Owen Phillips: 1964

Yes! Wayside Theatre did have a 1964 season - - and, it was very successful! Best of all, there is ample documentation telling of the theatre’s activities for that season.  An announcement, along with a couple of photographs, can be found in a supplement of The Washington Star that tells of the new theatre.

Play Acting agrees with the Shenanoah Valley.  The Wayside Theater, a pro-
fessional troupe of 10 in Middletown, Va., has proved a point.  Having drawn fine
crowds – local and tourist — all during the summer, the players and management decided to extend the performances into the autumn …. The troupe is currently
giving “Four Poster” and will play “The Women” Nov. 10 – 14 to wind up the season.  
But a drama workshop will keep things going there through Dec. 20. … [The Theatre]
is located 75 miles from the Capital on Route 11, just a pleasant drive away as many Washingtonians have discovered (“Summer Theater in the Fall.”  TWS.  25 Oct. 1964).

While The Women is mentioned as being on the schedule for November of 1964, it appears that it did not actually take place until November of 1965.

Wayside’s most publicized news item for its new season was the announcement that Owen Phillips would be taking over as Wayside’s new Artistic Director.  This announcement was well covered by the area newspapers!  Although the Theatre has always listed Phillips as the first Artistic Director, there is ample documentation that Phillips came to Wayside in 1964 following Gleason’s very successful 1963 season.  It should be noted that the title used for this leadership position also varies.  Gleason is listed as Producing Director in 1963 while Phillips is listed as Managing Director in the season booklets for the years 1965, 1966, and 1967.  The title, Artistic Director, seems to have been used later.

Owen Phillips was warmly welcomed to the area and is described as, “A diminutive, personable man who has acquired a nationwide reputation for both his ability and devotion to finding and developing of the best theater talent, will assume production and directing duties at the popular Wayside Theater in Middletown this season.”  Included with this article is a photograph of Phillips along with information about his extensive theatre career, the names of famous actors he had directed, and the theaters where he had worked.  Prior to joining Wayside, Phillips was the resident director at Barter Theater, which credited him for “giving the Abingdon-based playhouse its most successful season in recent history.”  In his new position in Middletown, Phillips “will have full charge of the highly-popular Wayside, which opened here last summer ….” One should note the previous sentence, “which opened here last summer,” as it seems to confirm the opening date of Wayside as being in 1963.  Phillips promised to build on the success of the previous year by including, “even more activity this year for both local and out-of-state playgoers than last” (Cummins. “Wayside Has Experienced ….” WES.  3 Feb. 1964).  The interview supports the fact that Wayside opened in 1963, despite there being no reference to the Maralarrick Players, or that Wayside began in 1961.  

Phillips’ easy manner and natural bearing were a great asset as he worked his way into the community, spreading the message of Wayside.  In an interview held shortly after his arrival, Phillips shares his impression of seeing the theatre space for the first time. He recalls that he immediately fell in love with what he saw.  “I have been in many real theaters and have never felt it was a theater, but the minute I walked into the Middletown Theater, I felt it was a theater.”  The writer concludes, “[and] that is just what he has made it, in just one year” (Pennypacker. “Wayside Theatre Ready …” WES. 22 May 1965).  

With the appointment of Phillips as Artistic Director and the assurance of another season for the new theatre, a flood of information poured into the community via the printed word, as well as in public appearances by Phillips himself.  In an address to the Front Royal Lions Club in February of 1964, he announced the titles of the plays for the up-coming season and described the changes of the theatre space that had taken place during the recent renovation. These changes, noted Phillips, included re-decorating the interior, the expansion of the size of the stage, and “an entire new lighting system, comparable to any in the nation is currently being installed.  About 25 seats will be added to the capacity of the house bringing it up to about 275.” In conclusion, the writer states, “We welcome Mr. Phillips to the Shenandoah Valley and we look forward to curtain time for a stimulating, successful season at our Wayside Theatre” (“Our Theatre.” TWaS. 13 Feb. 1964).   

In Phillip’s presentation before another organization, he reiterated the season’s schedule and suggested there were  “… plans to open in May - - probably on the first - - and continue through September with an all-Equity company, staging the light plays and musicals which he probably enjoys the most.”  He adds that Wayside “will feature a different play every week, with the theatre dark on Mondays … and, if things work out … it may be possible to keep the playhouse open through Dec. 1 and re-open it again for a series of children’s presentations around the Christmas season” (Cummins. “Wayside Has Experienced ….” WES. 3 Feb. 1964).   

