DENNIS MA

DENNIS MA

Cape Playhouse

The Cape Playhouse is America's oldest professional summer theatre built in 1927. Known as "The Birthplace of the Stars." big names from Broadway and the silver screen got their start on this stage including: Bette Davis, Gregory Peck, Gertrude Lawrence, Lana Turner, Ginger Rogers, Humphrey Bogart - to name a few. The theatre first started as a vision by a Mr. Raymond Moore, from California, who spent several summers in Provincetown where he was involved in painting scenery, writing plays and acting in a theatre there as well. He purchased a 19th century Unitarian Meetinghouse for $200 in Dennis and had it moved to 3 1/2 acres of pasture land in the town, converting it into a theatre.

Not much information is available on the ornate small wrought iron gazebo in front of the building, other than it is used as a stage for Shakespearian performances prior to and after theatre events thus is considered to be a bandstand of sorts.