History of the Forestburgh Playhouse
The story of the Forestburgh Playhouse begins not in Forestburgh, but in Greenwich Village, with the Provincetown Playhouse. Founded in 1918, the theater was where Bette Davis got her start and a proving ground for playwrights Eugene O’Neill and E.E. Cummings. By the 1940s, it was home to the Provincetown Repertory Company, headed by John Grahame and Alexander Maissel.
As New York University began purchasing surrounding properties for expansion, Grahame and Maissel began the search for a new space. Rather than staying within the boundaries of Manhattan, the duo took a leap of faith and purchased Klebs Farm in Forestburgh; the property could be a summer home for the theater company should they be able to keep their lease in Greenwich Village, or they could relocate there if need be.
A Summertime Tradition Is Born
In 1947, Grahame and Maissel arrived at what would become the Forestburgh Playhouse in the spring, along with their wives Aida and Sally, and a troupe of actors and apprentices. The next several months were spent renovating the property’s barn and turning it into a theater that would rival their original location in New York City.
The Forestburgh Summer Playhouse, as it was known at the time, opened its first production on July 8, 1947, Blithe Spirit. The Playhouse had the dual purposes of educating young apprentices, who paid to spend the summer in Forestburgh learning acting, speech, and movement, and providing entertainment to locals, tourists, and city-dwellers who made the Catskills their home away from home during the summer months.
John Grahame took on the role of artistic director, stage director, and leading actor, while his wife Aida ran the box office and worked as business manager. Al Maissel was the musical director and managed the theater, and his wife Sally acted as set designer and a playwright for the children’s shows. The Grahames and Maissels were the heart of the Playhouse community; once the Grahames both passed away in 1962, the Maissels continued to run the theater into the 1970s, but this proved difficult in their old age.
Sally rented the Playhouse to a number of different companies throughout the 70s before putting the property up for sale in 1980.
A New Era Begins
Gregg Harlan and Craig Sandquist purchased the Forestburgh Playhouse in 1980 and Sandquist retained ownership through 1991. During this time, they swapped Shakespeare and Shaw with popular Broadway musicals and cabaret, doubled the seating capacity in both the Playhouse and the Tavern, and increased audience subscription levels by 35 percent.
Harlan passed away in 1986; in ill health, Sandquist asked his friend Norman Duttweiler to purchase the Playhouse and carry on its legacy. Although Duttweiler was a Wall Street executive, he had spent his formative years in the theater. He took Sandquist up on his offer, returning to his roots and opening the 45th Anniversary Season of the Forestburgh Playhouse on June 16, 1992.
The Duttweiler years marked a time of transition and growth, with new management, new patrons, and a focus on the future. The property and buildings were modernized and beautified, including the installation of Sullivan County’s largest perennial garden and water features. The Young Audience Festival at Forestburgh proved to be a hit with children and their families, and a young actor named Franklin Trapp began his theatrical career at the Playhouse as a Resident Company member in 2001. Little did he know the role he’d have in the Forestburgh Playhouse’s future—a role much bigger than any of those he played on the stage!
After a decade practicing as an attorney in Atlanta and working for the world’s largest law firm, Trapp learned that Duttweiler was looking to sell the Playhouse. Just like Duttweiler, Trapp decided to leave behind the corporate world and return to the theater by purchasing the Forestburgh Playhouse in 2014. He continues to honor its rich legacy, while also taking steps to move the Playhouse into the future and making it a destination for Catskills locals and visitors from across the country.
75 and Thrive
This year, the Forestburgh Playhouse celebrates its 75th year. In 2020, we truly earned our nickname as the Miracle of the Forest—like many community theaters, COVID-19 crippled our business operations, but we’re still standing and we’re ready to make our 75th year our best one yet. Please consider donating to our 75 and Thrive fundraiser or becoming a partner to help us raise more funds, and stay tuned for more information about our 2021 season.