Westport Country Playhouse, a not-for-profit theater, serves as a treasured home for the performing arts and is a cultural landmark for Connecticut.

Under the artistic direction of Mark Lamos and management direction of Michael Ross, the Playhouse creates quality productions of new and classic plays that enlighten, enrich and engage a diverse community of theater lovers, artists and students.

The Playhouse's rich history dates to 1931, when New York theatre producer Lawrence Langner created a Broadway-quality stage within a 1830s tannery. The Playhouse quickly became an established stop on the New England 'straw hat circuit' of summer stock theatres.

Now celebrating its 79th season, Westport Country Playhouse has produced more than 700 plays, 36 of which later transferred to Broadway, most recently the world premiere of Thurgood and a revival of Thornton Wilder's Our Town with Paul Newman, and in earlier years Come Back, Little Sheba with Shirley Booth, The Trip to Bountiful with Lillian Gish, and Butterflies Are Free with Keir Dullea and Blythe Danner.

For its artistic excellence, the Playhouse received a 2005 Governor's Arts Award and a 2000 'Connecticut Treasure' recognition.

It was also designated as an official project of Save America's Treasures by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and is entered on the Connecticut State Register of Historic Places.

Following a multi-million dollar renovation completed in 2005, the Playhouse transformed into a year-round, state-of-the-art producing theater. It has still preserved its original charm and character.

In addition to a full season of theatrical productions, the Playhouse serves as a community resource, presenting educational programming and workshops, a children's theater series, symposiums, music, films, and readings.