an American football defensive end for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Pittsburgh and was drafted by the Vikings in the sixth round, 199th overall pick, of the 2021 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rashad Weaver</span> American football player (born 1997)

Rashad Capone Weaver is an American football outside linebacker for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Pittsburgh.

References

  1. ↑ "Bendl (Gerta) Papers, 1957-1987". University of Louisville Libraries. Retrieved 2019-08-30.
  2. 1 2 "Apple Hill Playhouse: Best little theater in the suburbs | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette". post-gazette.com. Retrieved 2015-07-15.
  3. 1 2 "Apple Hill opens another season May 28 | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette". post-gazette.com. Retrieved 2015-07-15.
  4. ↑ "Apple Hill Playhouse takes on an updated 'Snow White' | TribLIVE". triblive.com. Retrieved 2015-07-15.
  5. ↑ "Troll gets a feminine look in Apple Hill Playhouse's 'Straw Into Gold' | TribLIVE". triblive.com. Retrieved 2015-07-15.
  6. ↑ "Children's theater takes 'Aladdin' in new direction | TribLIVE". triblive.com. Retrieved 2015-07-15.
  7. ↑ "Welcome".
  8. ↑ "Apple Hill Playhouse's production of 'Cool Suit' is a classic children's tale with updated music | TribLIVE". triblive.com. Retrieved 2015-07-15.
  9. ↑ "'Mrs. Cratchit' spins traditional story in another direction | TribLIVE". triblive.com. Retrieved 2015-07-15.
  10. ↑ "Apple Hill tackles the tragedy of 'Rabbit Hole' | TribLIVE". triblive.com. Retrieved 2015-07-15.
  11. ↑ "Suite Surrender at Apple Hill | Theater Reviews + Features | Pittsburgh City Paper". pghcitypaper.com. Retrieved 2015-07-15.
  12. ↑ "Actors continue onstage relationship in Apple Hill Playhouse's 'Prisoner of Second Avenue' | TribLIVE". triblive.com. Retrieved 2015-07-15.
  13. ↑ "Nuts | Theater Reviews + Features | Pittsburgh City Paper". pghcitypaper.com. Retrieved 2015-07-15.
  14. ↑ "Stage Review: 'Evita' overpowers Apple Hill's stage". old.post-gazette.com. Retrieved 2015-07-15.
  15. ↑ "Sweet Charity | Theater Reviews + Features | Pittsburgh City Paper". pghcitypaper.com. Retrieved 2015-07-15.
  16. ↑ "Apple Hill 'revues' the Broadway music of Kander and Ebb | TribLIVE". triblive.com. Retrieved 2015-07-15.
  17. ↑ "Apple Hill Playhouse is closing, leaving theater group seeking new home". 23 July 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.