Hedgerow Theatre has its roots in the early 20th Century artisan/craftsman movement, which valued individual-expression in contrast to the impersonal nature of the Industrial Age. Visionary actor/director Jasper Deeter fell in love with the intimacy of Rose Valley ’s gristmill-turned borough hall, and in 1923 acted upon the opportunity to create Hedgerow as a theatre with an artistic rather than a commercial purpose. Deeter’s creative energy drew many talented actors, playwrights, and directors to Hedgerow, earning Hedgerow an international reputation, the distinction of being the first resident repertory theatre in the country, and an identity as “The Mother of all Philadelphia Theatres.” Hedgerow was a premier meeting ground for major actors of stage and screen in the 1920s and 1930s and was destined to spawn innovative theatre companies such as People’s Light and Theatre Company and Freedom Theatre. Throughout the next sixty years, Hedgerow reshaped and redefined itself several times. A protégé of Deeter’s, Rose Schulman, led the formalization of the Hedgerow School , which was a natural extension of the hands-on training that artists enjoyed within the theatre company. The School became a primary focus in the 1930s through the 1950s. In the fifties Hedgerow Theatre formed a not-for-profit corporation. From the mid-50s through the mid-60s, Hedgerow was an eclectic mix of educational programs, community performances, and commercial ventures. New leadership, including Dolores Tanner and Janet Kelsey, brought back the resident repertory theatre concept in the late 1960s. Theatre artists lived at Hedgerow House year round to train and perform as semi-professionals. In 1972 The Jasper Deeter Corporation replaced the Hedgerow Theatre Corporation, but the organizational design continued until the mid-80s when a fire significantly damaged the gristmill building. At this point another separate non-profit corporation was established. The Theatre and the School were operated under the Jasper Deeter Corporation. The Hedgerow Foundation was established as an entity governing funds raised for purposes of rebuilding the theatre. The neighboring and artistic communities demonstrated their support by raising funds to restore the space. In 1990, the Board of Directors asked Hedgerow alumna Penelope Reed to become Producing Artistic Director. With years of professional experience in nonprofit regional theatres, Ms. Reed brought a passion to focus the artistic and educational center of Hedgerow for specific benefit to the greater Philadelphia area. Under Ms. Reed’s leadership, Hedgerow now operates as both a professional theatre (the “Main Stage”) and an educational center for the training, development, and education of theatre artists and enthusiasts (the “Learning Laboratory”). The unique interaction of these two components of Hedgerow, results in each component challenging the other to develop, expand, and explore.