Mark Shanahan, Artistic Director of the Westport Country Playhouse, shared the history, status, and plans for the historic playhouse in Westport, Connecticut, at the Kiwanis Club of Weston’s breakfast meeting on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at Norfield Congregational Church’s parish hall.
As a playwright, he is the adapter of Agatha Christie’s THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD, in partnership with Agatha Christie Ltd., which premiered at the Tony Award-winning Alley Theatre and has played throughout the United States and abroad. His play, A SHERLOCK CAROL, was a New York Times Critic’s Pick during its two seasons Off-Broadway and earned an Off-Broadway Alliance nomination for Best New Play in 2021 and has been produced at numerous theatres across the United States and internationally, including three sold-out seasons in London at The Marylebone Theatre. He is also the author of A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS CAROL, SEE MONSTERS OF THE DEEP, the Off-Broadway and regional hit comedy THE DINGDONG, and numerous radio plays as creator of the WHITE HERON GHOST LIGHT series, featuring Christopher Plummer, Judith Ivey, Rhonda Ross, and other notables.
Mark’s directing work has been seen extensively at The Alley Theatre, Westport Country Playhouse, Irish Rep of New York City, White Heron, Florida Rep, George Street Playhouse, Virginia Stage, Penguin Rep, The Fulton Opera House, Arkansas Rep, Theatre Squared, Hudson Stage, and many more. As an actor, he has appeared on and off-Broadway in THE 39 STEPS, TRYST, AS BEES IN HONEY DROWN, THE SHAUGRAUN, and others, and at many celebrated stages throughout the United States. On television and film, he’s appeared on Late Night with David Letterman, Safe Men, Bug, Kill Me, and others.
Mark lives with his family in New York City, New York.
Our Program Committee, Lisa Wexler and Karen Chrisley, arranged this program.
Last Updated: May 21, 2025 by Robert Uzenoff
Kiwanis Hosts Playhouse Artistic Director
Mark Shanahan, Artistic Director of the Westport Country Playhouse, shared the history, status, and plans for the historic playhouse in Westport, Connecticut, at the Kiwanis Club of Weston’s breakfast meeting on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at Norfield Congregational Church’s parish hall.
As a playwright, he is the adapter of Agatha Christie’s THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD, in partnership with Agatha Christie Ltd., which premiered at the Tony Award-winning Alley Theatre and has played throughout the United States and abroad. His play, A SHERLOCK CAROL, was a New York Times Critic’s Pick during its two seasons Off-Broadway and earned an Off-Broadway Alliance nomination for Best New Play in 2021 and has been produced at numerous theatres across the United States and internationally, including three sold-out seasons in London at The Marylebone Theatre. He is also the author of A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS CAROL, SEE MONSTERS OF THE DEEP, the Off-Broadway and regional hit comedy THE DINGDONG, and numerous radio plays as creator of the WHITE HERON GHOST LIGHT series, featuring Christopher Plummer, Judith Ivey, Rhonda Ross, and other notables.
Mark’s directing work has been seen extensively at The Alley Theatre, Westport Country Playhouse, Irish Rep of New York City, White Heron, Florida Rep, George Street Playhouse, Virginia Stage, Penguin Rep, The Fulton Opera House, Arkansas Rep, Theatre Squared, Hudson Stage, and many more. As an actor, he has appeared on and off-Broadway in THE 39 STEPS, TRYST, AS BEES IN HONEY DROWN, THE SHAUGRAUN, and others, and at many celebrated stages throughout the United States. On television and film, he’s appeared on Late Night with David Letterman, Safe Men, Bug, Kill Me, and others.
Mark lives with his family in New York City, New York.
Our Program Committee, Lisa Wexler and Karen Chrisley, arranged this program.
Category: Blog Post
Upcoming events
Breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Community Service - Food Drive
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Day of Service
Breakfast meeting. Program: True Ghost Stories of Connecticut, Charles F. Rosenay!!!
His topic is "True Ghost Stories of Connecticut."
Weston Kiwanis meets most Saturdays from September through June at Norfield Congregational Church parish hall. Doors open at 8 a.m. for coffee and conversation, with the breakfast meeting beginning at 8:30 a.m. and ending no later than 10 a.m. After breakfast, we have a speaker or community service activity.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Weston Intermediate School Community Service Day: WIS Wolf Pack Gives Back
The Kiwanis Club of Weston is a proud sponsor of this event.
