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Wayside Theatre

Middletown, Italy

Wayside Theatre

Wayside Theatre is a former regional theatre located at 7853 Main Street in Middletown, Virginia, United States. The theatre company began after businessman and philanthropist Leo M. Bernstein purchased the property, along with the nearby Wayside Inn and other buildings in the surrounding area. The

building had previously operated as a movie theatre from the time it was constructed in 1946 until 1961. The professional theatre company staged its first performance in 1963 and operated for 50 years before abruptly closing in 2013 due to financial troubles. At the time of its closing, Wayside was the second oldest professional theatre in Virginia. There is often confusion about the early history of Wayside Theatre, with most people having been told the theatre was founded in 1961 and that the original company was called the Maralarrick Players. No evidence has been found for any group by that name performing at Wayside and the first performance of the theatre company took place in June 1963, as was noted by news articles at the time. During its history, Wayside Theatre was led by eight artistic directors, the first being Larry Gleason. The last, Warner Crocker, served as artistic director...

Listen to the audio guide for Wayside Theatre Free on WIP — starts by itself when you arrive, even with the screen off

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