Williamstown Theatre Festival

The Williamstown Theatre Festival is a regional summer stock theatre on the campus of Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, founded in 1954 by Williams College news director, Ralph Renzi, and drama program chairman, David C. Bryant. The theatre was conceived as a way to use the Adams Memorial Theatre on the Williams campus for a resident summer theatre company. At the request of Renzi and Bryant, established Actress and Broadway Theatre World Award winner Marcia Henderson, who was raised in Williamstown, performed in the first play of the festival. She was the first major celebrity to perform at Williamstown. Since then, and throughout its over four decades in existence, many celebrated American actors of stage and screen have worked as acting apprentices or company members at Williamstown. Recently, the festival has transferred several successful shows to Broadway, and was awarded the Regional Theatre Tony Award in 2002.

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