Robert Redford Began His Career On The Bucks County Playhouse Stage

NEW HOPE, PA — Bucks County Playhouse is mourning the passing of Robert Redford, the Oscar-winning actor, director and founder of the Sundance Institute and Film Festival. He was 89.

Redford made his professional stage debut at Bucks County Playhouse in 1959 in “Tiger at the Gate.” Later that year, he made his first Broadway appearance in “Tall Story.” He returned to the Playhouse in 1963 to star in Neil Simon’s pre-Broadway production of “Nobody Loves Me,” regarded as Redford’s breakout role. The Playhouse production, directed by Mike Nichols, moved to Broadway in October 1963, where it was retitled “Barefoot in the Park.”

“Of all the starry names that have appeared at Bucks County Playhouse over the years, I’ve been most impressed with Robert Redford’s two stints on our stage (Grace Kelly is a close second),” said Alexander Fraser, producing director of Bucks County Playhouse. “His first Playhouse role, ‘Tiger at the Gate,’ was a retelling of the Trojan War, with Redford as Paris — a very handsome party boy. His memoir even recounts the director’s command that he dye his hair blond."

Mildred Natwick and Robert Redford Barefoot in the Park in 1963. (Bucks County Playhouse Archive)

Robert Redford appearing in "Tiger at the Gates" in 1959 at the Bucks County Playhouse. (Bucks County Playhouse Archive)

Robert Redford's headshot in 1959. (Bucks County Playhouse Archive)

Kurt Kasner, Mildred Natwick, Elizabeth Ashley and Robert Redford in “Nobody Loves Me” (“Barefoot in the Park”) (Bucks County Playhouse Archive)

Fraser continued, "The second play, ‘Barefoot in the Park,’ made him a star when it moved to Broadway. I wrote to him in 2019, inviting him to our 75th anniversary celebration. He replied immediately, reflecting on fond memories of New Hope and the importance of the Playhouse to his career. Because of COVID-19, he said he wasn’t traveling, but he sent his best. We’ll remember him with the greatest respect.”

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Bucks County Playhouse, steeped in theatrical history dating to its 1939 founding by a roster of theatrical royalty, is celebrating the 13th anniversary of its 2012 reopening and restoration. With more than 75,000 patrons each year, the Playhouse continues to help lead the economic resurgence of New Hope and the surrounding community.

In 2014, Tony Award-winning producers Alexander Fraser, Robyn Goodman and Josh Fiedler assumed leadership of the Playhouse, helping it reclaim its reputation for attracting top-tier Broadway and Hollywood talent. Productions of “Company,” starring Justin Guarini, and “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” were named to The Wall Street Journal’s Best of Theatre list in 2015. In 2018, the Journal again recognized the Playhouse — and Artistic Associate Hunter Foster — for its acclaimed production of “42nd Street.” The following year, the publication hailed the Playhouse as “one of the best regional theaters on the East Coast.”

Box-office records have been repeatedly broken by signature productions including “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story,” “Steel Magnolias” (directed by Marsha Mason), “Million Dollar Quartet,” “42nd Street” and “Guys and Dolls” (all directed by Foster), as well as “Mamma Mia!” (directed by Artistic Associate John Tartaglia and choreographed by Shannon Lewis).

A brief pause during the pandemic did not diminish the theater’s momentum. Bucks County Playhouse continued producing onstage and onscreen throughout 2020, culminating in a live summer season in 2021 that welcomed an increasing number of first-time audience members. The 2023 season featured standouts such as Jonathan Larson’s “Tick, Tick ... Boom!” (directed by artistic associate Eric Rosen, who returned in 2024 to helm the audience and critics’ favorite “Anastasia: The Musical”), “The Bridges of Madison County,” directed by Foster, and “The Rocky Horror Show,” starring Frankie Grande. Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” became the highest-grossing show in Playhouse history.

In 2024, more than 40 percent of the audience were first-time attendees, drawn to record-breaking productions of “Grease!” and “Anastasia: The Musical.” The Playhouse continues to attract top creative teams — artists who relish the chance to work on the historic stage where Grace Kelly, Robert Redford and Jessica Walter began their careers.