Welcome to the Verna Leith Sawmill Theatre!
General Theater Information: Seats are $15 each with evening performances typically beginning at 8 pm and matinees beginning at 2 p.m., but see the show schedule below for details for each performance. 
Tickets are available by ordering online, by calling (814) 927-6655, or by email. Emailed reservations are not guaranteed until you receive a confirmation by return email or by phone.
Click here to view events available on Eventbrite and reserve online. There is a $2.85 per ticket online Eventbrite processing fee.
Verna Leith Sawmill Theatre at 170 Sawmill Lane, Cooksburg, PA 16217
Contact the Cook Forest Sawmill Center for the Arts at 814-927-6655 or info@sawmill.org
Brookville Community Theater
Bye Bye Birdie
July 26 - 27, 2024 at 8 pm
July 28, 2024 at 2 pm
August 2 - 3, 2024 at 8 pm
August 4, 2024 at 2 pm
Tickets: $15.00
Bye Bye Birdie was first produced on Broadway in 1962, and was later adapted for film. In 1995, the remake, a made for television special followed the play storyline more closely, than the original film.
Bye Bye Birdie revolves around Rock & Roll Superstar Conrad Birdie and his agent, Albert Peterson, who has gone into debt promoting him. All of Alberts hard work is finally going to pay off when Birdie is drafted into the Army. To make matters worse, Rosie, Albert’s long time secretary and love interest, quits. She’s waited eight years for Albert to quit the music business and become a “settled down English teacher.” Rosie comes up with a plan to pay off Albert’s debts by staging a publicity stunt prior to Birdie leaving for the Army. On the Ed Sullivan Show, one lucky girl will be given a “Last Kiss” by Conrad Birdie before he goes off to the Army. Welcome to Sweet Apple, Ohio, home of Kim MacAffee, the lucky girl, her family, and friends, and a cast of towns people you will not soon forget, not to mention Albert’s long suffering and insufferable mother, Mae. Together they make a cast of characters that will warm your heart, make you laugh, and want to dance along.
Clarion Community Theater
Elvis has Left the Building
August 21 - 23, 2024 at 8 pm
August 24, 2024 at 2 pm
Tickets: $15.00
It's December 20, 1970, and Elvis Presley has disappeared. No one, not even his wily manager, "The Colonel," knows of his whereabouts. But the Colonel is all shook up because he has racked up a secret debt -- and with the King himself missing, the only way to pay it off is to find an Elvis impersonator within 24 hours. Hijinks ensue as the Colonel takes desperate measures to replace a man who is irreplaceable, all while keeping the prying eyes of a nosy reporter at bay and figuring out what happened to the real Elvis.
Thank you to everyone who participated and to those came out to celebrate with us!
Great Gift or Memorial for a Loved One
The Verna Leith Sawmill Theatre is offering the purchase of name plates to be attached to either a seat ($250) or to a plaque ($100) hung on the wall of theater. All contributions are tax deductible. Please call us for more information.
Sawmill Theatre History
In 1981, the Sawmill Theatre was opened in the museum section of the old Sawmill, using church pews and camp chairs for seating. Soon the need for a larger theater was evident. In 1984, the Verna Leith Sawmill Theatre was constructed with monies from the Appalachian Regional Commission and Pennsylvania State Appropriations. First of it's kind in the Eastern U.S., the theater's unique hexagon shape and harmonious blend with the natural settings earned designer William Snyder the 1984 design award from the Arts Architectural Commission of Pennsylvania. Details such as professional lighting, side decks, ticket office, and interior restrooms were added in 1988. Theater patrons find themselves seated on newly refurbished seats from the Silver Fox Playhouse in Foxburg. Offering mystery, comedy, and major Broadway musicals, Northwestern Pennsylvania theater groups perform from late May through mid-September.