The mission of The Depot Theatre is to entertain, enrich, and educate through professional theatrical arts and related programs based in a historic train station.
VISION STATEMENT
The Depot Theatre will have a robust, regional, and year-round presence by creating the highest of quality programs, building strong partnerships, and enhancing community engagement while promoting diversity in all that we do.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
PARKING:
Parking attendants will be on hand to provide direction!
QUIET PLEASE:
Please turn off all cell phones prior to the start of the performance. Please do not use your mobile device during the performance as the light emitted from the screen can be distracting to patrons seated around you.
LATE ARRIVALS:
Latecomers are seated at the discretion of house management and may be seated in an alternate location until an appropriate break in the performance.
REFRESHMENTS:
Concessions are available before the show and during intermission.
NO SMOKING:
Smoking is prohibited by federal, state and local regulations. When smoking outdoors, please maintain an appropriate distance from entrances and open windows.
PLEASE NOTE:
Feel free to “Follow” us later!
@depotbackstage
@depottheatre Depot Theatre Inc. is a 501(c)3, non-profit corporation. P.O. Box 414 · 6705 Main Street · Westport, New York 12993 518-962-4449 · www.DepotTheatre.org
Taking photographs or video recording during the performance is STRICTLY PROHIBITED BY LAW.
TEXT MESSAGING during the performance is not allowed. Please TURN OFF all mobile devices.
THANK
SEASON SPONSOR
Rogers-Carroll Family Foundation
ANALOG AND VINYL
The Brooks and Joan Fortune Family Foundation
EVERY BRILLIANT THING
Mountain Lake PBS
PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES
Chazy and Westport Communications
PREVIEW NIGHT SPONSOR
Emerging Blue
DIGITAL MARKETING SPONSOR
Arts Spark
EXCLUSIVE AND EXTRAORDINARY CRAFT BEER SPONSOR
Ledge Hill Brewing Company
CONCESSIONS SPONSOR
Adirondack Popcorn Co.
DEPOT ACADEMY THEATRE PROGRAM SPONSORS
UNDERWRITER
The Brooks and Joan Fortune Family Foundation
SUMMER PROGRAM SPONSOR - Spelling Bee
The Mill
SUMMER PROGRAM SPONSOR - Shrek Jr.
TrailNorth Federal Credit Union
The Depot Theatre receives funding from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor and the New York State Legislature.
THE ACTORS’ EQUITY DIFFERENCE
Since 1988, the Depot has maintained an active relationship with Actors’ Equity Association – the union for professional actors and stage managers in the United States.
The Depot Theatre is committed to bringing professional theatre artists – actors, directors, stage managers, technicians, choreographers, and designers – to the Adirondacks.
By maintaining its Equity status, as well as being a Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) affiliated theatre company, the Depot Theatre has built a reputation for producing high quality performances in a unique performance space, in a very rural area in the Adirondacks.
The Depot Theatre employs members of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.
ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION (“Equity”), founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 50,000 Actors and Stage Managers. Equity seeks to foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of society and advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages, working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. Actors’ Equity is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. #EquityWorks.
Letter from the President of the Board
Depot Theatre Guest,
I am very happy to welcome you to the Depot Theatre as we proudly celebrate our 46th season!
This year, we are thrilled to present a lineup that promises to uplift, engage, and bring joy to our audiences. From the heartfelt stories of ANALOG AND VINYL and EVERY BRILLIANT THING to the rollicking fun of PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES, there’s something here for everyone.
We were especially delighted to kick off the season with the inaugural Depot Academy performance on our main stage, marking a milestone in our commitment to fostering talent and creativity in our community. This summer, the Academy will continue to inspire us with an additional production to be performed at the Whallonsburg Grange Hall: SHREK THE MUSICAL JR.
The Depot’s dedicated staff, crew, and volunteers, along with the incredible creative team and casts, have been hard at work crafting a memorable season for our audiences.
Please join us as we celebrate the magic of live theatre and embark on a season filled with memorable moments, laughter, and the shared experience of storytelling. Thank you for supporting the Depot Theatre, where every seat is an invitation to be inspired and entertained.
With gratitude,
Scott Gibree President, Board of Trustees
SUPPORT
THANK YOU
The Depot Theatre’s continued success is a testament to the support we receive from our subscribers, donors, sponsors, grantors, friends, local businesses and partners.
We RELY on your generous contributions, just as you rely on us to deliver on our mission to “entertain, enrich, and educate through professional theatrical arts and related programs based in a historic train station.”
KEEP US STRONG
Recent years illustrated the need for us to ensure that we can weather another unforeseen derailment AND continue to pursue our long-term strategic goals. By remaining financially secure, we can do both.
Here are some ways for YOU to have a long-term impact on the Depot’s success:
• Recurring Gift
One of the simplest ways to support the Depot Theatre is to make a monthly recurring gift using a credit card.
