2026.01.05

History of the Red Barn text from the flyer: Michigan's third oldest summer stock theatre, the Red Barn Playhouse at Saugatuck, celebrates its 41st Season. The Red Barn was founded by James Webster in the spring of 1948. It was known as the Saugatuck Summer Players, located in Douglas in a building next to the historic Gray Gables building. In the fall of 1953, Mr. Webster purchased the Belvedere Estate barn, which was built in 1921 and was, in fact, a barn with cows in the stalls and corn in the silo. By the spring of 1954. he had converted it into the present Red Barn and opened it June of that year. After three successful years, Mr. Webster was forced to sell the theatre because of ill health and until 1975 it was owned and operated by William John Upjohn of Theatre Management, Inc. of Kalamazoo under the producing-direction of James Dyas. Professional actors were hired, the theatre was enlarged to a seating capacity of 300 and underbrush was cleared to enlarge the grounds and parking lot. From 1976 to the summer of 1986, the Red Barn was owned and operated by Red Bar Real Estate, Inc. This was a group of 20 investors from the surrounding Saugatuck area and Chicago. The summer of 1986 brought a few more changes to the Red Barn. Paul Stuart Graham, a Saugatuck resident and former Executive Producer of the Lakeshore Little Theatre became the new owner and Producing Director. A new orchestra pit was built and preparations for additional improvements and repairs were made. In the spring of 1987, the Red Barn Theatre changed its name to the Red Bam Playhouse and Producer Graham introduced the Red Barn Pavilion, a new 128-seat performance space located in the former rehearsal hall under the barn. Restrooms were re-arranged to expand the old rehearsal hall stage, new concrete was poured and the space was enclosed with screens. Plastic rolldowns were designed to cover the screens in case of inclement weather. Along with the new Pavilion space, a new paved walkway and canopy entrance, new signs were designed for the Playhouse and street entrance, the grounds were relandscaped, and the box office was moved down the hill to the present location to act in dual capacity as box office and light booth for the Pavilion.

1954 Red Barn TheatreBuildings: LostBuildings: Commercial

Winthers, Sally

04/13/2026

04/13/2026