The Vineyard Playhouse is a professional, non-profit working theater company on the island

Island

An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...

 of Martha's Vineyard

Martha's Vineyard

Martha's Vineyard is an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, known for being an affluent summer colony....

. Housed in a historic building in downtown Vineyard Haven, MA, the theater produces shows year-round. It also hosts programs for children, and was described in the Vineyard Gazette as "the longest running professional theatre on the Island."

History

The Playhouse was established in 1982 by Eileen Wilson and Isabella Blake, according to the Playhouse's website, and the theatre company celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2007.

Repertoire

The repertoire ranges from summer shows featuring Broadway

Broadway theatre

Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...

-quality actors as well as talented locals, to less posh but also impressive off-season shows, usually featuring local professional actors and members of the community. Traditionally the Christmas

Christmas

Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...

 production is a family-oriented show that includes a large number of children. Most shows during the summer season are intended for adult audiences, but other shows are family-appropriate, and include roles for all ages. Some previous shows include The Snow Queen

The Snow Queen

The Snow Queen is a fairy tale by author Hans Christian Andersen . The tale was first published in 1845, and centers on the struggle between good and evil as experienced by a little boy and girl, Kai and Gerda....

, The Homecoming

The Homecoming

The Homecoming is a two-act play written in 1964 by Nobel laureate Harold Pinter and first published in 1965. The original Broadway production won the 1967 Tony Award for Best Play and its 40th-anniversary Broadway production at the Cort Theatre was nominated for a 2008 Tony Award for "Best Revival...

, The Rimers of Eldridge, Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...

, and Proof

Proof (play)

Proof is a play by David Auburn originally produced by the Manhattan Theatre Club on 23 May 2000. It then went to Broadway on 24 October 2000 at the Walter Kerr Theatre, and was directed by Daniel J. Sullivan, with Mary-Louise Parker as Catherine, Larry Bryggman as Robert, Ben Shenkman as Hal, and...

.

Relationship With and Contributions to the Vineyard Community

MJ Bruder Munafo, the Playhouse's Artistic Director, has a reputation for supporting local artists and writers. The Playhouse often hosts readings of new works in progress, or stages pieces that show artistic merit.