The Cape Playhouse
820 Main Street
Dennis MA 02638
Phone: 508-385-3838
Fax: 508-385-8162
Email: [email protected]
Description:
Celebrating its 80th Season, the Cape Playhouse is proud to be America's Oldest Professional Summer Theatre. Californian Raymond Moore spent several summers in Provincetown where he was involved in painting scenery, writing plays and acting in theatre there. His vision, however, was to have a theatre of his own - a smart, sophisticated summer theatre, which would bring Broadway to Cape Cod. So in 1927, he bought a 19th century former Unitarian Meeting House for $200 and had it moved to 3 1/2 acres of pasture land fronting the Old Kings Highway in Dennis and converted it into a theatre. The original pews, now with cushions, still serve as seats. The opening performance on July 4, 1927 was The Guardsman, starring Basil Rathbone. Over the years, Moore attracted many big name stars from Broadway and the silver screen. Many made their professional stage debuts at the Cape Playhouse. With such stars as Bette Davis (who first worked as an usher), Gregory Peck, Gertrude Lawrence, Lana Turner, Ginger Rogers, Humphrey Bogart, Tallulah Bankhead, Helen Hayes, Julie Harris, and Paulette Goddard, it's no wonder the Playhouse is known as "The Birthplace of the Stars". During the mid-50s, the Cape Playhouse became home to three educational programs which provided summer classes in all areas of the theatre. Although the programs did not continue after the early 1970s, many young aspiring performers spent their summers here. In 1956, a young student was given a small part in "The Male Animal" starring Henry Fonda (his daughter, Jane)! The Raymond Moore Foundation now oversees the 26 acre grounds of the Playhouse, which is also home to the Cape Cinema, the Cape Cod Museum of Art and the Center Stage Cafe. These days, many of the stars still come from Broadway, but many others are more familiar to the public as movie and television stars. It seems that almost every well known star of stage, screen and TV has walked the stage of the Cape Playhouse. For each season of its 80 years, the Playhouse has aimed to bring the best performers, favorite and familiar dramatic plays, comedies, mysteries and musicals to the audiences of Cape Cod. The ultimate goal is to guarantee quality, professional entertainment in the form of great theatre.