• Multi-Year Pledge
We’d love for you to consider pledging a certain level of support for multiple years. A multi-year pledge is a great way to make a significant impact on the future of the Depot Theatre by strengthening our ability to plan budgets and programming.
• Planned Giving - support the ongoing work of the Depot Theatre with a planned gift in your will or trust.
QUESTIONS?
Contact Kim Rielly, Executive Director, at krielly@depottheatre.org or 518.962.4449 x2.
You, our investors, continue to help keep us strong, and we cannot thank you enough for your generosity!
The Depot Theatre presents
Book, Lyrics, and Music by John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel and Jim Wann
Director/Choreographer - DJ SALISBURY**
Music Director - ALEXANDER LAPLANTE
Light Design/Master Electrician - MARGARET SWICK
Scenic Design - BONNIE B. BREWER
Sound Design/Engineer - JACK SCHOONOVER
Stage Manager - BETH GLOVER*
Production Assistant Stage Manager - LYDYA FELIX
Scenic Painter - ANNA BONELLI
Master Carpenter - KEVIN BOYLE
PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.com
** Member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
JOHN FOLEY, MARK HARDWICK, DEBRA MONK,
BOOK, LYRICS, AND MUSIC BY
CASS MORGAN, JOHN SCHIMMEL AND JIM WANN
CAST
JACKSON ......................................................................................... ALEXANDER PECK*
L.M. (KEYBOARD) .................................................................... ALEXANDER LAPLANTE
EDDIE ........................................................................................................ BILL STOKES
JIM ..............................................................................................
TIME: 1982
THE PLACE: Highway 57 – somewhere between Frog Level and Smyrna.
One 15-minute intermission
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
** Member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society
ANY VIDEO AND/OR AUDIO RECORDING OF THIS PRODUCTION IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
MICHAEL TOPERZER*
THE CAST
ALEXANDER LAPLANTE (L.M. AND MUSIC DIRECTOR) is grateful to be making his onstage debut at the Depot Theatre. Previous credits include, Theatre West End PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES (L.M.), Orlando Shakes MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET (Jerry Lee U/S), The Athens Theater YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (Fredrick), and The Orlando Family Stage ALLIE KAZAN AND THE MAGIC MANOR (Eric). Primarily a music director, Alex is thankful to be pulling double duty to give you his sound for PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES!
ALEXANDER PECK* (JACKSON) has varied credits in stage, television, and film as an actor and musician – as well as in orchestras in his native Canada, England, and the US. Among his theater credits are a previous Jackson in PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES at the Boarshead – Michigan Public Theater; Yepihodov (guitar) in THE CHERRY ORCHARD at the Caldwell Playhouse, and the Fiddler in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF at the Alhambra Dinner Theater, Florida. Numerous summer stock appearances include MAN OF LA MANCHA (two times), BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS (also twice) as the Narrator, and he can be seen playing violin in several movies and daytime tv shows as a strolling restaurant violinist. This spring he was heard in the 130-year-old chorus –Mendelssohn Glee Club, NYC as a vocalist and violin soloist. (SAG/AFTRA, AEA)
ADDISON SCHUH (RHETTA) is excited to be making her debut with the Depot Theatre! Addison, a recent graduate from Oklahoma City University, is an NYC based singer and actress. Some recent credits include Cinderella (INTO THE WOODS), Leilani (LEGALLY BLONDE), Julie Jordan (CAROUSEL), and Countess Helene (SHERLOCK & DAUGHTER; The CW Network 2025). She would like to thank her agents at the Avalon Artists Group, friends, family, and God for their guidance and support!
BILL STOKES (EDDIE) started on violin at age nine and has been involved with music ever since. After college he took a job with the Sarasota Orchestra. He freelanced, playing in small ensembles and in a LOT of pit orchestras. Dozens of musicals, hundreds of performances. He played three summer seasons with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra. He also taught music in public schools, directing band and chorus. In recent years, Bill studied composition at Berklee Online. In 2023, he received an Individual Artist Grant from N.Y. State to write a one-act musical. A reading of that show was presented in December, and a new grant has enabled him to continue working on a revision. Bill is endlessly intrigued by the intersection of song and story in musical theater. And he’s delighted to be at the Depot Theatre this summer with a stellar group of artists!
