Keep spreading the news! We’re here to stay. Love being part it….. our Triad Stage! No vagabond shoes; no little town blues! Love every day of it…… our Triad Stage! The above photo is of the exuberant Richard Whittington, co-founder and managing director of Greensboro’s Triad Stage. 

Originally from Dallas Texas, Rich Whittington attended the Yale School of Drama. He and business partner Preston Lane conducted a nationwide search and Greensboro was the largest market without an established, regional theater. In 2001, they converted the abandoned Montgomery Ward building on Elm Street into a theater and dubbed it Triad Stage. The first performance was held in 2001- Suddenly Last Summer by Tennessee Williams- and Triad Stage has been getting rave reviews. Recently, Triad Stage was named one of the top 10 most promising theaters to have emerged in the last 15 years. This designation came from the American Theater Wing, the same group that determines the Tony Awards!

When asked what the biggest surprises have been for him since opening Triad Stage, Mr. Whittington said, they didn’t anticipate the changes in Greensboro’s textile industry and the loss of jobs to the local economy. Also, they had no way to anticipate that the 9/11 attacks would happen three months before their first performance. However, Whittington and Lane are pleased about the extent to which the Greensboro community supports Triad Stage. Mr. Whittington says that not only classics but also new plays are well attended here. Look here for upcoming opportunities to attend a performance at Triad Stage.

Today is ABC Wednesday and for our People of Greensboro Series, W is for Whittington. We are so glad Mr. Whittington and Mr. Lane opened a regional theater in Greensboro and can’t wait to follow the theater’s continued growth over the next decade!