Witherbee Hall
Saturday Night Show Poster Digital Archive
By #18801 Drew Rider
Once per week, after “din din” on Saturday, everyone funnels out of Beckman Hall, grabs a quick shower or a dip, takes out a polo shirt (likely buried at the bottom of a trunk from last week), musters in their divisional area, and makes the walk across main campus to take a seat in Witherbee Hall. It is a time-honored camp tradition, a staple of our Arts program pillar, and a highlight of a Dudley week. Sitting down, program in hand, with the anticipation building, you wonder what this latest offering will be. The lights dim and you hear #18079 Diana McGuigan George’s voice on the microphone welcoming the crowd, introducing the show, reminding everyone to take their hats off, and noting the exits. Finally, you hear Diana’s best British accent inflected, “And now, the Rhythm Ramblers!” As the band hits their first notes, everyone knows they’re in for another Dudley theatrical treat.
The Saturday Night Show has been a tradition at Camp for almost as long as we have been in this location in Westport. Built in 1925, Witherbee Hall has been the center of performing arts at Camp for just under 100 years. In the camp archives, you can see, read, and hear about plays that were performed decades ago. They range from original Big Shows to Dudley adaptations of classics. It is no small feat to cast, rehearse, and prepare an entire play in just one week. Many who have been part of any school show can attest to the fact that it takes months to mount a full production outside of Camp. It is a unique opportunity to experience so many shows in a given summer.
One incredible tradition that has arisen in “recent” years is the creation of an original poster for every Saturday Dudley show. While we are still trying to put together the complete history of this practice, piecing together a rough timeline has been a fun task. From what we can tell, after some singular posters for things like D.D.T. (Dudley Dance Theater) and specific Big Shows, it seems that the creation of a poster for every single show began in earnest in the early 2000s.
It was then that the Brodie staff took the reins and put their personal artistic twist on each one of the Witherbee team’s anticipated Saturday shows. There have been contributions from the likes of #15191 Ollie Jeffers, #18904 Sara Molinari, #19555 Lauren Maiurano, #23601 Sophia Titterton, as well as recent additions from #24558 Martín Bello, #25602 Melissa Place, #26598 Adam “Punchy” Puncochar, and many others. It is amazing to have a one-of-a-kind, original piece of art serve as the playbill cover and the poster at the entrance door every Saturday night.
Now, over 20 years after this poster practice began, we have a lot of them. We’re excited to announce that we have digitized all of the Witherbee posters that we’ve found! We can all enjoy them for years to come and from wherever we are in the “off-season.” Take a peek at the gallery, and if you know of any that we are missing, please get in touch! Additional information and insights from our readers can be sent to drew@campdudley.org.