ABOUT THE BURLINGTON PLAYERS
The Park Playhouse is home to three theater groups, The Burlington Players, Winnmere Family Theater, and Children’s Theater Workshop.
The Burlington Players (BP) is an all volunteer, adult theater group open to those ages 18 and over, and happily accepts new members. Experience in performing or technical theater is certainly welcome, but not necessary. We will mentor anyone who wants to learn any aspect of theater. The Burlington Players usually produce a four-show season each year.
Winnmere Family Theater (WFT) is open to ages 18 and above. Members get hands-on experience in all aspects of theater, including performance, stage management, lighting and sound design and operation, and set construction — everything to get a show up and running. Winnmere Family Theater produces up to three shows per year, dedicated to audiences of families and children.
The Children’s Theater Workshop (CTW) has run continuously since 1973. The CTW season begins in September with theater classes for ages 7 –17. CTW helps develop imagination, voice, body movement, storytelling, and other performance skills.
BURLINGTON PLAYERS 2025-2026 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
| President |
Kristin Hughes |
| Vice President |
Shawna Ciampa |
| Treasurer |
Fred Robbins |
| Secretary |
Michelle Fisher |
| Director of Education |
Andrew Rhodes |
| Director of Facilities |
Jason Toppan |
| Director of Box Office |
Patrick Cleary |
| Director of Membership |
Ben Brotman |
| Director at Large |
Ben Delatizky |
| Director at Large |
Karl Schmith |
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The Burlington Park Playhouse sits on the unceded lands of the Massachusett people, whose name was appropriated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. We gratefully acknowledge the Nipmuc, Penacook, Agawam, and Massa-chusett Peoples and their descendants, and honor all Indigenous Peoples who are connected to this land— past, present, and future.
For more information, please visit our land acknowledgement page
Director's Note
When I was a teenager in 4-H, I did a presentation about the history of computers. Charles Babbage was part of that presentation (and also, at the time, the name of a mall-chain software store). Ada Lovelace, I’m fairly certain, was not in my presentation. Despite the fact that the Ada programming language already existed by then, I can’t say now whether I had even heard of her; if I had, the reference books I was using certainly didn’t make me think I needed to elaborate on her.
I look back on my education and wish I had known to ask more questions about where the women were across history, literature, science, mathematics… It must say something that I didn’t even realize it was a question I should have been asking. I’d like to think that many of us are now far more likely to do so.
Ada King, Countess of Lovelace, is one of many examples of women whose stories have been rediscovered over time, reminding us that women in STEM have been there all along. Annabella, Lady Byron, was an educated mathematician in her own right and Mary Somerville was the first person referred to in print as a scientist. Plays like Ada and the Engine not only bring their stories to life, but to more people that might have ever heard of them otherwise.
I have loved diving into all these interconnected stories…and I hope this play inspires you to learn more about the women in history whose stories have been rediscovered!
- Alison Walters-Short
For the Audience:
She Walks in Beauty
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o’er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express,
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.
And on that cheek, and o’er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!
- Lord Byron, 1813
The Rainbow
Bow down in hope, in thanks, all ye who mourn;—
Where'in that peerless arche of radiant hues
Surpassing earthly tints,—the storm subdues!
Of nature's strife and tears 'tis heaven-born,
To soothe the sad, the sinning, and forlorn;
A lovely loving token to infuse
The hope, the faith, that pow'r divine endures
With latent good the woes by which we're torn.—
'Tis like a sweet repentance of the skies,
To beckon all by sense of sin opprest,—
Revealing harmony from tears and sighs!
A pledge:—that deep implanted in the breast
A hidden light may burn that never dies,
But bursts thro' clouds in purest hues exprest!
- Ada Lovelace, 1850
