Welcome to the Verna Leith Sawmill Theatre!
General Theater Information: Seats are $15 each with evening performances typically beginning now at 7 pm and matinees beginning at 2 pm, but please 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.
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 [email protected]
Brookville Community Theater presents "Always a Bridesmaid". In this comedy show, you will follow four best friends who, during their senior prom, vowed to be in each other’s weddings-no matter what. Over a span of thirty years, these women will answer the question of, “Just how far are you willing to go to keep a promise to a friend?” These friends portray southern charm, sass, and attitude in a way that will make you laugh and bring back memories of your own. Written by: Hope, Jones, and Whooten Courtesy of: Dramatist Play Services
Suitability: All Ages
Cautions: adult language and humor-Drinking, drugs, and smoking - Parental guidance suggested
June 4, 5, 6, & 7, 2025
7:00 pm
Clarion County Community Theater presents "Play On!" This is a hilarious story of a theater group trying desperately to put on a play in spite of maddening interference from a haughty author who keeps revising the script. Act I is a rehearsal of the dreadful show, Act II is the near disastrous dress rehearsal, and the final act is the actual performance, in which anything that can go wrong, does. When the author decides to give a speech on the state of the modern theater during the curtain calls, the audience is treated to a madcap climax and a thoroughly hilarious romp. Even the sound effects reap their share of laughter. Written by: Rick Abbott
Suitability: All Ages
Cautions: alcohol and sound of gun shots
June 21, 2025
7:00 pm
Friends of Cook Forest and Slapstick Productions present Comedy in the Forest at Verna Leith Theatre with Brent Terhune, Tracie Jayne, and David Kaye! Door opens at 6:00 pm. Showtime is at 7:00 pm. 50/50 Raffle & Basket Raffle
Proceeds will benefit the Ridge Campground Playground Project.
Suitability: All Ages
July 3, 4, & 5, 2025
7:00 pm
Punxsutawney Theatre Arts Guild presents "Ripcord". A sunny room on an upper floor is prime real estate in the Bristol Place Senior Living Facility, so when the cantankerous Abby is forced to share her quarters with new-arrival Marilyn, she has no choice but to get rid of the infuriating chipper woman by any means necessary. A seemingly harmless bet between the old women quickly escalates into a dangerous game of one-upmanship that reveals not just the tenacity of these worthy opponents, but also deeper truths that each would rather remain hidden. Written by: David Lindsay-Abaire Courtesy of: Dramatists Play Service, Inc.
Suitability: All Ages
Cautions: talks about domestic violence and drug use - adult language - Parental guidance suggested
July 17, 18 & 19, 2025
7:00 pm
Knox Community Theater presents "Cinderella". The timeless enchantment of the magical fairytale is reborn with Rodgers & Hammerstein's hallmarks of originality, charm, and elegance. Written by: Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II Courtesy of: Concord Theatricals
Suitability: All Ages
Brookville Community Theater presents "Into the Woods". The story follows a childless baker and his wife who set out to break a generational witch’s curse. Along their journey, they encounter familiar characters including Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Jack, each facing their own desires and challenges. As wishes are granted, consequences unfold, reminding us that happily ever after is not always what it seems. Written by: James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim Courtesy of: Music Theater International
Suitability: All Ages
Cautions: strobe lighting
Barrow-Civic Theatre presents "Yonder Mountain". An allegorical tale set in Appalacia with an original librett and score by local composer John Krumich. A father places his teenage daughter, Ada, in a treehouse and suitors begin to arrive. A mysterious creature, Flora Hawkins, offers a way to be free. Written by & Courtesy of: John Krumich
Suitability: All Ages
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.