MICHAEL TOPERZER* (JIM) is thrilled to be a part of PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES! Regional: MOONSHINE AND MISTLETOE (Rev. Nathe/Dewey/Jarret U/S), PASS/OVER (Mister/Ossifer U/S; Studio Theater DC) ROMEO AND JULIET (Friar Lawrence; CSC), ALICE IN WONDERLAND (The White Rabbit; CSC), A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (Oberon/Theseus, CSC), A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Fred, CSC). Off Off B’way: THE LAST POET ON MARS (The Attendant; Brooklyn Actors Troupe), Malvolio in TWELFTH NIGHT (Malvolio; Monday Theater Co.), ROMEO AND JULIET (Tybalt, Paris; Occupy Verona). BFA Adelphi University. Original music @yellow_birch_road michaeltoperzer.squarespace.com
TIARA WHALEY* (PRUDIE) is excited to be spending her summer with Depot Theatre! Tiara is a Philadelphia-based actress and holds a musical theatre degree from West Chester University. Her favorite roles include Ti Moune (ONCE ON THIS ISLAND), Emmie Thibedeaux (CAROLINE OR CHANGE, Helen Hayes Outstanding Supporting Actress), Dorothy Gale (WIZARD OF OZ), and Heather Chandler (HEATHERS). Tiara would like to thank her family, her husband Ian, and her adorable kitten Juniper for their never ending love and support. instagram & tiktok: @theblacktressdiaries
DJ SALISBURY** (DIRECTOR-CHOREOGRAPHER) has directed and choreographed over 115 shows across the USA and in Colombia: Favorite experiences as director and/or choreographer: LES MISÉRABLES (LA’s Scenie Award - Best Musical), THE FULL MONTY, RAGTIME, and THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES (10 productions!), MAN OF LA MANCHA, WEST SIDE STORY, THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD, and LA CAGE AUX FOLLES. DJ directed Disney composer Alan Menken’s Lincoln Center concert, an Off-Broadway rock musical, and numerous readings/workshops of new musicals in NYC. TV Choreography: ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars Road Trip.” Also a writer, DJ has penned musicals THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING, POODLEFUL! (Commissioned by Riverside Theatricals), MOONSHINE & MISTLETOE, and WHISPER DARKLY (concept album released February 23, 2024). Thank you for supporting live theatre!
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION STATEMENT
As a professional theatre and educational organization, the Depot Theatre staff and Board of Trustees are committed to ensuring that the Theatre fosters an environment where all are invited to work, train, study, create, perform, and thrive, and in which everyone feels respected and valued.
The Depot Theatre Board of Trustees and staff are committed to furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion, and to maintaining fair and equal treatment for all.
This statement is a living document that will evolve as necessary as the Depot Theatre continues to learn new and better ways to adopt equitable practices.
Closin’ Time (Wann)..............................................................................................................ALL
“If
arts have a place in society, they must be part of the community. To be an artist is not the privilege of a few but the necessity of us all”
~ Robert Shaw
The Brooks and Joan Fortune Family Foundation is a charitable organization formed in 1988 to support education and the arts.
Initially incorporated in Indiana, the foundation has had a major impact throughout the country. Brooks and Joan met in 1939 when he was a young research scientist and she was a medical laboratory technician. Together, they worked on novel products that would allow diabetic patients to check glucose levels at home to better control insulin dosing. Eventually, these would evolve into the basis of all bedside medical testing available today. Their happy marriage of 49 years produced three successful children and a myriad of wonderful memories. Brooks rapidly rose through the leadership ranks of the Eli Lilly pharmaceutical company to eventually become an Executive Vice-president and member of the Board until his retirement in 1971. After that, Brooks and Joan travelled the world and graciously shared their homes in Florida and Indiana with friends and family. Always the philanthropists, they supported a myriad of projects in museums, colleges, and churches located near their home. The incorporation of the Foundation was an opportunity to expand the boundaries of their generosity to other areas of the country. Both Brooks and Joan are gone now, but their family legacy lives on through the Foundation which remains under the leadership of their children and grandchildren.
The Depot Theatre is grateful to the Brooks and Joan Fortune Family Foundation for their generous support of the Depot Theatre Main Stage and Academy outreach and education program.
DEPOT THEATRE STAFF
KIM RIELLY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR) is thrilled to be at the helm for her 7th season! As ED, she provides comprehensive theatre management and oversight of staff, budget, programs, marketing, audience development and community relations.
Rielly’s experience includes more than 20 years of marketing and communications. A native of Westport, she is no stranger to the Depot, having lived in the region for the majority of her life, and volunteered for several terms as a board trustee, including one year as president. As a trustee, she was directly involved in the development of the strategic plan to grow the organization’s artistic and educational offerings within the scale of the rural market it serves.
Rielly is committed to the continuing to expand the Depot’s impact on the economic vitality of the region and the community, and grateful for the tremendous support and generosity of the organization’s Trustees, Advisory Council, staff, donors, grantors, volunteers, and organizational partners.