In his presentations before civic groups, Phillips reminded his audiences that the “May-through-September season is approximately the same as the Shenandoah Valley-Skyline Drive tourist season” and expressed his support for the idea of combining theatre performances with tourism.  He called this a forward-thinking approach that would promote both the Theatre along with the charm of the Wayside Inn, a combination that could boost the tourist business in the Valley as well as be a benefit to businesses in the area.  Phillips “envisions what could be a boom to area tourism by tying in a tour of the historic Valley and the beautiful Skyline Drive with an evening of theatre at the Wayside” (Cummins.  3 Feb. 1964).

It was this positive promotion of the theatre that Phillips proclaimed at his many speaking engagements.  The theatre scrapbooks for 1964 and 1965 contain many newspaper clippings of Phillips’ speaking at various civic organizations. Based upon this information, it appears that Phillips was highly successful in promoting Wayside.  One person, who had attended his presentation at the Front Royal Lions Club, stated that when Phillips announced the 1964 season, those attending “could almost smell the greasepaint and see the footlights.” When describing the changes taking place inside the theater, Phillips assured his audience that the up-comng 1964 season would avoid productions that could be described as “problem plays” and concentrate on works that would give theater-goers “a fresh outlook” for the season.  He stressed that ticket prices would be kept purposely low “so it won’t be a burden to go to the Wayside every week.”  The goal of Wayside, he noted, would be to provide good, live theatre to those residing in the Shenandoah Valley.  He was quick to point out that in some areas where there was an active theatre, the resort industry has grown.  He concluded his Front Royal visit by stating, “Wayside hopes to bring advanced knowledge and refinement to nearby Valley communities.” This could be interpreted that Wayside Theatre’s goal was to add “a touch of culture” to the Valley (“Lions Club Sees ….”  TWaS. 13 Feb. 1964).

Approaching the opening of the 1964 season, a two-column advertisement announced the season’s gala opening of The Pursuit of Happiness, scheduled to take place on May 16, 1964, with a 9:30 p.m. curtain.  The ad contains a photograph of the newly decorated exterior of the Wayside Theatre, that labels it as “a new landmark on the old valley pike” (TWaS.  14 May 1964).  The article concludes by mentioning that ‘royalty’ had attended the gala opening … “Miss Luci Baines Johnson, the daughter of the US President and the 1964 Miss Apple Blossom Queen, was among these in the audience” (“Miss Johnson ….” WES.  8 Apr. 1964).   

The performance times for the 1964 season, found in a theatre brochure, might seem a bit late in the evening to the modern day audience, and the ticket prices will certainly appear cheap by modern standards.  It is little wonder that attending the theatre was so popular!

CURTAIN                              TICKETS
Mon. – Fri.  8:40                     Mon. – Fri.   $2.50
Wed. matinee 2:30                Thurs – Sat.  $2.75
Sat. Matinee  6:30                 Wed. matinee $1.50 or $2.00
Sat. Evening  9:30                 Sat. matinee            $2.50
All balcony seats - -- $2.00

The success of the previous season, coupled with the enthusiasm of the patrons, provided the support for the fledgling theatre’s second season.  When the plans for the 1964 season were revealed, one writer enthusiastically observed, “The Wayside Theatre is back … It has survived its first year, and believe me, that’s harder for a summer theater than for the hamsters and tuberous-rooted begonias you may have tried to raise” (Dillard. “Wayside Re-opens ….” WES. 21 May 1964).  When the opening night for the 1964 actually took place, one reviewer painted a picturesque description of the event. “Well it wasn’t quite like every other Saturday night … over in sleepy Middletown this past weekend,” the article began, which was followed by a description of the theatre’s refurbished exterior and changes of the interior space.  The writer observes that not everyone in Middletown attended the opening night performance, noting that, “A handful of lounging townsmen pondered the goings-on across the [main street] under the portico newly attached to the Wayside Theatre.”  These ‘locals’ most likely did not have opening night tickets so they observed the first nighters dressed in “Black ties and Empire gowns [and] chatted … while flashbulbs popped and other First nighters alighted on the red carpet to pick up tickets for a posh summer stock opening night.”  The Theatre’s exterior changes were noted.  No longer was there a “firehouse-hayloft aura” to the outside, as, “White paint, Wedgewood blue shutters, handsome awnings, urns, and circular ship’s stair, completely changed the old bland brick front.  Inside, candlelight effects on dark reds mixed with gilt and soft tones -- a far whoop and holler from cowbarns and flapping tents of other summer stock.” To this, further kudos were extended.  “… Bravissimo, Mr. Phillips.  Valley summer theatre-goers are already in your palm with the Wayside players’ warm and humorous performance …”  (ERB. “Coffee Break.”  TWaS.  21 May 1964).  

