Hedgerow Theatre is a theatre company based in

Rose Valley, Pennsylvania Rose Valley is a small, historic borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Its area is , and the population was 913 at the 2010 census. The area was settled by Quaker farmers in 1682, and later water mills along Ridley Creek drove ...

, near

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, founded in 1923. It was "for many years the only true U. S. professional

repertory theater A repertory theatre is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom Annie Horniman founded the first modern repertory theatre in Manchester after withdrawing ...

." The building is a contributing structure in the Rose Valley Historic District listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. ''Note:'' This includes

History

Hedgerow was founded in 1923 by

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

-based director and actor

Jasper Deeter Jasper Deeter (July 31, 1893 - May 1972) was an American-born stage and film actor, stage director, and founder of Hedgerow Theatre in Rose Valley, Pennsylvania, one of the first regional repertory theatres in the United States. Career Deeter gai ...

in Rose Valley, less than 3 miles from

Media Media may refer to: Communication * Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass el ...

and Swarthmore. The theatre itself, originally a grist-mill built in 1840, seats 144 spectators after a reconstruction designed by architect

Will Price William Lightfoot Price (November 9, 1861 – October 14, 1916) was an American architect, a pioneer in the use of reinforced concrete, and a founder of the utopian communities of Arden, Delaware and Rose Valley, Pennsylvania. Early life Price w ...

. Other sources note, however, that the Theatre building was "erected in 1807 as a snuff mill and later rebuilt as a handweaving mill." It is a

contributing structure In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distric ...

in the Rose Valley Historic District. Hedgerow's green room showcases a staircase and table designed by

Wharton Esherick Wharton Esherick (July 15, 1887 – May 6, 1970) was an American sculptor who worked primarily in wood, especially applying the principles of sculpture to common utilitarian objects. Consequently, he is best known for his sculptural furniture a ...

, an acclaimed American craftsman and a one-time set designer for Hedgerow. Located a half mile from the theatre is Hedgerow House, used as housing for the residential company members as well as a rehearsal space, school, and office, accompanied by the costume and prop shops. The Pennsylvania Guide, compiled by the Writers' Program of the

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...

in 1940, described the founding of the Theatre by Deeter and its early operations: During its long history, Hedgerow has helped to spawn other popular theatre companies, such as

People's Light and Theatre Company People's Light is a professional, not-for-profit theatre in Chester County, Pennsylvania . About People's Light Founded in 1974, by Dick Keeler, Ken Marini, and Meg and Danny Fruchter, People's Light serves as one of Pennsylvania's largest prof ...

. Hedgerow has been the site of many play debuts and has received recognition by producing the plays of

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of realism, earlier ...

, and

Seán O'Casey Seán O'Casey ( ga, Seán Ó Cathasaigh ; born John Casey; 30 March 1880 – 18 September 1964) was an Irish dramatist and memoirist. A committed socialist, he was the first Irish playwright of note to write about the Dublin working classes. ...

. Its actors have included H. Foley,

Richard Basehart John Richard Basehart (August 31, 1914 – September 17, 1984) was an American actor. He starred as Admiral Harriman Nelson in the television science-fiction drama ''Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'' (1964–68). He also portrayed Wilton Knight ...

Ann Harding Ann Harding (born Dorothy Walton Gatley; August 7, 1902 – September 1, 1981) was an American theatre, motion picture, radio, and television actress. A regular player on Broadway and in regional theater in the 1920s, in the 1930s Harding was ...

Keanu Reeves Keanu Charles Reeves ( ; born September 2, 1964) is a Canadian actor. Born in Beirut and raised in Toronto, Reeves began acting in theatre productions and in television films before making his feature film debut in '' Youngblood'' (1986). ...

Stephen Lang Stephen Lang (born July 11, 1952) is an American actor. He is known for roles in films including '' Manhunter'' (1986), '' Gettysburg'', '' Tombstone'' (both 1993), '' Gods and Generals'' (2003), '' Public Enemies'' (2009), ''Conan the Barbaria ...

,IMDB Stephen Lang
/ref> and

Austin Pendleton Austin Campbell Pendleton (born March 27, 1940) is an American actor, playwright, theatre director, and instructor. He is known as a prolific character actor on the stage and screen who has appeared in films including ''Catch-22'' (1970); '' W ...

From 1990 to 2013, Hedgerow was under the artistic direction of Penelope Reed, who encouraged the educational growth of the company as well as an atmosphere of collaboration. Currently, the company is led by Mrs. Reed's son, Jared Reed. The company stages upwards of two dozen productions a year and relies on the dedication of its company members, volunteers, and surrounding community. A Mainstage season tends to include new plays, farces,

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

, mysteries, and at Christmastime, ''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. ''A Christmas C ...

''. The Horizons series runs in repertory with the Mainstage season and frequently showcases new plays, often featuring the younger company members. The Mainstage season has been divided into two different series. The theatre has started to be operated under a Small Professional Theatre contract, featuring more

equity Equity may refer to: Finance, accounting and ownership * Equity (finance), ownership of assets that have liabilities attached to them ** Stock, equity based on original contributions of cash or other value to a business ** Home equity, the dif ...

artists in what will be known as the Signature series, while the entire company and emerging artists appear in the Heritage series. Hedgerow focuses much dedication on school tours as well as outreach programs to underserved audiences. The Children's Theatre productions also serve as an educational outlet, featuring actors from ages three and up, originally formed by Rose Schulman. It also offers fellowships to recent college graduates pursuing professional and practical experience. Fellows typically stay with the company for a year in residence at Hedgerow House and gain experience in acting, stage management, design, administration, and development. Hedgerow was awarded the Best New Play 2005

Barrymore Award The Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre is an annual, nationally recognized award program by Theatre Philadelphia for professional theater productions in the Greater Philadelphia area. Each season culminates in the Fall with an awards cerem ...

for ''The Lives of Bosie'' by John Wolfson.

References

External links

* {{authority control Theatres in Pennsylvania Theatre companies in Pennsylvania Buildings and structures in Delaware County, Pennsylvania Tourist attractions in Delaware County, Pennsylvania Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania

History

References

Further reading

External links