BETH GLOVER* (ARTISTIC PRODUCTION
MANAGER - SHE/HER) Her passion for theatre began with a Southern upbringing that valued storytelling. Acting credits: 6 Broadway National Tours, Off-Broadway, Goodspeed Opera House, Papermill Playhouse, Shakespeare Theatre Co. of DC, etc. Favorite roles: Blanche, A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, Big&Lil Edie, GREY GARDENS (BACC Award Best Actress). Directing credits: 9 TO 5 at SUNY Plattsburgh, BAKERSFIELD MIST for ALCA & ASR, WICKED CITY & HEROES for Depot Theatre and more for Adirondack Stage Rats, cofounded with her wife, Karen Lewis. Complete credits: www.Beth-Glover.com
KAREN L. LEWIS (ARTISTIC PRODUCTION
MANAGER - SHE/HER) is a writer/producer whose plays have been performed around the country as well as off B’way. GEORGE SAND, A PASSIONATE CANTATA commissioned by Pendragon Theatre in Saranac Lake, NY and produced at the Invisible Eye in AZ. A Mary Roberts Rinehart Grant to complete a work in progress for EZILI. SAFE HARBOR produced by Pendragon Theatre. Readings (staged and un-) of various plays various places of varying distinction. THE PERFECT WIFE won The Stanley Drama Award, was a semi-finalist for both the Eugene O’Neill Theatre’s National Playwrights Conference and the Actors Theatre of Charlotte’s nuVoices for a nuGeneration Playwriting Festival. SHADES OF VALOR was a finalist at Panndora’s [sic] Box New Works Festival and, as a winner of the AACT NewPlayFest, was premiered at Twin City Stage in Winston-Salem, NC and is published by Dramatic Publishing. (Years of television writing resulted in 5 Emmys and 4 WGA awards. Member of The Writers Guild of America and The Dramatists’ Guild.)
BONNIE B. BREWER (OPERATIONS MANAGER/ LIGHT/SET DESIGN/PROPS) has been working the professional theatre circuit for over 36 years now. Directing projects include: KISS ME KATE, DAMN YANKEES!, SANTALAND DIARIES, KIMBERLY AKIMBO, URINETOWN, ANNIE, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, THE LAST ROMANCE, ALMOST MAINE, AGNES OF GOD, OTHER DESERT CITIES, ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S THE 39 STEPS, THE GIN GAME, EVITA, SYLVIA, ARSENIC AND OLD LACE, THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE ABRIDGED (and a few of their other abridged shows too), ALL MY SONS, WAIT UNTIL DARK, DEATH OF A SALESMAN, AND LEND ME A TENOR.
Light and set designs include: CHESAPEAKE, MOUNTAINTOP, LADY DAY, ADDAMS FAMILY, ACT OF GOD, WORLD GOES ROUND, FOREVER PLAID, URINETOWN, ANNIE, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, THE LITTLE MERMAID, AMADEUS, CHICAGO, OTHER DESERT CITIES, BASKERVILLE: A SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY, and …more than I can remember at present. Thank you to the entire Depot Theatre Family. AND thank you Kevin :)
LYDYA FELIX (PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
STAGE MANAGER) has been in many theatrical productions most recently, 9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL, THE CAKE, and last season she played the debator in the Depot Theatre’s production of WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME. Even though she loves to act, Lydya is now pursuing a career in technical theatre and plans to graduate in 2025 with a BA in theatre and a certificate in theatrical production.
SUSAN GRANFORS (HOUSE MANAGER) became a full-time resident of Westport this past October and is thrilled to be able to see each and every Depot Production this season! And that she will! She looks forward to answering your questions, listening to your compliments and concerns, and most of all making sure you feel welcome and safe here at the Depot. Experience: Haskell Opera House, Derby Line, VT/Stanstead, Quebec; Round Room Coffee House, Mont Vernon, NH; Riverbend Theatre, Milford, NH.
GIGI (GINENE) MASON (ACADEMY OUTREACH
AND EDUCATION DIRECTOR) is thrilled to be working with students and educators all over the North Country to continue to expand opportunities for youth in the theatre arts. This summer will be a busy one, increasing offerings in the Academy to allow students ages 5 and up to perform in three different programs. Mason, a retired school administrator with
over 30 years of experience, has always been a passionate supporter of children and theatre. She has produced, directed and choreographed shows for children since 1996 in local schools, community theaters and the Boquet River Theatre Festival (BRTF). Mason has also been involved in the Depot Theatre as a Board member, and Advisory Board member and Education Committee member. gmason@depottheatre.org
CHAVON PATTERSON (COMPANY MANAGER)
is is a graduate of Skidmore College with a degree in Theater as well as a minor in Arts Administration. She has worked as the front-ofhouse manager in the Skidmore College theater department and as the general manager last fall. This is Chavon’s second time in Westport, and she is glad to be back to enjoy the Adirondacks and its nature.
KATIE SHEPARD (BOX OFFICE & PAYROLL MANAGER) began working in the Depot Theatre’s Box Office in 2012, and she became the Box Office Manager in 2014. In 2022, she took on more administrative responsibilities as the Payroll Manager. She is the co-founder of Essex Editions (essexeditions.com), a small artisanal publishing and author services company in Essex, NY. In 2016, she published her first book Essex, New York Architecture: A Doodler’s Field Guide co-created with Geo Davis. Currently, she is also the Managing Editor for Rewilding Earth (rewilding.org).