This enthusiastic description for a successful opening night of the Valley’s new theatrical venture is one example of the coverage found in other newspapers.  Good wishes came from the various business that advertised in the Theatre’s summer season booklet.  This area was accustomed to attending theatre productions performed by two active local theatre groups: Winchester’s Bark Mill Players, a long-established community theatre begun in 1929, wished Wayside “Good Luck for their upcoming second season.”  The Blue Ridge Players, located in Berryville, extended a hearty “Shenandoah Valley welcome” to their fellow thespians.  Both of these theatre groups had the tradition of performing a few plays each year in their respective locations.  The Bark Mill Theatre later became the Winchester Little Theatre when it moved into the old Pennsylvania RR train station, where it has remained as a very active organization. The Blue Ridge Plays, organized in 1949 and consisted primarily of residents from Clarke County, performed in The Opera House in Berryville, an old movie theatre that was torn down several years ago.  On occasion, they also used the auditorium of Powhatan School in Boyce, Virginia for performances.  Each of these theatre groups had a loyal following.  It was into this environment of established community theatre that Wayside Theatre appeared offering something totally unique that separated it from both Bark Mill or The Blue Ridge Players.  Wayside offered a summer of eight plays performed over a ten-week period by a company of professional actors, many of whom were from New York.

Most of the 1964 opening night reviews describe the redecorated interior space as well as the altered exterior of the building.  Regarding the interior, one reporter observes, “The new stage is a vast improvement over the too narrow jutting arrangement of last year” (Weaver. “Teamwork in New Wayside ….” NVD.  2 June 1964).  Another tells what the first-nighter should expect when they attend the performance.  

The stage is being widened to give it better proportion ….  Even the outside of
the building will soon have a new appearance when a marqee is installed with
white pillars in the manner of a southern plantation home.  There are also plans
for a soft drink bar in the Art Gallery next door which should prove more than
welcoming to the audience during intermission (Harris. B.W. “Middletown’s Way-
side ….  NVD. 20 Feb. 1964).   

In describing the physical changes, one reporter wrote, “This year there are improvements.  The stage is bigger, allowing more freedom of movement and also a wider choice of plays,” observing that “the production of The Pursuit of Happiness could not have been performed on last year’s stage.”  She adds, “The lights, which had been the only weak point, are fine now, with a new battery of balcony spots.” Saving the highest kudo for the end, she enthusiastically concludes, “with this year’s longer season, we will be able to see more plays!” (Dillard.  “Wayside Re-opens ….” WES. 21 May 1964).  Still another writer describes the changes in the lobby as being “… a quaint miniature of a Broadway or some other big-time playhouse.  It is dressed up in rich colors and has appropriate accents, such as a velvet rope” (Matheny. “Middletown: A Showplace ….” Richmond Times and World News. 10 June 1978).   

An additional reviewer describes the theatre’s renovation stating,

All the re-construction in the Theatre was done by Tom McKeehan of Warren,
Ohio.  The theatre seats 278.  The walls have been painted a soft gray with panels
of red velvet.  On these panels are candelabra giving a most charming atmosphere.  
The floors are carpeted and they now boast of a fine curtain, which was made by
Mr. McKeehan from pieces of curtain from the Capital Theater of Winchester, which
is no longer ((Uncredited. Scrapbook 1965).

Another reporter writes about these alterations, “The theatre itsself (sic) is having its face lifted by a friend [and] some time associate of Phillips, Thomas McKeehan, a stage designer … who has been enthusiastically painting and decorating to give the theatre a much warmer and more cheerful atmosphere” (Harris. “Middletown’s Wayside ….” NVD. 20 Feb. 1964).  The change boldly contrasts the old with the new.

