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Jun 27, 2022
In 1953, six young actors from New York, along with two children and various pets, arrived in Hanover, Virginia, and purchased a decrepit colonial tavern for $25,000. Within its walls, they built what became the nation’s first “dinner theater”. They also built an everyday life.
Their story is the basis for a new temporary photo exhibit on display now in the Hanover Tavern lobby. Made possible from funds donated by Tavern supporter Jenny Didas, and designed and researched by Tavern staff and volunteers, the new exhibit gives a window into what daily life was like while both living and working at Hanover Tavern beginning in the early 1950s through the early 1990s.
Throughout those decades, the actors put on numerous professional productions, cooked and served meals to theater guests, and lived daily lives that included raising children, wrangling pets, performing home maintenance, and paying bills. Their efforts continued the legacy of Hanover Tavern as the center of the community…a legacy that lives on today.
Stop by and see the exhibit Wednesday through Sunday, 11 AM to 7 PM. On display through November 2022.