JACK SCHOONOVER (SOUND DESIGNER/ ENGINEER) is a sound designer, engineer, and instrument builder based in Essex, NY. His previous theater credits include the Depot Theatre productions of Putting It Together, Red, and The Addams Family, and Chesapeake. Jack also runs the Westportbased synthesizer company SetonixSynth.
MARGARET SWICK (LIGHT DESIGN/ MASTER ELECTRICIAN) During the year she works through IATSE at the Flynn as a production electrician. She also currently works at the Strand and is excited to return to SUNY Plattsburgh as an adjunct instructor and Production Manager in the fall. She is excited to be returning for her eleventh season at the Depot!
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS
ADMINISTRATION
Executive Director: Kim Rielly
Academy Outreach and Education Director: Ginene Mason
Box Office/ Payroll Manager: Katie Shepard
Operations Manager/Graphic Designer: Bonnie B. Brewer
Company Manager: Chavon Patterson
House Manager: Susan Granfors
Box Office Associate: Matthieu Baillargeon
Bookkeeper: Teresa Cummings
Auditor: Joseph P. Lafiura, CPA P.C.
MAIN STAGE PRODUCTION TEAM
Artistic Production Management Team: Beth Glover and Karen Lewis
Set/Light Design/Properties:
Bonnie B. Brewer
Master Electrician/Lighting Designer: Margaret Swick
Sound Technician/Designer: Jack Schoonover
Production Assistant Stage Manager:
Lydya Felix
DEPOT THEATRE
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Scott Gibree (President)
Maureen Carlo (Vice President)
Alexandra Henderson (Treasurer)
Lindy Flanagan (Secretary)
Betsy Bacot
Jim Carroll
Catherine Conover Covert
Alisa Endsley
Jen Kelly
Lawrence Masle
Bill McColgan
Cheri Phillips
Kathy Recchia
Liz Spitler
DEPOT THEATRE
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Dee Carroll
George Davis
Melissa Davis
Amy Guglielmo
Jonathan Hadley
Daniel Keegan
Michael McDonald
Amy McNamara
Jennifer Moore
Mary Ellen O’Loughlin
Jane Preston
Annie Scavo
Joan Simon
Sally Struthers
Michael Thomas
ROGERS-CARROLL FAMILY FOUNDATION
The Depot Theatre is grateful for the longtime support of the Carroll family.
Dee Carroll, her late husband Bob, and sons Jim and Larry, have made incredible contributions of time and treasure to the arts in the region through their businesses, their foundation, and as individuals. Their contributions to the Westport Chamber of commerce and other regional tourism efforts alone are significant!
And, through their monetary support through via The Galley Restaurant & Bar, Westport Marina, and the Family Foundation, they have bolstered the Depot, the Academy (formerly the Boquet River Theatre Festival), and other arts organizations with sponsorships and gifts every single year since before they moved to the area in the early 1980s.
In addition to being advocates for Westport and the greater community, they are true champions for the arts, and their consistent support continues to have a tremendous impact.
THANK YOU.
LAND
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The Depot Theatre wishes to acknowledge that we are operating on the traditional and unceded homeland of the Mohawk or Kanienkehaka people, who oversaw a gathering place for many Iroquoian and Algonquian peoples in this space. We honor the Kanienkehaka ancestors who took great care of this land and their present-day descendants who continue to teach us the importance of land stewardship and community. With great respect and gratitude to the Kanienkehaka, we express our desire to align with their teachings to protect the land the theater is located on and to create community to the best of our abilities.
16th Annual Spirit of Place Art Exhibit
Westport Heritage House
July 1-September 2 10:00 a.m.—3:00 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 1:00 p.m.—3:00 p.m. Sunday Closed on Tuesday
Meet the Artists Reception
July 11, 2024, from 5:00—7:00 p.m.
The exhibit features a wide collection of work from our talented artists of the Champlain Valley. All art will be available for purchase. Proceeds benefit local artists and the Heritage House. Contact Lora Langston at 518-962-4421 for more information.
The Westport Heritage House
Visitor & Community Center is your iconic introduction to the Town of Westport.
The Heritage House is a product of the history, culture, and people of the area, and is home to:
• Westport Visitor Center
• Art Exhibit
• A Community Center available for use by neighbors and friends
• Events throughout the year
6459 Main Street Westport, NY 12993
https://www.gowestportny.com/heritagehouse
Westport Heritage House
The Board of Trustees of the Depot Theatre extends its sincere appreciation to the friends of the theatre who have generously supported the organization with a gift this fiscal year. This list represents gifts received August 1, 2023, through August 3, 2024.
Archangel ($5,000+)
Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation
Emerging Blue
Elizabeth Bacot
Charles R. Wood Foundation
J.M. McDonald Foundation Inc.
