Winnipesaukee Playhouse facts for kids
The new theater, which has over 200 seats.
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| Address | 33 Footlight Circle Meredith, New Hampshire United States |
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| Coordinates | 43°38′14″N 71°30′30″W / 43.6372°N 71.5083°W |
| Type | Regional theater |
| Capacity | 200–250 |
| Opened | 2004; Relocated 2013 |
The Winnipesaukee Playhouse is a popular theater in Meredith, New Hampshire, located in the state's beautiful Lakes Region. It has a special stage design called a "courtyard-style" theater and can seat over 200 people.
What makes this playhouse unique is that it hosts two different kinds of shows. In the summer, it puts on professional plays, known as summer stock theater, with paid actors. During the rest of the year, it features community theater shows, where local volunteers and actors perform. It's one of the only theaters in the United States to do both!
The playhouse is very well-known for its amazing shows. It has won 46 New Hampshire Theater Awards, more than any other theater in the state in recent years. In 2009, New Hampshire Magazine even named it the best professional theater in New Hampshire.
The Playhouse's Story
The Winnipesaukee Playhouse was started in 2004 by a brother and sister, Bryan Halperin and Lesley Pankhurst, along with their spouses. They first opened the theater in a shopping plaza in the village of Weirs Beach.
The theater quickly became a big part of the community. It offered professional summer shows, community plays, and even children's theater throughout the year. In 2006, it officially became a non-profit organization, meaning its main goal is to serve the community, not just to make money.
A Big Move
By 2008, the playhouse was ready for a bigger home. A group of investors bought the old Annalee Dolls factory site for the theater. The goal was to create a large campus for the arts, similar to a famous arts center called Tanglewood.
In 2013, the Winnipesaukee Playhouse moved from Weirs Beach to its new location in Meredith. This new home was a huge upgrade, with a much larger stage, offices, dressing rooms, and a lobby for guests.
A New Home for the Arts
The move to the old Annalee Dolls campus gave the playhouse a lot more space to grow. The campus is over 14 acres (5.7 ha) and has seven buildings. This allowed the playhouse to become the first major performing arts complex in the Lakes Region.
The new campus cost about $4 million to develop and now includes many exciting features:
- A modern theater that can seat almost 200 people, more than double the size of the old one.
- A summer theater camp for kids in kindergarten through 8th grade.
- An outdoor amphitheater where you can watch performances before some of the main shows.
1a- Paint shop (where sets are painted)
1b- Rehearsal space
2- Storage
3- Summer camp building
4- The Main Theater
5- Outdoor Amphitheater
6- Covered Bridge
7- Scene shop (where sets are built)
8- Housing for actors and staff
9- Former Annalee Dolls offices (removed in 2013)