When one walks into the Wayside Theater on a red carpet, which reaches out
onto the sidewalk, and sits down to a real professional performance, it is hard to
realize that less than two years ago this was just a ‘small town movie theater.’  And
that the office next door had been the old ‘town office.’  And, that the adjoining Art Gallery was a Drug Store (Pennypacker. “Wayside Theatre Ready ….” TWS. 22 May 1965).

Another writer, who had attended a 1963 performance, confessed that in his earlier review, he had “devoted considerable space … to describing the physical aspects of the theater, its pleasant appointments, its unusual close actor contact with the audience, its novel stage equipment ….”  When he returned in 1964, he wrote “that improvements have been made since [my visit] last season; in lighting, in sound, and decoration,” but concludes that he “shall not enlarge on these subjects today” (ELK.  Undated, 1964).  Unfortunately, it is impossible to compare the two descriptions of the space, as ELK’s 1963 article cannot be located.   

In addition to the many descriptions of the changes in the theatre, the local papers also write about the actors that made up the Wayside company.  Upon learning of a particular actor’s return for the second season, she expressed her enthusiasm with the headline, “Wayside’s Only Alumnus is Dynamic and Ageless,” and continues with an an extended article on him (Dillard. Scrapbook, 1964).  In anticipation of the upcoming 1964 season, there were articles about other actors who had been hired for the season.  One headline touts the name of Ian Sullivan, calling him “one of the Valley’s favorite actors [who] returns to the Wayside Theatre” for another season. (“Ian Sullivan ….”  WES. 20 May 1964).

As the season progressed, the papers ran reviews of performances along with feature articles on the performers.  A good example of this coverage is found in the review of Mary, Mary, where Carol Churas is praised for her performance along with details of her life-long desire to become an actress along with a list of theatres where she has performed. (Dillard. “Carol Churas Playing ….” WES. 9 June 1965). 

The success of the theatre’s first season meant that it expanded its search for talent.  One unidentified clipping, most likely from the theatre periodical, Back Stage, announced openings for apprentices at the “Wayside Summer Theatre (an Equity Company) for the upcoming season,” requesting those interested to write to the director in care of the Middletown address (Un-named.  1 Feb. 1964).  A similar notice from a regional paper announced that auditions would be held for “local theater aspirants of all ages who wish to further their professional career in any phase of theatre including acting, directing, teaching and theatre management.” Those who were interested were instructed to contact the theatre at the address given in the article.  These audition notices must have reached interested people from afar, as the first out-of-town apprentice for the 1964 season that Phillips accepted was Joanne Heeger of Kankekee, Illinois.  Miss Heeger is described as having “extensive training in drama and is also an accomplished musician and dancer.  She comes to the Wayside recommended by Miss Beryl Danforth, dramatic coach for young movie starlets in Hollywood” (“Wayside Theatre Accepts ….” WES. 12 Mar. 1964). 

Wayside was not the only summer-stock theatre in the area that advertised its performances.  The entertainment page of one local paper listed offerings in three area theatres:  Look Homeward Angel at Wayside Theatre; Papa is All at Totem Pole Playhouse, and Annie Get Your Gun at Allenbury Playhouse, the latter two theatres being located in Pennsylvania.  Ads for these theatres all appeared on the same page along with the titles of films being shown in the local cinemas. (TDM.  20 Aug. 1964). 

As has been mentioned, Phillips maintained a demanding speaking schedule where he promoted Wayside Theatre.  Newspapers track his presence at various fraternal organizations: the Front Royal Lions Club, the Rotary Club, and others.  In 1964, he addressed the Shenandoah Valley Motel Association, Winchester and Front Royal divisions, and proposed bringing “several innovations to the Wayside, which in its first year of operation in 1963 proved to be highly popular.” To encourage out-of-state visitors to theatre performances, Phillips suggested a tourist package that would include “two different productions for visitors in The Valley for a weekend.  Tourists who stayed for a weekend would see one presentation Friday and a different one on Saturday.”  He proposed a “10 per cent reduction on season tickets, as well as reductions for theatre parties and benefit performances” (“Motel Group ….” WES. 12 Feb. 1964).  This networking by Phillips resulted in the theatre offering season subscriptions rather than only individual tickets.  Phillips also encouraged businesses and organizations to sponsor a single performance of a show.  The Jaycee-ettes sponsored a performance of Dames at Sea in September (“Jaycee-ettes Sponsor ….” WES. 13 Sept. 1967), and the Exchange Club  sponsored the opening performance of The Armored Dove, the first play in the Fall Season (“Exchange Club to Sponsor ….” WES. 13 Sept. 1967).  Phillips also expanded his schedule by being a judge at the Front Royal Beauty Contest, according to a hand-written thank-you note, dated April 15, 1964, expressing appreciation for his services. (1964 Scrapbook).

