Ogunquit Playhouse Erects 25,700 Square Foot Pavilion for 2021 Mainstage Season
Ogunquit Playhouse, the crown jewel of Maine’s Southern Seacoast and a renowned destination for regional theater for almost 90 years, is bringing live theater outdoors this summer. Rising from the grounds of The Playhouse campus’s south lawn is The Leary Pavilion, a 25,700 square foot open-air venue — nearly three times the size of their indoor theater — designed to give audiences the best theatrical experience in the safest possible environment.
Named for benefactors Carol and Noel Leary, The Pavilion is a fully covered steel structure wired for lighting and sound, with a 96-foot-wide stage that will showcase Ogunquit Playhouse’s sidesplitting mainstage lineup: Monty Python’s Spamalot (Jun 16 - Jun 10), the regional premiere of Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville (Jul 14 - Aug 28), the world premiere of Mystic Pizza: A New Musical (Sep 1 - Oct 2), and Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein (Oct 6 - Oct 31).
The Pavilion’s current design is able to accommodate 75% of The Playhouse’s indoor seating capacity configured in pods of two seats, socially distanced and staggered to enable clear sight lines. With open sides to allow for ventilation and expanded patron egress, the aisles provide full accessibility for safe movement in, out, and through the venue for all patrons, including those who use wheelchairs and walkers. With relaxed social distancing guidelines, seating capacity can be expanded to meet demand.
“This Season is about delivering that unique Playhouse magic outdoors on this pastoral campus to as many people as possible in the safest, most enjoyable environment,” said Ogunquit Playhouse Artistic Director Bradford Kenney. “It’s a privilege to be able to bring live theatre back to our local economy, which was hit hard by COVID shutdowns. We’ve implemented a comprehensive health and safety policy so that we can employ union actors, designers, musicians, creative teams, and production crews ahead of Broadway’s re-opening this Fall.”
Ogunquit Playhouse’s 2021 season runs June 16 through October 31, with four mainstage shows, four children’s theatre shows, and the return of 2020’s hit Patio Cabaret series. For tickets to the mainstage productions under The Leary Pavilion, please visit http://www.ogunquitplayhouse.org/2021-season.
