Ivoryton Playhouse

Often referred to as “a little known jewel on the Connecticut shoreline,” the Ivoryton Playhouse is a unique theater with a fascinating history and exciting future. Built in 1911 as a recreation hall for the workers for the Comstock-Cheney factory, the building hosted silent movies, dances, town meetings, and vaudeville shows. In 1930, under the direction of Milton Stiefel, the theater became summer home of most of the great names of the American stage including Katharine Hepburn, Marlon Brando, Helen Hayes, and Tallulah Bankhead. The Ivoryton Playhouse is the oldest, continuously running, self-supporting summer theater in the nation. Due to the generosity of many public and private contributors, the building has changed dramatically in recent years. In 2001, the Ivoryton Playhouse Foundation began a total renovation of the building which included new shingles, a new heating and air conditioning system, new seats and state-of-the-art theatrical sound and lighting systems. The Ivoryton Playhouse, has maintained its reputation as a first class summer theater and now produces a year-round professional season of musicals, comedies and dramas.