Phillips was also involved in the establishment of a theatre internship award that would be given to a talented local person.  The winner of the 1964 Miss Shenandoah Valley was Bridgewater College student, Miss Marcia Lynn Jonas, later Marcia Holtzman.  Due to her training in voice, piano, drama, clarinet, and dancing, Owens awarded her a resident scholarship for the 1964 summer season.  Holtzman describes her internship as “doing office work, stage work, building sets - - really anything that needed to be done.”  She adds, “I lived in an apartment above the theatre, and ate my meals at the Wayside Inn” (Holtzman. Interview. 16 Aug. 2010).  

Tying tourism to the Theatre had been an idea Bernstein envisioned when he purchased the Inn.  One way of implementing this was by hosting bus tours coupled with a theatre performance, a practice the Theatre continued for many years.  In 1964, the office of the Trailways Bus Company in Washington, DC printed a brochure that advertised escorted tours to Middletown, Virginia, featuring stops at the Wayside Inn and Wayside Theatre.  Included in the trip were visits to nearby Harpers Ferry and Berkeley Springs, West Virginia.  These tours, scheduled for three weekends in the fall, departed Washington on a Saturday morning, returning to the city on Sunday evening.  The price for the excursion was $33.25 per person and included “one night’s accommodation at Wayside Inn, reserved seat at Wayside Theatre, baggage handling and gratuity in and out of Inn, all meals and gratuity for same” (Brochure. Trailways Bus).  Appearing on the cover of the brochure is a photo of the renovated Theatre showing its columned porch, the spiral staircase, and the awning covered ground-floor windows.  

Polly Dillard, a regularly reviewer of Wayside’s productions, wrote in detail about each performance she attended, giving her readers a true picture of what took place on the stage.  The review of A Streetcar Named Desire is one of her best.  She comments on how the atmosphere of the play is maintained “by effective bits and walk-ons, by judicious use of sound effects, by background music taped from the original production.”  She felt Dominic Poleo’s set effectively showed “both the indoors and outdoors of a two-room apartment [giving it] a marvelous decayed-finery sleaziness to the room’s interiors …” (Dillard. “Wayside Review.”  TWaS. 27 Aug. 1964).  Her review of Ten Nights in a Bar Room, mentions another change in the theatre.  “For the first time, Wayside has a curtain, specially executed for this play” (Dillard.  “Wayside Presents ….”  WES. 9 July 1964). This is one of the few references to an act-curtain being used at Wayside.

More of the changes made in 1965 are mentioned by another writer, who also makes reference to the curtain.  She observes: 

The theatre, a renovated movie house, seating 276 was first established in
1963 and has created much excitement and enthusiasm among the people
and businesses in the whole Shenandoah Valley …. In 1964, the theatre, both
air conditioned and heated, was completely re-decorated inside and out, a new
lighting system installed and the stage enlarged.  When the house opens for the
summer on May 28, the audience will see for the first time a new grand curtain
and the new arc spot light … (Scrapbook, 1965. Undated article).   

The phrase, “grand new curtain,” causes one to wonder about the stage setup for the 1964 season.  Was there a proscenium, or was the curtain used only for this single performance?  Despite comments made by people who had worked at the theatre as well as comments on its interior in reviews, there is still some confusion regarding the theatre’s use of any type of act curtain in the early years.  

The transformation in the décor of the theatre space must have been an amazing thing for people to observe.  In an article written a few years later, the theatre’s interior is described as as having …

a great deal of ingenious charm.  The small lobby is particularly attractive, and
has the intimate feeling of a small Italian playhouse.  The seats are slip-covered
in blue and green.  There is an art gallery upstairs which doubles as a rehearsal
room … and a small restaurant, ‘The Curtain Call,’ is next door.  Out in the backyard,
they were building scenery (Secrest. “Theatre in the Wild ….” TWP. 16 Aug. 1970).