On Saturday, February 1, 2025 (1–3 PM), Weston Intermediate will host its first-ever Community Service Day: WIS Wolf Pack Gives Back — a new tradition that will bring students in grades 3–5 and their families together for an afternoon of hands-on giving.
This event is about more than a few hours of volunteering — it’s about teaching kids the power of service. Each family will roll up their sleeves to create items and care packages that go directly to local organizations in need, including animal shelters, food pantries, senior centers, children’s hospitals, and homelessness outreach programs. Along the way, students will learn that even small acts of kindness can make a real difference — and that Weston is part of a much larger community of compassion.
What excites me most about this event — beyond how hands-on it will be — is the opportunity to introduce students to a wide range of service organizations, many of which are right here in Weston and Fairfield Country. By the end of the afternoon, kids and their families will have learned about 20 different types of organizations and created tangible items to donate that will make an immediate impact.
These projects will likely include making dog toys for an animal shelter, flower pots for a senior center, diaper bundles for a family agency, seed bombs for an environmental organization, toiletry bags for a homeless shelter, and craft kits for children at a domestic women’s shelter.
We’ll also have collection bins that day to support the Weston Food Pantry, local clothing drives, and collections for sports gear, books, and other essentials.
We will even have small, live animals from a Rescue Farm, which the kids are going to love!
And as a signature activity, we will also host End Hunger New England, during which families will put on hair nets and gloves, and work on an assembly line to package 10,000 meals for people in need.
Breakfast meeting. Program: From Woodstock to Wisdom: A Boomer's Journey to 80, Vicki Thomas
Weston Kiwanis meets most Saturdays from September through June at Norfield Congregational Church parish hall. Doors open at 8 a.m. for coffee and conversation, with the breakfast meeting beginning at 8:30 a.m. and ending no later than 10 a.m. After breakfast, we have a speaker or community service activity.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Valentine's breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Board Meetings with Committee Chairs
Breakfast meeting. Program: Faces of Freedom, Walter Schuppe
Before launching this project, Schuppe had a 30-year career in banking and finance, most recently serving as a Senior Vice President/Managing Director at Pacific Western Bank until his retirement in early 2024. In addition to his work with Faces of Freedom, he serves as the treasurer for SEALKIDS, a charity that supports the children of U.S. Navy SEALs.
Weston Kiwanis meets most Saturdays from September through June at Norfield Congregational Church parish hall. Doors open at 8 a.m. for coffee and conversation, with the breakfast meeting beginning at 8:30 a.m. and ending no later than 10 a.m. After breakfast, we have a speaker or community service activity.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
St. Patricks's breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Board Meetings with Committee Chairs
Breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Passover breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Board Meetings with Committee Chairs
Breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Green Up Day breakfast meeting. Program: Millie Best Environmental Award
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Community Service - Green Up Day
Annual Club Meeting for Elections Breakfast Meeting
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Mother's Day breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Board Meetings with Committee Chairs
Breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Memorial Day Weekend Fair
Memorial Day Weekend Fair
Memorial Day Weekend Fair
Memorial Day Weekend Fair
NO MEETING
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Youth Service and Leadership Award and breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Board Meetings with Committee Chairs
High School Awards and Father's Day breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
NO MEETING
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
NO MEETING
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Board Meetings with Committee Chairs
NO MEETING
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
NO MEETING
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
NO MEETING
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
NO MEETING
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Board Meetings with Committee Chairs
NO MEETING
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
NO MEETING
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
NO MEETING
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Club Meeting. Breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Board Meetings with Committee Chairs
Club Meeting. Breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Installation breakfast meeting.
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Club Meeting. Breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Club Meeting. Breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Board Meetings with Committee Chairs
Club Meeting. Breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Club Meeting. Breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Club Meeting. Breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Club Meeting. Breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Club Meeting. Breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Board Meetings with Committee Chairs
Club Meeting. Breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Club Meeting. Breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Club Meeting. Breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Club Meeting. Breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Board Meetings with Committee Chairs
Club Meeting. Breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Club Meeting. Breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Club Meeting. Breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Club Meeting. Breakfast meeting.
Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, normally $10 for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.
Board Meetings with Committee Chairs