New York State Council on the Arts
Cheri Phillips
Rogers-Carroll Family Foundation
The Brooks and Joan Fortune Family Foundation
Angel ($3,000 - $4,999)
Catherine Conover Covert
Greg & Kathleen Harper*
Barbara Howson
Cloudsplitter Foundation
Magnate ($1,500 - $2,999)
Anonymous(1)
Nancy Decker
Lindy & David Flanagan
Lyn & Terry Flynn
Scott Gibree
Arlene Ida
Amy & David McNamara
John & Antje Munroe
Jonathan Prime
Steelcase Foundation†
Shipstore*
David & Candace Weir Foundation
Benefactor ($1,000 - $1,499)
Anonymous(1)
Susan Bacot-Davis & George Davis
Cerf-Dunbar Fund
Barry & Sharon Cook
Peter Gow
Daphne Hallowell
Howard & Paula Trienens Fund
Wild Orchard Farm Fund at Adirondack Foundation
Philip P. Puschel
Christopher I. Rice & Tomlin P. Coggeshall
Stewart’s Holiday Match Grant
Steve Van Nort
Patron ($500 - $999)
Stephanie Ames
Bobbi Atz
Linda M. Beane
Maureen Carlo
Christine Decker Marquis
Jenifer Hale Deming
Essex County Arts Council
Rolling Hills Estate Winery
Richard Fenimore & Libby Bolster
Beth Glover & Karen Lewis
Mary & Steve Halloran
Wesley Kevelson
George Maffey
Lawrence Masle & Astrid Boer
Drs. David & Pearila Namerow
Amy & Steve Neidig
Kevin F O’Keefe DMD & Alisa Endsley
Christine O’Shea
Deborah & Thomas Pastore in Memory of Jeremy Jones
Catherine Baer & Heather Whitefield in Honor of Catherine Conover
Eleanor Garrell Berger
Sandy & Chip Bissell
Mike Bosworth
Bradamant Real Estate
Bob & Lee Brewer
Mary Duncan Brust
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas J. Davey
Devinney-Woodard Fund
Tracey & Andrew Dolan
Ellen & Paul Dulberger
Peter & Chappie Flanagan
John & Julie Fraino
Keith & Kathleen Giles
Steven Hecht
Alexandra Henderson
Virginia & Andrew Hood
Tom & Kathie LaBombard
Valerie Longwood
Debra Gastler & Andrew Malloy
Peter & Lynne McKee
Stephanie Olmsted
Linda Rielly
Douglas & Joan Smith
Richard & Beverly Van Duyne
Sarah Woodin
Conductor ($100 - $249)
Anonymous (4)
Anonymous In Loving Memory of Patricia Davey
Anonymous In Honor of Catherine Conover Covert
McCutchen & Ellen Few Anderson
Pam & Todd August
Mary Lou Baker
Matt & Beth Bakes
Claire Barnett
Ellen & Jeff Birch
The Bjorklund’s
Bob & Gerry Bradley
Naomi Bradshaw
Wendy Brauer
Darla & Mac Breckenridge
Jean Brennan
Thomas Burleigh
Peter & Susan Cadieux
Doreen & Regis Canning
David & Penny Carr
Keely & J.T. Compton
Paul & Ann Marie Conolly
Nancy & John Cowen
Craig & Teresa Cummings
Dekkers & Barbara Davidson
Gordon & Melissa Davis
Drs. James C. & Caroline W. Dawson
Art & Peggy deGrandpré
Donald & Jane DeMaio
Kevin & Kim Devins in Memory of Patricia Davey
Joe & Brenda Domer
Ellie Eldredge
Scottie Emery-Ginn
Jo-Anna McCort & Steve Fischman
Mason & Joan Forrence
Amy Griffin
Harmon Family Charitable Fund
Linda Haynes
Amy Heffner
Alix Heuston
Matthew Hinge & Hillary Hollister-Hinge
Sandy & Susan Jacobs
William Johnston
Jenda Jones Trowbridge
Marilyn Jordan
Marc & Suzanne Joslow
Janné Abreo & Dan Keegan
Kathy Kelley
Terrance & Lynne Kemp
Donna Schlegel & Greg Knowles
Joel & Sara Kremer
Richard & Cynthia Lacki
Ernie & Alta Lapine
Virginia LaPointe
Anne Laumont
Lisa D. Lewis
Steve Malone
Mark & Lisa Mastrean
Carol Matos in Memory of
Sally Pendleton
Francis Mayle
Mimi & Jon McBride
Scott &Tracy McClelland
Judith McCusker
Candice McKeon
Kevin Meegan In Honor of
Patricia Davey
Wendy Meguid
Elizabeth & Thomas Metz
Miles Moody in Memory of
Pat Davey
Robert & Phyllis Mooso
Dennis & Diane Mullen
Kim Nesmith
Ralph Ocker
Nancy Page
Cynthia Palen
Jocelyn Patnode in Memory of Pat Davey
Jay Frank & Ann Pember
Richard Pendleton