The mention of an Art Gallery at the theatre is of interest.  For a time, it seems, one of the upstairs rooms was used for displaying art created by local talent.  Climbing the staircase to the gallery area, one would pass a display of photographs of previous Wayside productions.  Paul Sambol recalls, “I remember all those framed production photos up and down the stairwell.  I used to love looking at them and was so ticked off when new management came in and took them down” (Sambol. 27 Mar. 2011).    

Sometime during the Theatre’s early years, the art gallery was moved downstairs into the space later named the Curtain Call Café, which was billed as a popular place for pre-show and intermission relaxation. Photographs that show the ground floor area in its original form, reveal that there was no door that opened directly from the street into the gallery.  One entered through the staircase door that lead upstairs and immediately turned right into the Art Gallery. Later, the walls of the Art Gallery, now referred to as the Curtain Call Café, were completely covered in heavy English Tudor paneling, most of which remained until 2013.   

As if a full summer-stock season wasn’t enough to keep Wayside’s actors busy, Phillips elected to extend the 1964 summer schedule into November with what was billed as the Autumn Season. This extension increased Phillips’ schedule, which one source describes as, “Week after week he has hunted up the right people for each part and job, hired and fired, and dealt diplomatically with the variety of personalities who must adjust to living and working together.  He directed his own publicity campaign and has spoken before many groups” (“Wayside Theatre Opens ….” 1964 Scrapbook).

It is worth repeating that the newspaper coverage for the 1963 season had not been overly extensive. Their emphasis of the coverage had been on the physical changes to the Theatre structure and the production schedule.  By 1964, the focus of the newspaper coverage was more than just announcing the dates of a performance, and shifted to a critique of the productions. This is seen in the review of the season’s second play, Marriage-Go-Round, that elicited this opening paragraph:  “Only one word comes to mind in regard to the opening night of Marriage-Go-Round at Wayside Theatre last evening.  The word is superb.  A superb performance by all of the four characters in a superb play.”  The writer, who particularly enjoyed the work of actor, Ian Sullivan, observes, “I don’t know how he does it but he actually manages to blush on cue” (Weaver.  “ ‘Marriage-Go-Round’ ….” NVD. 26 May 1964).

High praise was also given to the later production of My Three Angels.  Reviewer Jean Weaver states, “It’s a shame vaudeville is dead because if Harold Herman, Ian Sullivan, and Bill Alderson run out of work at the Wayside Theatre they should be an instant success as a comedy team” (Weaver.  “Teamwork in New Wayside ….” NVD.  2 June 1964.

This was followed by Period of Adjustment that was first produced at the Coconut Grove Playhouse in Miami in December of 1968. The performance was co-directed by Tennessee Williams and Owen Phillips who had previously worked together in the performance of Night of the Iguana.

Phillips also broadened the scope of the theatre by using a few local people in some pro-ductions, as in the melodrama, Ten Nights in a Bar Room, billed as “a real ‘Mellerdrammer.’ For this, Phillips used a Clarke County trio, consisting of brother and sister, Bob and Mary Mackintosh, along with Don Haun, to provide folk music between scenes. The baritone voice of local Strasburg radio personality, William Stover, was also featured at various places in the show.  This production was a real romp for the opening night audience, who “hissed and booed the bad guys and applaused [sic] the good guys, causing the latter to stop in the middle of whatever they were doing and take several bows” (Dillard.  “Wayside Presents Real ….” WES. 9 July 1964). 

The season continued with The Moon is Blue, in which, Dillard wrote, “the lines sparkled,” and she notes that Owen Phillips not only directed this production, but starred in it as well.  “His lines are the funniest in the play …. He can bring down the house with the quirk of an eyebrow … he keeps the audience in the palm of his hand during every second that he is on the stage.  He does more than make them laugh.  He makes them see, and feel …” (Dillard.  15 July 1964). 

In addition to all the work involved creating productions each week, Phillips was interested in developing an educational program for both young people as well as adults.  (Appendix: Classes/Theatre Education).

But, the prize for the season seems to have been Bye Bye Birdie, probably because it was a large show performed on a very small stage, which perhaps only measured 16 by 23 feet. The theatre successfully mounted this large Broadway musical of singers and dancers, with a cast of 27 people performing 40 different roles, and “presented in 17 separate scenes to an audience which obviously hadn’t had so much fun in years” (Dillard.  “Wayside Review.” TWaS. 29 July 1964).  Reading excerpts of the various reviews, it is no wonder that the 1964 season was a successful one!

