Comstock-Cheney Hall, also known as Ivoryton Playhouse, is a
theater
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...
building located in the
village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...
of
Ivoryton in the town of
Essex, Connecticut
Essex is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 6,733 at the 2020 census. It is made up of three villages: Essex Village, Centerbrook, and Ivoryton.
History
The Great Attack
Essex is one of the few A ...
, US. It is listed in 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 ...
. The theatre is believed to be the first continuously operating summer theatre in the United States.
Construction
Construction began in 1910 and was completed 1911 as a recreation hall for the Comstock-Cheney factory. The building includes
Classical Revival
Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...
architecture. When listed the property included three
contributing buildings on an area of .
[
]
Theatre
The theatre is believed to be the first self-supporting summer theatre in the United States.[ and ] Although there were older theatres in Dennis, MA and Skowhegan, ME, they were endowed by foundations of wealthy families and not self-supporting. The Westport Country Playhouse
Westport Country Playhouse, is a not-for-profit regional theater in Westport, Connecticut, Westport, Connecticut.
It was founded in 1931 by Lawrence Langner, a New York theater producer. Langner remodeled an 1830s tannery with a Broadway-quality ...
was established one year after the Ivoryton Playhouse.
The Playhouse is on the National Register of Historic Places, as is indicated on the front of the building.National Register of Historical Places - CONNECTICUT (CT), Middlesex County
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See also
*
References
External links
Ivoryton Playhouse Official website
{{Authority control
Essex, Connecticut
Theatres in Connecticut
Tourist attractions in Middlesex County, Connecticut
Buildings and structures in Middlesex County, Connecticut
Neoclassical architecture in Connecticut
Theatres completed in 1911
National Register of Historic Places in Middlesex County, Connecticut
Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut
1911 establishments in Connecticut