Phyllis Perna & Richard Arndt
Bill & Nancy Persell
Mark & Judith Pohlman
Pride of Ticonderoga
Renee Ralston
Rich & Lois Rawson
Peter & Lynne Reale
Sue & Clay Reaser
Kathy Recchia & Fred Balzac
Mr. & Mrs. P.H. Rice
Kim Rielly & Kevin Boyle
Judy Ross & Scott Abrahamson
William & Marcia Russell
Betty Schoen-Rene
Charles Schoonover
Vincent Shanley
Nancy Simington
Jenni & Pete Sowizdrzal
David & Adele Spiegel
Liz Spitler
Ann & Richard Stanton
Simone S. Stephens
Sally Struthers
Richard & Bethany Teitelbaum
Betsy & David Tisdale
Harry & Marie Tobiassen
Michael Tyler
Linda Bechard & Diana Wardell In Memory of Patricia Davey
Carolyn Ware
Stephanie West
Donald K. White
Malcolm Willison
David & Robin Wright
Switchman ($1 - $99)
Anonymous (15)
Linda Alexander
Susan & Perry Babcock
Winifred Balz
Chris & Bill Barnes
Dr. & Mrs. Adrian Bernagozzi
Margaret Bolster
J. & E. Bottiroli
Mary Ellen Boynton
Skip & Dari Brennan
Tom & Sheera Broderick
Rachel Budin
Betsy & Kevin Byrne
Chic & Carol Canas
Jim Carroll & Mimi Lane
Dr. Nancy J. Church in Honor of Maureen Carlo
Nolan Cool
Ellen & Pete Croto
Alice Cullina
Sue & Glenn De Forge
Jessica Deeb
Terri Dumas
Jeffrey English
Susanne Evans
Kathy & Lonnie Ford
Tom Garlock
Sydney Garrant In Memory
of Patricia I. Davey
Laura Gilkes
Joe Haedrich
John Harney In Memory of Patricia Davey
Catherine Hearn
John & Judie Ingemie
Jen Kelly
Kivelyn Family
Nancy Kullman
David & Lora Langston
Sandy Lashua
Beverly & Eric Lawson
Elizabeth Lee
Linda & Steven Leighton
Bill & Brenda McColgan
Connie Meng
Bruce Moore
Paul Moriarty
Prudy Nelson
Paula Nieman & David Marshall
Jane Nigra
Patrick O’Shea
Lisa Papp
Kay Pauquette
John & Betsy Penrose
Tena Perrelli
Megan Price
Randy & Mariann Rapple
Alison Rielly
Katherine R. Rogers
Nietta & Mark Rogers
Dolly & Ron Scauri
Cynthia Schira
Robert Schnarch
John Doyle & Laura Sells-Doyle
Ransom & Carlotta Shaw
Mary & Marty Shubert
Stanley Simons
Peter Slocum & Ann Sayers
James & Enzina Stevenson
Peter Stone
Susan Storch
Barbara Strowger
Joyce Thyrring
Alice C. Van Tuyl
Vendetti Family
Judy Walker
Linda Warner
Michael & Connie Wayne
Cynthia Wesson
Ed Wheeler
Patience Whitman
Pat & Ken Wiley
Jo Ann Wood
SPECIAL THANKS
Adirondack Foundation
Adirondack Stage Rats
Stephanie Ames
Ampersound
AMTRAK
Ausable Central School
Judy Bertsche
Bessboro Builders
Anna Bonelli
Kevin Boyle
Jim Carroll
Champlain National Bank
Cloudsplitter Foundation
Coakley’s Home & Hardware
Mark Coleman
Compass Printing Plus
Mary Rothwell Davis & Evan Davis
The Deer’s Head Inn
Essex County Arts Council
Valerie Gebert
Bob Granfors
Greg Harper
David Howson
Dave and Cynthia Johnston/
DaCy Meadow Farm
William Johnston
Debbie Kanze
Lynne Kemp
Gigi and Ed Mason
Michael McDonald
J.M. McDonald Foundation
Amy & David McNamara
The Mill
Jennifer Moore
Steve Neidig
New York State Council on the Arts
Melissa Otis
Glenn & Carol Pearsall
Pendragon Theatre
Cheri Phillips
Kevin Raines & Katie Hearn
Don Rusch
Saranac Lake High School
Saranac Village at Will Rogers
Alfred Z. Solomon Trust
Justin Stearns, Mac’s Safe & Lock
Stewart’s Foundation
Carolyn Vanderhoof at Ledge Hill Studio
Town of Westport
Susan Weinrich, NYCON
Charles R. Wood Foundation
Steve Van Nort
Westport Chamber of Commerce
Willsboro Central School
Whallonsburg Grange Hall
Steve Whitford
ADK A&E is donation driven, meaning that there is no charge to post in, or subscribe to, the newsletter. Those wishing to receive the free e-News can sign up on the website at adirondackaande.com as well as explore both the Directory and Events Calendar.
