Celebrating more than 80 seasons, the Cape Playhouse is proud to be America's Oldest Professional Summer
Theatre. Californian Raymond Moore spent several summers in Provincetown where he was involved in painting
scenery, writing plays and acting in theatre there. His vision, however, was to have a theatre of his own - a
smart, sophisticated summer theatre, which would bring Broadway to Cape Cod. So in 1927, he bought a
19th century former Unitarian Meeting House for $200 and had it moved to 3 1/2 acres of pasture land fronting
the Old Kings Highway in Dennis and converted it into a theatre. The original pews, now with cushions, still
serve as seats.
The opening performance on July 4, 1927 was The Guardsman, starring Basil Rathbone. Over the years,
Moore attracted many big name stars from Broadway and the silver screen. Many made their professional stage
debuts at the Cape Playhouse. With such stars as Bette Davis (who first worked as an usher), Gregory Peck,
Gertrude Lawrence, Lana Turner, Ginger Rogers, Humphrey Bogart,
Tallulah Bankhead, Helen Hayes, Julie Harris, and Paulette Goddard, it's
no wonder the Playhouse is known as "The Birthplace of the Stars".
During the mid-50s, the Cape Playhouse became home to three
educational programs which provided summer classes in all areas of the
theatre. Although the programs did not continue after the early 1970s,
many young aspiring performers spent their summers here. In 1956,
a young student was given a small part in "The Male Animal"
starring Henry Fonda (his daughter, Jane)!
The Raymond Moore Foundation now oversees the 26 acre grounds of
the Playhouse, which is also home to the Cape Cod Center for the Arts,
Cape Cinema, Cape Cod Museum of Art and Center Stage Cafe.
These days, most of the stars still come from Broadway, but others are more familiar to the public as movie and
television stars. It seems that almost every well known star of stage, screen and TV has walked the stage of
the Cape Playhouse.
For each season of its over 80 years, the Playhouse has aimed to bring the best performers, favorite and
familiar plays, comedies, mysteries and musicals to the audiences of Cape Cod. The ultimate goal is to guarantee
quality, professional entertainment in the form of great theatre.
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