The Playhouse Leadership & Creative Team
A Long Legacy of Local Theater Education
MEET THE team at
THE PLAYHOUSE
“We are beginning our 32nd year of children’s theater at The Playhouse. You might think the Magic has grown old or the excitement faded over time. That is not true for the new young actors who are experiencing the fun of learning to take their place center stage!” - Mary
A Lifelong Commitment to Theater Education
Mary Weaver – Producer/Director & Teacher
Mary Weaver is the Founder and Director of The Playhouse. Her responsibilities include artistic direction, and executive and business management. She has produced theater in Belfast since 1982 and founded The Playhouse in 1994. She has a degree in Theater Arts from the University of Michigan and teaches creative acting and theater skills to children and teens. She produces, directs, designs, and costumes each production along with her production partner, Philip Prince.
Mary moved to Waldo County, Maine in 1970 with her late husband, playwright Fritz Lyon. She moved to Belfast in 1981 and has been producing theater and teaching young people how to act ever since. Her contributions to the community include annual street parades, productions in the Belfast Opera House, New Vaudeville tent shows, original musicals, comedies, and dramas.
Mary’s decades of dedication have shaped The Playhouse into a lasting, joyful space for young people to grow, create, and discover themselves through theater. Her work continues to inspire the next generation of artists – and donors play a crucial role in ensuring the legacy continues.
Fritz Lyon
Fritz wrote several plays for Mary to produce. His one-act play, “The Apple Joke,” was the first to be performed in the Belfast Opera House in 40 years. Researching through the archives of The Republican Journal, Fritz wrote “The Life and Times of the Belfast Opera House” performed there in 1990. He also wrote the musical comedy “Moonlight Bay” that premiered in Belfast in 1989.
After returning to Maine in 1996 he continued to write plays, including several children’s theater productions for The Playhouse where he taught playwrighting and comedy improv. He was a founding board member of CLAP!
Set Design, Stagecraft & Creative Leadership
Philip Prince – Production Partner
Phil Prince has been Mary’s creative partner since the 1980s. Together, they brought The Playhouse to life and transformed the original storefront into a working theater. Phil serves as production partner, house and box office manager, prop master, and stage manager.
He has designed, built, and painted the vast majority of sets for Playhouse productions, creating the world in which the students’ performances come to life.
Phil’s love of theater began in fifth grade, when he was cast as a lead in the musical
Fiorello. Before moving to Maine, he performed with the summer Byrd Hoffman Schools of Byrds in SoHo, New York City. He has acted for The Playhouse, the Belfast Maskers, The Assembled Players, and the Waldo County Players.
Phil’s craftsmanship, creativity, and commitment are essential to the Playhouse experience. The environments he builds allow young performers to feel the magic of a fully realized production—something possible only through the continued support of the community and generous donors.
meet our board of directors
Peter Paton - President
Peter is an actor of stage and screen, a playwright and a producer appearing in many Playhouse productions.
Doug Van Horn - Treasurer
Doug is a retired Unity College professor, a blueberry farmer, and a parent of early students of The Playhouse.
Philip Prince - Secretary
Phil has been a part of The Playhouse since the beginning. He keeps the CLAP! archives and previously served as secretary for the Belfast Coop Board of Directors.
Elizabeth Garber
Elizabeth is an acupuncturist, a published author, and a parent of early students at The Playhouse.
Leslie Stein
Leslie is a retired guidance counselor, an actress, a musician and vocalist, a parent of early students at The Playhouse, and has appeared in many of our productions.