Welcome to The Huron Playhouse

In the summer of 1949, under the guidance of Professor Frederick Walsh of Bowling Green State University, the Huron Playhouse opened its doors for the first summer season with the light wartime comedy John Loves Mary. For well over half a century, the Playhouse has continued to provide to actors and community a well-balanced season of comedies, dramas, mysteries, melodramas, Shakespeare, children's theatre, and musicals. We are tremendously proud to be Ohio's oldest continuing summer theatre...a tradition we plan to continue!

The Huron Playhouse is committed to moving forward and continuing to be one of the hallmarks of the Huron community and surrounding region. There is confidence that the future is bright for educational theatre in our area! Following in the motto of Professor Walsh "Dum Spiro, Spero" -while I breathe, I hope, we are hopeful that the coming season will provide new challenges, opportunities and memories!

Introducing our Artist in Residence

The Huron Playhouse is thrilled to annoucne the creation of an Artist in Residence program. Each season, a Broadway professional, either an actor, director, choreographer, or technician, will spend the summer working with not only The Huron Playhouse Company, but also with students in the area. The Artist in Residence will also be teaching classes within the community. We are excited to welcome Karen Babcock to the Huron community!

Karen Babcock (director/choreographer) has performed on Broadway, the West End, Japan, and Austria as well as touring the United States extensively. Her performance credits include CHESS, DAMN YANKEES, THE SECRET GARDEN, WIZARD OF OZ, A CHORUS LINE, JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, AND THE WORLD GOES ‘ROUND and CATS, as well as numerous regional productions. She has been a member of Actor’s Equity Association since 1980 and a member of the Screen Actor’s Guild since 1982.  As a natural progression from performing professionally, Karen now directs, choreographs and teaches musical theatre workshops. Each August since 1998, she’s traveled to the heart of Austria to teach a summer musical theatre workshop. In addition, she has directed/choreographed kids’ and teens’ showcases performed in Manhattan for agents and managers, which have culminated in work in the industry for the participants. Last summer, Karen directed/choreographed GYPSY for Ocean Professional Theatre Company and directed an original play entitled THE STEVE BARTMAN INCIDENT at the Mile Square Theatre in Hoboken, NJ. Other directing and/or choreographic credits include: SUGAR at Penn State Altoona (recognized for excellence by American College Theatre Festival), CABARET at Ohio Northern University, RENT (Folkwang Hochschule in Essen, and Leverkusen Germany, as well as Basel, Switzerland—performed in German!), CATS (Golden Apple Dinner Theatre—Sarasota Magazine Best Musical Award);  BABES IN HOLLYWOOD (Arundel Barn Playhouse); A CHORUS LINE, SWEET CHARITY (West Virginia Public Theatre); ALL SHOOK UP, THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, ME AND MY GIRL, CATS, AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS, THE GIFT OF THE MAGI, and HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR, HAIRSPRAY (Surflight Theatre); CATS (Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts); ANYTHING GOES (Trump Plaza—Atlantic City, NJ—choreographer); RAGTIME, THE SECRET GARDEN, GUYS AND DOLLS, INTO THE WOODS,  (Grand Valley State University); ANNIE GET YOUR GUN (Wagner College—Kennedy Center ACTF merit award); AND THE WORLD GOES ‘ROUND (Westfield Players); AND THE WORLD GOES ‘ROUND (Philadelphia Theatre Company—assistant director/choreographer); TOM JONES, MERTON OF THE MOVIES, SKIN OF OUR TEETH, THE LITTLE PRINCE, PAJAMA GAME, RAGS, and WEST SIDE STORY (Palistage Theatre Company); SAXOPHONE MUSIC, STATEMENTS AFTER AN ARREST UNDER THE IMMORALITY ACT, HUNTING AND GATHERING, A TASTE OF HONEY, MONSTERS, THE HOSTAGE and MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, THE DINING ROOM and DANCING AT LUGHNASA (Rutgers Theater Company—director and/or choreographer.) Karen graduated with her MFA in theatrical directing from Rutgers/Mason Gross School of the Arts in May 2013. She also holds a BFA in drama (musical theatre option) from Carnegie Mellon University, from which she graduated with honors.  Her husband, Bill Brassea, of twenty-three years, keeps her firmly anchored in laughter!