Author: Life Without Lesson Plans

One of the original haystack logos from 1972 BEYOND THE REMODELING ANNOUNCING OUR ARRIVAL One day in early June, Bill sent Judy Porter Hennen and me out to the Brooke Hills Park entrance to dig a 3'-deep hole for the post that would hold our sign announcing the current attraction. It was at least 85… Continue reading BROOKE HILLS PLAYHOUSE: A COLLECTIVE MEMOIR, Part 7C →

The Drover's Inn, Wellsburg, W. Va., by Russ Shaffer BEYOND THE REMODELING DAY-TO-DAY OPERATION In addition to putting on plays, there were a lot of jobs around the Playhouse that had to be done on a regular basis.  We had a duty roster for the “paid” crew that covered the following chores: K.P., Cleaning the… Continue reading BROOKE HILLS PLAYHOUSE: A COLLECTIVE MEMOIR, PART 7B →

Brooke Hills Playhouse, Print by Russ Shaffer, 1982 BEYOND THE REMODELING LODGING or HOUSING THE HORDE My aunt and uncle, Alice Cree Hamilton and Bob Hamilton, had a cottage at the Bellview Campgrounds.  Located just across the state line in Pennsylvania, it’s about 10 minutes from the barn.  I had spent many happy weeks during… Continue reading BROOKE HILLS PLAYHOUSE: A COLLECTIVE MEMOIR, PART 7A →

Brooke Hills Playhouse, 1972. Stage end of the barn and the side nearest the park entrance. No ramp until 1979. FROM BARN TO THEATRE CONTINUES The first massive job--removing the big, wooden uprights on the second floor was complete. (see Part 6A) While that was being done, other crew members had been working on another… Continue reading BROOKE HILLS PLAYHOUSE: A COLLECTIVE MEMOIR, PART 6B →

Brooke Hills Playhouse, 1972. Stage end of the barn and the side nearest the park entrance. No ramp until 1979. FROM BARN TO THEATRE To say that transforming an old barn into a theatre entailed a lot of hard, dirty, heavy work is a mammoth understatement.  Those who were there (See Parts 5A, 5B, and… Continue reading BROOKE HILLS PLAYHOUSE: A COLLECTIVE MEMOIR, PART 6A →

Brooke Hills Playhouse, Print by Russ Shaffer, 1982 THE FIRST CAST OF CHARACTERS or THE BARNSTORMERS As I wrote at the beginning of Part 5A & 5B—Amazing people came to help make the Playhouse a reality in that summer of 1972. They sweated and shivered. They worked long hours and never complained loudly. They did… Continue reading BROOKE HILLS PLAYHOUSE: A COLLECTIVE MEMOIR, PART 5C →

First Season Poster, 1972 THE FIRST CAST OF CHARACTERS or THE BARNSTORMERS As I wrote at the beginning of Part 5A—Amazing people came to help make the Playhouse a reality in that summer of 1972. They sweated and shivered. They worked long hours and never complained loudly. They did smelly, dirty jobs, and created a… Continue reading BROOKE HILLS PLAYHOUSE: A COLLECTIVE MEMOIR, PART 5B →

Brooke Hills Playhouse, circa 1980 THE FIRST CAST OF CHARACTERS or THE BARNSTORMERS! (NOTE: Part 5 has three parts--5A, 5B, and 5C. The parts are about the great friends and relatives who worked at turning a barn into a theatre. There were too many people to tell you about in one post!) Amazing people came… Continue reading BROOKE HILLS PLAYHOUSE: A COLLECTIVE MEMOIR, PART 5A →

ANOTHER BREAK IN THE ACTION: THAT WHICH WAS MISSING FROM THE RECENT CELEBRATION 1972 Season Program Cover, Cover design by Marlene Marston Bringardner I realize that this is going backward, but now that I’ve had time to reflect on the celebration for the 50th season at the Playhouse, I can think of about a hundred… Continue reading BROOKE HILLS PLAYHOUSE: A COLLECTIVE MEMOIR, PART 2B →

Brooke Hills Playhouse GETTING ORGANIZED So, how did the Playhouse incorporators (perhaps more accurately “dreamers”), Bill Harper, John Hennen, and Shari Murphy, go about starting a theatre production company AND turning a barn into a theatre simultaneously?  We started making lists! The first important decision was deciding what plays to do, which play would run… Continue reading BROOKE HILLS PLAYHOUSE: A COLLECTIVE MEMOIR, PARTS 3 & 4 →