Delving into the Past
It is appropriate to ask how a former resident of Winchester became interested in Middletown’s Wayside Theatre. In particular, how did he become involved with collecting information and in attempting to write an overview of the Theatre? There is no simple answer -- only a response requiring some explanation.
My connection with Wayside Theatre began in 1996 when, on a whim, I auditioned and was cast in the annual December show, A Christmas Carol, written and directed by then Artistic Director, Christopher Owens. My time on stage was brief, but enjoyable. I subsequently appeared in two other productions during Mr. Owens’ tenure. But, I never dreamed that those moments on Wayside’s stage would be the beginning of a relationship that would span several years.
After Christopher Owens resigned, Warner Crocker assumed the position of Artistic Director. I presented myself to him, indicating I would be interested in being considered for a part, should there be a role for an “older-type.” Much to my surprise, I was cast in the opening production of the 1999 season, Measure for Measure. From 1999 to 2010, it was my privilege to appear on Wayside’s stage in one or more productions each season.
Even though I had been a resident of Winchester since 1973, I am embarrassed to confess that I knew practically nothing about Wayside. I picked up bits and pieces each time I was cast in a production. And, I learned even more when I read The Lure and Lore of the Wayside Theatre (2001) by Bryane Miller Lickson, written to observe Wayside’s 40th season.
Over time, I heard more about the Theatre’s early years and of the New York actors who spent their summers in Middletown trodding the same stage as I. Did these talented people really mount eight plays over a ten-week period? Was there an accurate list of the theatre’s productions? Were there any photos of these early shows? What memorabilia might be lying about?
In 2010, while attending a performance at Totem Pole Playhouse in Pennsylvania, I saw a copy of the document that had been compiled to observe the theatre’s sixtieth anniversary. It contained information about the Theatre’s beginnings along with a production chronology. When Wayside neared its fiftieth season, I innocently inquired if a similar document were being considered. The loud and clear response to my question was, “Go for it!”
So, I opted to “Go for it.” Immediately, I was confronted with many questions: Where does one start? Where is this information located? How should it be organized? And, there were tons of other questions. Thus began the task of delving more deeply into the Theatre’s “lure and lore” than I ever imagined possible.
My search began at the Stuart Bell, Jr. Archives in Winchester’s Handley Library. What a surprise, as well as a disappointment, to discover that their entire Wayside Theatre holdings consisted of three, very thin folders containing only scant bits of information: a newspaper clipping, a playbill, an invitation to an opening, a couple of photos. Useful, but certainly not definitive.
The next step was to see what might be at the Theatre. What I found was more abundant, but certainly not complete. Two four-drawer cabinets containing files arranged alphabetically by the title of the production. Each folder contained a newspaper review or two, along with articles about a visiting actor, a fund drive, and the like. Again - - helpful, but nothing definitive.
Some of the file-folders contained playbills of productions dating from the late 1980s and early 1990s, but no single year was completely represented. To my horror, it was mentioned that there was a possibility that the bulk of information prior to the 1980s had disappeared - - some suggested it was destroyed in a house-cleaning effort, as it was felt that this “old stuff” was not needed. Could this have actually happened? After discovering this void in the Theatre’s early years, it became quite evident that compiling a definitive production chronology, along with any information on the theatre’s early days, was going to be a much larger chore than anticipated!
I next stumbled across the real jewel in the Theatre’s archival materials: fifteen scrapbooks covering the years 1964 - 1979, that contained newspaper clippings, some photos, and a few playbills. Barbara Swink, who had served Wayside’s Managing Director from 1972 – 1979, confessed that she had put many of the scrapbooks together - - clipping articles from the area papers, since it was she who had submitted this information to the press in the first place (Swink. 16 Feb. 2011).
One scrapbook bears the handwritten inscription, “To Leo and Beverly [Bernstein], A small token of appreciation for all you’ve done through the years to make Wayside Theatre a reality” and signed by Gerald Slavet. There is no date for this inscription, but a newspaper clipping attached to the page is dated April 17, 1970. Interestingly enough, the contents of the autographed scrapbook are repeated almost exactly in a second volume for the same year.
Rumor has it that these scrapbooks left the Theatre for a time and fell into the hands of Middletown residents, Gene and Eve Newman, both of whom had served on the Theatre’s Board of Directors. One could imagine they had been rescued during the trashing of the archival materials mentioned earlier. Who knows? But, somehow these scrapbooks came into the possession of Mr. and Mrs. Newman, who kept them safely at their home before returning them to the Theatre in 1999. There they remained, locked away in a cabinet on the theatre’s second floor, primarily un-noticed.
Unfortunately, the scrapbooks are in poor condition; the glue holding the clippings to the page has dried up, and the paper has become brittle and crumbly. On the positive side, there were three small boxes in the cabinet each containing a roll of microfilm. Someone had the foresight to photograph the scrapbooks when they were in their pristine, original condition. The microfilm is now located in the Stuart Bell Archives of the Handley Regional Library in Winchester. The film has been scanned, allowing one to access these scrapbooks from the library’s website. In many cases, a footnote in this document will merely state, Scrapbook and a year. This is usually done when a scrapbook contains a newspaper clipping but the date and page number of the clipping are missing.
As additional material dealing with the Theatre has been collected, it has also been added to the Handley Archives. One of the most important additions was the large number of theatre playbills donated by John Horan, Jr., who wrote reviews of Wayside productions for the Northern Virginia Daily. While this donation has enhanced the holdings, a complete collection of playbills does not exist.
Additional information on both Wayside Theatre and Wayside Inn came from the papers of Leo Bernstein housed at the Jewish Historical Society in Washington, DC. Other material has come from people who have generously donated items that enhanced and broadened the scope of this endeavor. All material obtained to date has become part of the Wayside Theatre Collection in the Archives of the Handley Library in Winchester, Virginia.
I have talked with many actors who appeared on the Wayside stage, including a telephone conversation with an actor who appeared in the 1963 season! I have spoken with directors, with people who worked behind the stage, with former theatre staff, with board members, and with people who have been loyal supporters of the Theatre. I have talked with people on the phone, met with them over coffee, and communicated via email. Some have shared their personal scrapbooks and photo albums. Others have solved mysteries by identifying people in unlabeled photographs. I have heard countless stories of treasured moments on Wayside’s stage. The list of those who have assisted with this project is long, and I hope that no name has been overlooked. Needless to say, I express my sincere thanks to all who have contributed to it.
Even though the project has been under way since 2011, it remains a “work in progress.” It has been put aside and left untouched for months at a time. There are still mysteries to be solved and questions to be answered. It is my hope that the available portion of this document will be of interest to those who read it. In the not-too-distant future, perhaps a more complete and definitive history of Wayside Theatre will be available for all to enjoy.
JHL
Wilmington, Delaware