In 1937, individuals and small groups in town, looking for an outlet for their artistic longings gathered periodically to discuss plays they had seen soon these theatre-oriented stirrings gave rise to outbursts of "Wouldn't it be fun to put on a show?"

It was not long before Wilton produced its first organized show, George M. Cohan's "The Tavern". This rousing production packed Town Hall auditorium for two nights with enthusiastic audiences, paying fifty cents apiece, to view and to applaud this landmark staging.

During "strike", when the show is taken aprt after a run, the particpants waxed poetic about how much fun they had all had and what a shame it was to be done. These emotions are normal for actors and production folk who, after weeks of hard work, hate to see it end. So, they decided to form a committee, headed by Ora Weir, to investigate the possibility of doing this on an ongoing basis. The committee met in Ora's barn on Old Highway for several weeks. During this time they created our bylaws and constitution as well as laying out the structure of the Playshop's government. When all was ready The Wilton Playshop was an "official" town phenomenon.

The next play the group sought to produce and our first as The Wilton Playshop, was The Late Christopher Bean in October 1937. Auditions were held in the Congregational Church parish hall at the top of the hill.

The following is from a story written for The Playshop Backstage Press and reprinted in last years program.

The auditorium in which you sit and watch some pretty darn good theatre (if I do say so myself) was originally part of the Congregational Church complex at the top of the hill (where you are directed to park in neat, little rows). It was constructed in 1871 as an annex to the Church itself. It was positioned approximately where the current parish hall stands but was not attached to the church. It was used for church school and the Yankee Fair took place between the two buildings.

In the September 1953, it was moved down the hill and, over a period of some four years, joined to a goat barn (where the cast and crew pictures hang in the Greenroom.) which had either been moved up from the Harb property (where the tennis courts are now) or been standing on this spot for longer than anyone could remember (from the looks of it, probably longer than even the Vikings could possibly remember).

It is interesting to note, (to me anyway), that auditions for the very first official Playshop production, The Late Christopher Bean, were held in "the parish hall of the Congregational Church", some 16 years before anyone know that it would be moved and become our home of 50 years. Perhaps it had a wish that came true?

(See, The Once and Almost Future Playshops).

For the remainder of the decade, The Playshop staged several popular classics, and ended the Thirties with a showing of Thornton Wilder's ever-enthralling,"Our Town."

During the Forties, years not occupied by war were filled with drama, laughter and song as The Playshop carried on doing benefits for War relief and meetings by hay wagon.

In the early Fifties, the donation of two buildings, a 100 year old sheep barn and the old Congregational Church parish house, led to The Playshop having a permanent home. Some 200 volunteers worked for more than two years and two became one. The Wilton Playshop now had its own unique community theater on Lovers Lane.

These facilities have also made possible The Wilton Student Summer Playshop (WSSP). Since 1960, when The Playshop was the first group in the area to initiate a youth program as a constructive alternative to the summertime blues, young people have been learning all aspects of the theater, while helping to produce a show of their own.

When The Wilton Playshop was formed, its mission was to involve the active participation by the greatest possible number of people in all of the theatrical arts. This entails not only acting on stage but production work backstage. This means we also depend on our regional audiences as a life support system for our artistic endeavors. In return, Playshop has committed itself to fostering the intellectual and physical well being of these audiences. Recent improvements to the facility include a newly renovated technical control booth, raising the auditorium floor for better sightlines, providing a handicap ramp, a new greenroom floor, and offering signed performances and assistive listening devices to aid those with sensory handicaps.