Westporter of the Week: Mark Lamos

Name:  Mark Lamos     

Age: 65

Occupation: Artistic Director, Westport Country Playhouse

How long have you lived or worked in Westport?  The 2011 season will be my second full season at the playhouse, though I began to take the reins in 2009.

What is your favorite place in Westport?  Where I work!  I fell in love with the theater when I first saw it – so beautifully designed and renovated.  I love the gardens, too, as well as the whole campus.  It feels very welcoming for our audiences and for all of us who work on the staff making theater.

Favorite Westport restaurant?  .  I could happily eat there every day – and sometimes I do when we are in season!  I love the organic ingredients, I love the way Michel and his staff think about food, from preparation to presentation.  Every bite is special, and I like how seasonal the menu is.  It is honestly one of my favorite places on the planet in which to eat – and I live with a guy who was an honors graduate of the Culinary Institute in Hyde Park, and whose unbelievably high standards I now share when it comes to restaurants.

Why Westport?   I was asked to consider the playhouse leadership, and after 13 years of freelancing, I began to miss having a dialogue with an audience and an artistic home in Connecticut with close proximity to New York City.