Edward Ludlum, Joseph Weaver, Joel Thomas and Yvonne Clifford of Playhouse on the Green

Pictured in this undated, black-and-white photograph are the manager, director and actors from Playhouse on the Green (POG), shown possibly rehearsing lines from a play on the patio of an unidentified house. Handwriting on the back identifies them as (left to right): Edward Ludlum [director], Joseph Weaver [manager], Joel Thomas [actor], Yvonne Clifford [actor]. The photo was likely taken circa 1955-57.

POG was central Ohio’s first professional theater, and operated north of Worthington from 1955 through 1972. The theater was managed by The Columbus Theatre Company, with a director and Equity actors from New York City supplemented by central Ohio actors.

An article from the February 22, 1995 "Columbus Dispatch" reflected on POG’s founders, Joseph and Enid Weaver. "The Weavers moved from New York to Ohio in the fall of 1954 with $1,000, a few letters of introduction from New York theatrical professionals and a dream: to establish a regional theater that would entertain and challenge Columbus audiences with serious American dramas."

The article quoted Enid Weaver: "We settled on Columbus as a good place to start a professional, summer stock company because at that time Ohio State University had a very successful Stadium Theatre summer program…We figured that Columbus audiences were already used to summer theater—and so it turned out to be."

Joseph Weaver said, "Playhouse on the Green had an informal country ambience…People enjoyed good theater in a setting where you wouldn't expect to find good theater."

This and other photos of POG are from the scrapbooks of Bernice Warner Letson, in the collection of the Worthington Historical Society. She is notable not only because of her revolutionary home-based business selling worm castings all over the world, but also because of her involvement with POG, often hosting actors at her home for the season.