As part of the Fall Season, Champagne Complex, a work requiring only three actors, offered a delightful bit of comedy.  Dillard states that the show is worth the “price of admission by itself” and praises Pamela Taylor’s comedic talents as she had always done serious roles previously.  In this play she “slinks, trots and stalks around the stage” quite effectively. (Dillard.  “Wayside Review. TWaS.  15 Oct. 1964).

In November, the theatre season drew to a close with the staging of a musical revue, Wayside Bits and Pieces.  This title featured eight singers (some of whom were theatre interns) performing songs from Broadway shows, as well as the singing of operatic arias, accompanied by a small combo with Wayne Glass at the piano. 

The following month featured a production of Cinderella with the cast made up of people from the Wayside Theatre Workshop.  Dillard writes that, when she heard of Phillips’ proposal to have a theatre workshop, she wondered if teenagers of the area “would take the trouble to go there once a week - - as busy as we all are - - to study acting and play productions.”  But, she confesses, “I couldn’t have been more wrong.  The project has been a howling success, and Mr. Phillips was forced to add two extra classes.”  Along with performance times, her article includes the names of those taking part, and concludes that, “Mr. Phillips has really performed a miracle in casting this play, and casting it well, in style, in spite of all the other commitments that the workshop students have during the Christmas season” (Dillard. “Wayside Review.”  TWaS. 10 Dec. 1964).  She wrote a detailed review of this production in her column that was published the following week. (Dillard. “Wayside Review.” TWaS. 17 Dec. 1964).  Performances for Cinderella were scheduled over three weekends with Saturday shows at 2:30 and 8:40 and another the following Sunday at 2:30 p.m. for a total of eight performances.  Due to popular demand, an additional performance was scheduled for disappointed playgoers on Sunday, January 4, 1965. (Postcard. Undated).  

During that year, the Wayside stage was also the host to guest performers.  One production was a musical fantasy, Take Away the Lady, performed by the Theatre Wagon of Staunton, Virginia, under the direction of Dr. Fletcher Collins with performances on December 5 at 6:30 and 9:30 and on December 6 at 2:30.  Many in the cast of 30 were from Mary Baldwin College. Hosting this production at Wayside is yet another example of the effort Phillips made to reach out to people in the Shenandoah Valley.  Dillard wrote that the work was “worth seeing for its clever lines, but I’m sorry to say the production was sloppy.  Mr. Philips was disappointed.  He doesn’t like sloppy productions and you will never see one when he is directing” (Dillard. “Wayside Review.” TWaS. 10 Dec, 1964).

All of the work poured into Wayside Theatre activities for 1964 did not go un-noticed by the community.  The Winchester-Frederick County Chamber of Commerce recognized the Theatre’s effort by bestowing on the Theatre the 1964 Award of Merit for “outstanding service and contribution to the cultural life of Winchester and Frederick County and to the economy of the area” (Pennypacker. “Wayside Theatre Ready ….” TWS. 22 May 1964).

Although Middletown had a new theatre in its midst, the town was also the scene for other activities. These included an Arts Festival and the Middletown Arts and Crafts Festival that took place, “according to custom, in the third week of August.”  It is unclear whether the arts groups were the same organization or two different ones.  Regardless, it seems that,

During the nine festive days local talent will display hand weaving, basketry,
hand-made pottery, wood carving, ceramics, hand-made jewelry, tooled leather,
dried arrangements and needlework.  Home demonstration clubs will sell all
manner of goodies. A Christmas room will afford gifts and ornaments for early
shoppers.  Paintings in all media will be sold, and an artist will execute on-the-spot portraits (“A Small Town …. Times Dispatch. 19 May 1968).

Other art groups helped support the new theatre’s 1964 season.  A display of works by twelve local arts featuring paintings, pen and ink drawings, as well as sculpture was on view in the theatre’s art gallery.  It is not clear whether this display took place in a space on the second floor, or on the first floor Art Gallery.  Regardless, the opening took place on May 15, in time to welcome in the summer theatre season (“Wayside Gallery Features ….” TWaS.  19 Mar. 1964).