Welcome to Westport, NY
And the Depot Theatre
Westport. The earliest record of Westport as a location occurs on 18th Century French maps. Though the bay on which Westport sits was known as Northwest Bay, a 1779 map by French Surveyor and cartographer, Claude Joseph Sauthier, lists it as “Baie des Rocher Fendus” or Bay of the Split Rocks after a geological feature along the lakeshore between Westport and Essex. Essex County’s early settler William Gilliland, christened the area Bessboro, in honor of his wife, Elizabeth. The town was not settled again until 1804 when Charles Hatch made his way to North West Bay from Elizabethtown. It took four men two days to hack their way through the eight miles of forest between Elizabethtown and the bay. The town was officially named Westport in 1815 when it separated from Elizabethtown. The early character of the town is evidenced by a vote at the first town meeting “to raise double the sum allowed by the State for the support of common schools” and “to raise twenty dollars for the support of the poor”. By then, there existed a considerable settlement, with grist, saw and pulp mills, as well as stores, taverns, a tannery and a cloth factory.
Westport’s early iron industry was based on three beds of ore, the Campbell bed, the Merriam bed and the Jackson bed. Francis Jackson built the Sisco furnace, at a cost of $100,000, which in 1846 was one of the most expensive and technologically advanced furnaces of its day. Furnace Point Road, Merriam Forge Road, and Sisco Street memorialize this early industry in Westport.
Beginning in 1906, Westport was accessed on Lake Champlain by passage on the steamboat Ticonderoga, which docked every night in Westport meeting the train from New York City to transport passengers, farm produce, livestock, and dry goods up the lake to other towns. The Ticonderoga ended service in the 1950’s but it lives on today as one of only two remaining side-paddle-wheel passenger steamers, and is a feature of the Shelburne Museum in VT.
Westport is a charming lakeside community with year-round and seasonal residents, vacationers, and a growing farm-to-table agricultural industry. It is home to outdoor recreation enthusiasts, artists, musicians, actors, and business owners. It is also home to one of the few remaining hand-wound town clocks in America, at the Westport Library. Champlain Area Trails (CATS), headquartered in Westport, creates and maintains hiking and cross-country ski trails in the Champlain Valley. CATS has developed 42 miles of trails and is working to create trails that make it possible for people to “Hike the Lake” by walking from hamlet-to-hamlet.
Nearby Camp Dudley is the oldest, continuously run camp in America. For over 130 years Camp Dudley & Kiniya have provided boys and girls (ages 10 to 15) with the opportunity to develop as individuals through a balanced program of arts, athletics, outdoor exploration, and spirituality.
Wadhams! (It deserves an exclamation point) Nearby Wadhams, also part of the Westport Township, was formerly known as Wadhams Mills. It takes its name from the Wadhams family who, as early as 1825, began constructing mills at this location. “The Falls” as they continue to be known, supplied the waterpower that was the incentive for the settlement. That waterpower continues to be utilized
today, producing electricity sold to power companies. Just below the falls is an area known locally as the “Old Indian Burying Ground” for the number of arrowheads found there. Long before the settlers’ rafts, ferries, canal boats and steamships travelled the lake and streams; the Native Americans used the waterways as a thoroughfare.
The Depot Theatre. IT ALL STARTED WITH THE BUILDING. Nestled between the shores of Lake Champlain and the High Peaks region of the Adirondacks, The Depot Theatre originated out of a community-wide effort in 1978 to save the historic Westport train station (circa 1876) from demolition. Initially, the Westport Historical Society maintained stewardship over the historic station. The Historical Society saw the potential for cultural activity in the partially renovated station and they decided to begin presenting theatre in the space.
They turned to a unique funding solution to accomplish that goal: Wednesday Night Bingo. Initially this venture raised the tidy sum of nearly $3,000. In 1985, The Depot Theatre stepped out from under the Historical Society’s umbrella to become its own separate not-for-profit entity. In 1988, it became a professional theatre company operating under an agreement with Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers.
Today, The Depot Theatre is the only professional Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) and Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) affiliated theatre company in the Adirondack Park, a 6 million-acre publicly and privately held natural resource, that includes many small communities like Westport.
We are grateful to the minds and energy of people like Carol Buchanan and Shami McCormick, who were catalysts for the creation and evolution of a high-quality, live professional theatre in a historic train depot.
About the Historic Train Station. The Delaware and Hudson Railway built this historic train station in 1876. It was expanded twice in 1891 and in 1908. D&H sold the building to the Town of Westport in 1974. Though Delaware and Hudson is no longer in operation, this historic train depot serves Amtrak passengers between New York City and Montreal providing important gateway access for travelers coming to the Adirondack region. The Town of Westport, Canadian Pacific Railway, Amtrak and the Depot Theatre have developed a unique partnership to keep this historical space actively used and maintained.
Today, the entire Depot Theatre community embraces that metaphor, and invites all to… “Take a journey without leaving the station.”
Depot Theatre Inc. is a 501(c)3, non-profit corporation. P.O. Box 414 ▪ 6705 Main Street
Westport, New York 12993 www.DepotTheatre.org
Restauranteurs Scott Brankman and Emily Farnsworth-Brankman are excited to welcome
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