The Bedford Playhouse

The Bedford Playhouse…
Much More Than Just Another Cinema

As everyone in the community must know already…with generous contributions from dozens of patrons, led by Clive Davis (B&NC - Cover Feature - Jan/Feb ‘23 issue) and David Worby (B&NC - Sept/Oct ‘21 issue)...the Bedford Playhouse, under the leadership of Founder John Farr and Board Chair Emerita Sarah Long, was completely renovated and re-opened as a non-profit independent film center in October 2018.

Worby shares, “When the Playhouse went dark in 2015 after nearly seven decades of operations, there was no board, no membership, no real plan—just a few dollars in the bank and John Farr’s vision that it could become something like the Avon. I made a sizable gift to kick things off, and suddenly people came out of the woodwork to participate. My kids grew up in Bedford, and I’ve always felt the village lacked a meaningful cultural anchor. The idea of a nonprofit home for great films, music, and programming hooked me immediately.”

Clive Davis adds, “I was devastated when I learned years ago that the Bedford Playhouse was considering closing its doors after Bow Tie Cinemas stopped operating in the building.

I decided to make my endowment to keep alive and active the Playhouse as a vital and necessary institution, and to enlarge the cultural offering in the heart of Bedford. We have first runs, art films, and concerts, lectures and discussions that ensure that our community remains a vibrant and active cultural force.”

Opening its doors as a non-profit just 15 months before the pandemic presented the existential threat that all arts organizations experienced during that time. Thanks to the strategic and steadfast leadership of its new Board of Directors, the Playhouse got creative with online events to keep producing activities for the community…and the community responded with generosity that kept the doors open and put the Playhouse in a position to restart energetically as soon as people coming together in common was renewed.

…Since then, the Playhouse has been fully operational and, at this point, all three theaters are busy 6 days a week, 52 weeks a year.

In March of 2022, the Playhouse brought Marie Scanlan on to run finance and marketing, and in May of 2023 Marie was named Chief Executive Officer. Board Chairman, Don Greenwald, recognized that in order to achieve its mission, this enterprise needed a combination of business and nonprofit skills.

Marie grew up in Scarsdale, went to Scarsdale High School, the University of Pennsylvania for undergraduate, and the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern to earn a Masters in Marketing and Finance. Her early career was in financial consulting with Price Waterhouse and then in brand management at Pepsi and IBM. When she and her husband, Ray Scanlan, settled in Bedford to raise their three daughters, Marie transferred her professional skills to volunteer efforts in the community, including the public schools, Northern Westchester Hospital, and several local nonprofits. Her last volunteer position, on the Board of New England Dance Theater in New Canaan, began a transition to supporting the arts, which, as fate would have it, provided much needed insight for her role at Bedford Playhouse. With twenty-five years in Bedford and New Canaan, Marie’s deep roots in the community, coupled with experience in aligning products with consumer needs, has given her the tools to help the Playhouse thrive.

“First and foremost,” Marie starts out, “this was a thoughtfully designed film center with the primary goal of providing the community with consistently high quality programming.” The physical plant includes the 45-seat Clive Davis Theater, the 14-seat David Worby Theater, and a full bar and cafe located on the upper level, and the 165-seat Main Theater and concession area located on the lower level. “The multi-use and flexible spaces have enabled the Playhouse to develop diverse programming and become a hub for the arts, conversation and connection.”

Dan Friedman, the Playhouse’s first hire and current Artistic Director, explains, “We show first-run films - like Wicked, Barbie, and Oppenheimer - and we have the unique flexibility to move titles between our smaller Clive and Worby theaters as audiences shift toward the end of a run. Our programming spans classics, studio and arthouse films, special-interest titles, and a wide range of themed series. We also host events that bring producers, directors, and actors into direct conversation with our audiences - such as Linda Gottlieb, the director and producer of Dirty Dancing for that film’s 30th anniversary, Adrien Brody for a special screening of The Brutalist, Emily Blunt for an on-stage Q&A after The Smashing Machine, and we most recently hosted Clive Davis for a Q&A and a rare screening of the documentary on his career, Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives. We even run an Urban Youth Film Festival, inviting local high school students to showcase their extraordinary work. What I’m most proud of is the breadth of tastes and interests we serve, as we’re truly much more than just another cinema.”

Examples of the diverse programming include ‘First Friday’ - live music in the café on the first Friday of each month featuring talented local performers, author talks with writers such as James Patterson discussing Hard to Kill, and our ongoing ‘Let’s Talk’ conversations that explore topics from mental health to the environment to parenting. In addition to these programs, the café gallery features rotating visual art exhibitions that highlight the work of local and regional artists. All of which are essential elements to the Playhouse’s success in its ability to partner with other nonprofit organizations, and providing space for gathering, learning and connection.

“In the last three years we’ve expanded our programming to include culture beyond cinema,” Marie adds. “We are fortunate to be located in a community with so many talented artists - in art, music, and literature - which, over time, has been a factor in morphing our mission from being a film center to becoming a community arts center.”

Although the Playhouse’s programming clearly resonates and audiences are expanding, ticket sales cover only about half the operating expenses, while membership and annual fund donations are required to help close the gap. ”Not to sound cliche, but we simply could not survive without the financial support of the community and our Board of Directors. We have a loyal base of patrons who become members, attend our annual fundraiser, and give generously to our end of year appeal. Looking ahead, an endowment campaign will eventually be undertaken to build financial stability and secure this vital hub for film, culture, and the arts.”

“We believe—and our ticket sales and market studies confirm—that the Bedford Playhouse now appeals to a wide range of our community,” Marie concludes. “We feature the world-famous and local-famous alike, and are a place of connection through the arts for everyone. It’s rewarding to see our mission of culturally enriching the community in action. We’re thrilled to be a place where local kids find their first job. …And I’m happy to report that the Bedford Playhouse is thriving and full of potential for even more exciting programming ahead.”

“Bedford Village is buzzing now, and that’s thanks in large part to the Bedford Playhouse. I think it’s now the straw that stirs the cultural drink of this entire region!” Worby proclaims.