Joseph Weaver, Edward Ludlum, Jay South and Unidentified Person at the Site of Playhouse on the Green

This undated, black-and-white photo shows four people standing at the base of the amphitheater that formed the Playhouse on the Green (POG). It was likely taken circa 1955-57. The tent for the theater has not been installed, and visible in the background are the fields, homes and structures that were located near the theater. The four people pictured are identified by handwriting on the back of the photo as (left to right): Joseph Weaver, manager (wearing a suit and tie and standing at the far left); Edward Ludlum, director; Jay South, sonic director. A fourth person, standing on the far right and facing away from the camera, is not identified, though is possibly actor Joel Thomas. Ludlum is shown indicating the location of something, holding up a stack of papers as if pointing towards it.

The 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 the 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.