LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commemorating the 65th Anniversary of the Forest-
burgh Playhouse

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to call attention to
individuals and organizations that devote their time and energies to the
cultural enrichment of the Empire State; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commem-
orate the 65th Anniversary of the Forestburgh Playhouse; and
WHEREAS, In the 1940s in Greenwich Village, John Grahame and Alexander
Maissel had been leasing the legendary Provincetown Playhouse; soon
after, they began to look for an alternative space to perform and study;
and
WHEREAS, Their search took them to the Kiebs Farm in Forestburgh, New
York, which they purchased as a summer home for their Provincetown
Repertory Company, with the idea that it might become the full time home
of the Provincetown Playhouse in the future; and
WHEREAS, In the spring of 1947, Aida Grahame and Sally Maissel, and a
troupe of actors and apprentices began the renovation of the building
into a theatre; by July 8, 1947, enough work had been done to transform
the barn into a theatre, and the Forestburgh Playhouse, then called the
Forestburgh Summer Theatre, opened its first of more than 250 subsequent
productions; and
WHEREAS, For the first 25 years of its existence, the Playhouse oper-
ated as both a theatre and a school; apprentices paid to attend for the
summer, and took daily classes in acting, speech, and movement; they
also spent many hours in rehearsal and many more hours working building
sets, costumes, and props; they performed in both the main stage
productions and the children's shows; and
WHEREAS, During this time, the theatrical repertoire consisted of
mainly Shakespeare, Shaw, and Ibsen, and musical productions consisted
almost exclusively of Gilbert and Sullivan; and
WHEREAS, In the 1970s during increasingly difficult times and in order
to keep going the barn was rented to various companies; in 1980, the
property was put up for sale; and
WHEREAS, That same year, Gregg Harlan and Craig Sandquist, in associ-
ation with Gregg's sister, Cindy Harlan, purchased what had become a
somewhat run down property; the name was changed from the Forestburgh
Summer Theatre to the Forestburgh Playhouse, and a new era began at the
theatre; the Harlan-Sandquist era lasted from 1981-1991, and represented
some of the most dynamic growth that the Playhouse had experienced since
its early years; and
WHEREAS, Continuing and building upon a trend that had started in the
1970s at the Playhouse, they produced hit Broadway musicals and come-
dies; they doubled the seating capacity of the Playhouse, doubled the
seating capacity of the Tavern, and boosted the rate of audience
subscription to nearly 35 percent; and
WHEREAS, The Tavern at Forestburgh Playhouse evolved over a number of
summers with a new type of show after the regular performance, the
Cabaret; from casual evenings in which the actors from the main stage
show would each take a turn at the piano, while the small audience
enjoyed coffee and desserts; the Cabaret developed into an original
musical revue performed every night with a full food and cocktail
service; and
WHEREAS, In 1992, Norman Duttweiler purchased the Forestburgh Play-
house; it has since continued to offer its unique version of summer
theatre to audiences of Sullivan County; and

WHEREAS, In the twenty years since Norman Duttweiler has been produc-
er, almost every year has brought improvements to both the physical
structure and the artistic product; and
WHEREAS, In 2008, Duttweiler guided the transition of the Forestburgh
Playhouse from a for-profit entity to a not-for-profit arts organiza-
tion, the Forestburgh Theatre Arts Center (FTAC); now serving as Manag-
ing Director of FTAC, Duttweiler has expanded the range of offerings
presented; the summer season is now longer, and culminates in a special
post Labor Day dramatic presentation; and
WHEREAS, Moreover, the summer children's productions have been signif-
icantly upgraded; in an attempt to expand audiences, the New Audience
Project presents world theatre classics to high school students as well
as the general public in the fall; and
WHEREAS, Today, the Forestburgh Playhouse is the oldest professional
summer theatre in New York State; the Forestburgh Theatre Arts Center
and the Forestburgh Playhouse continue to thrive and bring the experi-
ence of live theatre to area residents and visitors of all ages; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body recognizes the importance of the
performing arts, which act to inspire, enlighten, and unify people from
all cultural backgrounds through the transcendent power of human
expression; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 65th Anniversary of the Forestburgh Playhouse; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the Forestburgh Playhouse.