Not about Chester County, but a neighbor. The arts are such an important thing in our lives, and The Hedgerow Theatre Company in Rose Valley (adjacent to Media) is America’s longest serving professional resident theater founded in 1923 by Jasper Deeter as a haven for cutting edge artists of the early 20th century. And Hedgerow is turning 95!!! Join them for their Belle of the Ball benefit on March 23rd!
Hedgerow quickly gained a national and international reputation as a proving ground for era defining artists such as Susan Glaspell, Eugene O’Neill, Countee Cullen, Henrik Ibsen, George Bernard Shaw, Theodore Dreiser and Wharton Esherick. Today, the company consists of seven resident actors and an extended company of 10. Hedgerow Theatre seeks to connect and enrich the lives of company, patrons, and community in the shared experience of ensemble theatre, through performance and theatre education of the highest quality.
Hedgerow is inextricably entwined with the legacy of the Rose Valley Arts and Craft Movement. A movement that defines itself by independent thinkers resisting the wave of industrialization rushing over society. Founding Artistic Director, Jasper Deeter, recognized in this movement a kindred spirit after visiting his sister and watching her perform at what was Guild Hall. He saw here was the place to create an independent theater and transformed Guild Hall into Hedgerow Theatre.
Beginning in 1923, Hedgerow launched the first resident repertory theatre that, over its 94 years, has become a magnet for many national theatre personalities, from Richard Basehart to Edward Albee; from Ann Harding to Susan Glaspell; to—more recently—Keanu Reeves and Austin Pendleton.
Hedgerow Theatre Company, America’s oldest professional resident theater company is celebrating its 95th Anniversary with a benefit honoring Penelope Reed for her lifetime of work. Reed is not only the 2017 Barrymore Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient, but she is also the heart and soul of Hedgerow and its Director Emeritus.
Hedgerow Theatre Company’s Belle of the Ball Benefit will be co-chaired by Board Members Jane McNeil, Hedegrow and Richard Taxin and will be held Friday March 23rd from 6:30-10:00 pm at the Old Mill, 9 Old Mill Lane, Rose Valley, PA 19063. Tickets start at $95 per person and include an open bar and buffet dinner. The Benefit will start with a cocktail hour from 6:30-7:30. At 7:30 pm, students from the Hedgerow Theater School will invite guests into dinner and the presentation through song. All monies raised at the event will be dedicated to The Penelope Reed Education Fund to preserve the theatre’s educational programming for underserved youth and The Jewel Box Theatre Campaign dedicated to the refurbishing and preservation of Hegerow’s theatre dating from 1840.
The evening’s honoree, Penelope Reed, is known throughout the theater community as a visionary leader. Her work has been a vital part of not only the Philadelphia theatre community but nationally. Her work and dedication to the world of repertoire theater has made the community richer and she has, through her performances and her leadership, influenced generations of artists, audiences and companies.
Please consider this wonderful event. You can purchase tickets by following this hyperlink to Hedgerow’s website
Again, Hedgerow is located outside Philadelphia at 64 Rose Valley Road in Rose Valley, PA (near Media). For more information on Hedgerow Theatre and its current company and productions visit www.hedgerowtheatre.org. For more information on The Belle of The Ball contact Patrick Derrickson, Director of Development at pderrickson@hedgerowtheatre.org
