Ribbon Cut for Eugene O’Neill Cottages

CENTERBROOK, Conn. -- The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center recently welcomed hundreds of artists, donors, patrons, and public figures to celebrate the official ribbon cutting of its expanded campus in Waterford, Connecticut. Designed by Centerbrook Architects, the O’Neill Center now boasts eight new cottages and a new rehearsal hall with composition and dance studios, creating living, rehearsal, and production space for an additional 65 artists on the O'Neill's historic seaside campus.

The expansion provides space for a major new program - the National Music Theater Institute Semester, a division of the celebrated undergraduate training program the National Theater Institute (NTI) - and as an artistic retreat for playwrights, composers, and puppeteers year round.

O’Neill Executive Director Preston Whiteway, Centerbrook Partner Chad Floyd, Senator Richard Blumenthal, Senator Chris Murphy, NTI Artistic Director Rachel Jett, and O'Neill Chairman Tom Viertel were among those who spoke at the ceremony. The new housing and rehearsal buildings are named for many well-known artists central to the O'Neill Center mission of discovering, nurturing, and developing new artists and new work for the American Theater, including: Jim & Jane Henson Rehearsal Hall; August Wilson Cottage; Michael Douglas Cottage; Wendy Wasserstein Cottage; and the Ted Hartley and Dina Merrill Cottage.

Centerbrook’s charge was to develop a master plan for additions and improvements to the campus while preserving and even enhancing the O’Neill’s special character. Floyd led the design team assisted by Project Manager Dan Batt.