Eugene O'Neill Theater Center facts for kids
The Hammond Mansion, "Ironsides", in 2017
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| Address | 305 Great Neck Road Waterford, Connecticut United States |
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| Type | Regional Theater |
| Opened | 1964 |
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Walnut Grove
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Area | 40 acres (16 ha) |
| Built | 1822 |
| Architectural style | Federal, Gothic Revival, et al. |
| NRHP reference No. | 05001044 |
| Added to NRHP | September 21, 2005 |
The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut, is a special non-profit theater group. It was started in 1964 by George C. White. People often call it The O'Neill. It can hold over 1,000 guests.
The O'Neill has won two Tony Awards. These are big awards for theater. They won a Special Award in 1979. They also won the Regional Theatre Award in 2010. President Obama gave The O'Neill a National Medal of Arts in 2016. This award celebrates great achievements in the arts.
The O'Neill is a very important place for American theater. It changed how new plays and musicals are created. They were pioneers in "play development." This means they help writers make their plays better. They also use "stage readings." Actors read new plays out loud to help develop them.
The O'Neill is home to the National Theater Institute. This program started in 1970. It's a special semester for college students. They can study theater in a very focused way.
The O'Neill also has several important theater conferences:
- The National Playwrights Conference started in 1965.
- The National Critics Conference began in 1968.
- The National Musical Theater Conference started in 1978.
- The National Puppetry Conference began in 1990.
- The Cabaret & Performance Conference started in 2005.
The O'Neill bought and fixed up the Monte Cristo Cottage. This was Eugene O'Neill's childhood home. It is in New London, Connecticut. Now, it is a museum. The O'Neill takes care of it.
The theater's campus is beautiful. It looks out over Long Island Sound. This is in Waterford Beach Park. There are four main places to perform. Two are indoors and two are outdoors. Tifanni Gavin is the Executive Director of The O'Neill.
The land where the O'Neill Center is located has a long history. It is also known as Walnut Grove or Hammond Estate. This estate was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. It's important because of its architecture. It also has ties to famous people. These include Colonel William North from the Revolutionary War. Another person was Edward Crowninshield Hammond. He was a rich railroad owner. He used to own the property.
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Famous Works Developed at The O'Neill
Many plays, musicals, and performances started at The O'Neill. They later became very successful. Here are some examples from their conferences.
National Playwrights Conference
This conference helps new plays get ready for the stage.
- Slave Play by Jeremy O. Harris (2018)
- The Nether by Jennifer Haley (2011)
- Fuddy Meers by David Lindsay-Abaire (1998)
- Seven Guitars by August Wilson (1994)
- The Piano Lesson by August Wilson (1986)
- Fences by August Wilson (1983)
- Ma Rainey's Black Bottom by August Wilson (1982)
- Agnes of God by John Pielmeier (1979)
- Bent by Martin Sherman (1978)
- Uncommon Women and Others by Wendy Wasserstein (1977)
- House of Blue Leaves by John Guare (1966)
National Musical Theater Conference
This conference helps new musicals grow and improve.
- In the Heights (2005) - This musical won a Tony Award in 2008.
- Avenue Q (2002) - This musical also won a Tony Award in 2004.
- Nine (1979) - It won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1982.
Cabaret & Performance Conference
This conference focuses on cabaret and performance art.
- title of show (2005)
Notable People from The O'Neill
Many talented people have been part of The O'Neill. They have gone on to do great things in theater and film.
National Theater Institute Alumni
These are some famous actors and writers who studied at the National Theater Institute.
- Michael Douglas
- Rachel Dratch (from Saturday Night Live)
- Jennifer Garner
- John Krasinski (from The Office)
- Jeremy Piven (from Entourage)
- Josh Radnor (from How I Met Your Mother)
- Elizabeth Olsen
- Daniel Dae Kim
Conference Playwrights
These are some of the well-known playwrights whose works were developed at The O'Neill's conferences.
- Edward Albee
- Christopher Durang
- John Guare
- David Henry Hwang
- David Lindsay-Abaire
- John Patrick Shanley
- Sam Shepard
- Wendy Wasserstein
- August Wilson
- Lanford Wilson
See also
