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BY ANNE COLEMAN

In print | Published April 2, 2009

Nestled among quiet, towering pines of the Main Line, #64 Rose Valley Road is unremarkable to those hurrying by. With its unassuming entry arch and unadorned façade, the only hint that this building is a theater is a small hand-painted sign at the edge of the road that says, quite simply, “Shaw,” as in George Bernard Shaw, the playwright of the current production.

The Hedgerow Theatre makes its home in this former gristmill and way station on the Underground Railroad. The Theatre Company has held court there since 1923, but the atmosphere preceding a show may not conjure up the sensations that most people associate with arriving at the theater. There is no hustle and bustle; no one has to wait outside; and there isn’t a large concession stand or an usher hawking souvenirs. No matter, however, because once you take your seat, you will be transported. The rough old stones that fill so much of the view towards the stage transcend time and spur even the most constrained imaginations to action.

It is by no small amount of effort, however, that the building retains its magical qualities. Producing Artistic Director Penelope Reed recalled, “this place, the theater, burned down to its stone walls, and in 1990, while I was at Lawrenceville [School], they [the board] asked me to come and try to save it … There was a roof, there was no heat, no electric … and a lot of remaining passion in about 4 or 5 people.”

After 14 years spent with the Milwaukee Repertory Theater while simultaneously teaching at two universities, and nine years at the McCarter Theatre while teaching at the Lawrenceville School, Reed was well positioned to lend a hand. Nevertheless, the prospect was daunting. As she related, “One of my dear friends, Paul Kuhn, who had put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into [the Hedgerow] … said ‘the theater is dying.’ Those people [Janet Kelsey, Jasper Deeter, Paul Kuhn, Susan Wefel and others] worked so hard in those five years to just keep it alive. They did kids’ shows; they did shows in the living room; they did anything they could to just save the theatre. So when he said that … I couldn’t say no.”

Reed was a natural choice for the job, having studied with Hedgerow founder Jasper Deeter and kept up many continuing bonds to the theater. Her mother, Janet Kelsey, has been the business manager since 1972, when the two relocated to Rose Valley. At 86, she is still going strong, and sees no end in sight for her work at Hedgerow. Her commitment to Hedgerow is by no means unique to her — even for those who aren’t kin, there is something very familial about the company. As Kelsey put it, “for me it’s just like home — even better.”

Perhaps she has in mind the very Swarthmorean way in which the company highlights community values and respect in all of their programs. Managing Director Tom Burke, a relatively new addition to the team, captures the essence of this thinking, when he says that everyone at the Hedgerow is a student. “There’s a sharing of ideas, or experiences, at all levels in the acting classes. We’re educating in the world of theater, so it’s hard for us to think of just the people who go to the classes as the students,” Burke said.

If it sounds implausible, then consider the way in which Hedgerow has managed to eliminate any sense of ageism from their company. A common concern in the theater, age is not an issue at Hedgerow, in either direction. Hedgerow can boast accomplished child actors, including Andrew Nad Karni, who has done over 40 productions and whom Reed counts as a member of the company, and the immortal energy of Kelsey makes for a strong showing at the other end of the age spectrum.

Reed explained, “We have four different generations that work together. We have Depression Era, which would be my mother, we have the baby boomers, we have the (Gen) Xers, and we have the ‘Millennials.’ It’s a wonderful cross section of different generations working together. The important thing is valuing each other’s values.” She generated a list called “the good heart principles” to guide the community in that task, and those principles have done more than simply improve the sense of togetherness.

Under Reed’s leadership and an excellent board, the Hedgerow has blossomed in recent years as a beacon to neighboring communities. Although it grew out of the unusual thinking of Will Price’s arts-and-crafts community, Rose Valley, the Hedgerow Theatre’s emphasis on values has made it easy for neighboring communities, not founded on the same ethic, not only to accept but also to appreciate it.

Two years ago, having earned widespread recognition for the quality of its productions, the Hedgerow achieved a major milestone, classification as a “Professional Theatre,” and the right to grant Actors’ Equity Membership. Prior to the fire, the Hedgerow had always been classified as “semi-professional.” Reed is no longer playing catch-up.

Reed has also made advances with community initiatives. These include numerous touring productions and two very special school programs. One, with the Walden School, allows fifth through eighth graders to work on a play with Hedgerow artists and stage it in the theater. Even more remarkable is the collaboration with Strathhaven Middle School. “It is a thing called Haven at Hedgerow, where the middle school kids work all year long with Susan Wefel. [Wefel is the Programming Director and a member of the Board of Directors, as well as a much-loved member of the company.] They work with their plays and then they bring them here to Hedgerow to put them on. They elect into that as an English major and they spend the whole year on it,” Reed said.

What is perhaps most notable about the Hedgerow is the Company’s determination to broaden community outreach. Reed and her team are excited about opportunities to connect with the Swarthmore College community, and have a wide range of ideas to make it happen. With a volunteer corps of 150 people, internships ranging from one to three months, and yearlong fellowships, the Hedgerow Theatre has perfected opportunities for professional mentorship in theatre.

With mentors in everything from acting and design to development and marketing, one would think they’d done enough to entice students, but just like a real family, they won’t hesitate to offer you a ride, as well. When Reed mentioned being willing to pick people up from the Rose Valley train station (a very brief walk away from the theater), her assistant Sandra Barnard chimed in, “I live in Swarthmore. I’ve got a big car. I could drive, too.”

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