The
Playhouse history
begins when C.C.
Worthington built
the playhouse
in 1904 as the Worthington
Hall, the Shawnee
Playhouse was designed
to provide entertainment
and educational benefit
to residents and
visitors of Shawnee
on Delaware, Pennsylvania.
The Shawnee Players,
consisting mainly
of local actors and
actresses, performed
here to enthusiastic
audiences from 1904
to World War II.
In 1943, Fred Waring
and the Pennsylvanians
began to broadcast
their famous radio
programs from the
Hall. Unfortunately,
the Hall later fell
into disuse. |
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When
the Kirkwood family
purchased the Resort
in 1978, they began
to restore Worthington
Hall. Neighbors and
members of the Shawnee
Volunteer Fire Company
also worked on the
restoration. Thanks
to extensive efforts
led by Mrs. Virginia
Kirkwood, the Hall
was placed on the National
Registry of Historic
places and won the
prestigious Phoenix
Award, presented by
the Society of American
Travel Writers.
On
June 24, 1985, an arsonist
burned the beautiful
Shawnee Playhouse down.
With a great deal of
help from the people
of Shawnee on Delaware,
the Seabees, the Hughes
Foundation, the National
endowment for the Arts,
The National Trust,
a Community Development
Block Grant, and generous
donations from many
individuals and friends,
the Shawnee Playhouse
was rebuilt. The Kirkwood
family is very proud
of the Shawnee Playhouse
and its history, and
they hope you enjoy
your experience in
this historic building.
The
Shawnee
Playhouse
today
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