A couple weeks ago, Aram Guptill heard music coming from the barn at Hackmatack Playhouse.

It was a sound that might not have been. His grandfather started the theater in 1972, and his father announced last summer that it would close after 50 years. But the outpouring of sadness, nostalgia and support that greeted the news got Guptill and his older brother, Conor, thinking. They decided in December to revive the theater and become the third generation to bring summer stock to their family’s Berwick barn.

“My brother and I put our heads together and thought, what can we do to keep this slice of Americana still going?” he said.

Hackmatack Playhouse will present three shows this summer, plus a youth theater camp and live music events. Those close to the theater said they were thrilled to see it continue.

David Kaye has been involved with Hackmatack on and off for more than 30 years and was close friends with founder Carleton Guptill. The brothers asked him to be the artistic director this summer, and he quickly agreed.

“It’s turning the page for Hackmatack,” said Kaye.

The Guptill family has lived on the Berwick homestead since the 17th century, and the playhouse is located in a former dairy barn. Carleton Guptill, who was a history teacher at Oyster River High School in Durham, New Hampshire, wanted to create a place where the community could enjoy live theater. His oldest son, Michael Guptill, took over when his father died in 1994. Conor and Aram Guptill grew up on the property and helped their dad with the theater in the summers.

“My brother Conor jokes that he was always on call as the official understudy for any actor who got sick,” said Aram Guptill, 32.

Kaye said the playhouse always felt like a family operation because of the historic barn, the homemade pie at concessions and the welcoming speech Michael Guptill gave before every show.

“You really got that sense of family every time the play started,” he said. “And I feel confident that Conor and Aram will continue that.”

Emily and Jacob J. Zentis first performed at Hackmatack in a production of “Les Misérables” a decade ago while they were still dating. Little did she know that her now-husband had arranged with Michael Guptill for a special proposal. He carried the ring in his pocket during the last number and got down on one knee at the curtain call. They’ve worked at the theater in various capacities over the summers since, and it has always been a special place for them. They were living in New York at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and decided to return to New England; they moved to Berwick specifically because of Hackmatack.

“It’s about an environment that really fosters genuine and welcoming experiences,” said Emily Zentis, 34. “You really feel when you step onto the property that there is something magic that happens here. There’s no divas, there’s no cattiness that can sometimes happen in theater. It’s just good people.”

When the Guptills decided to close Hackmatack, they heard from dozens of people who had special memories there. When the brothers announced their change of course in late December, the response was ecstatic. Aram Guptill said one person told him it was “such an amazing Christmas present.”

“We are so thankful for the amazing community that has formed around Hackmatack for the past half century, and appreciate the support that has allowed us to provide this space,” they wrote in their letter announcing the theater’s revival. “The momentum of Hackmatack is launching into a future that further connects the theater with the land and community around us. Through our farm, we are committed to regenerative land practices and the sustainability of our environment, and through our theater, we are dedicated to community development through the arts. We look forward to welcoming you back to Hackmatack.”

The playhouse has presented just one show in recent summers because of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. But Aram Guptill said he and his brother decided to “make it a classic American summer stock experience.” Hackmatack will put on three shows – “Tick, Tick … Boom!” (July 6-15), “Mark Twain’s Folly” (July 20-29) and “Godspell” (Aug. 3-19).

They also added a second youth camp and planned a bluegrass series for Sundays with performances and jam sessions. They updated the floor and the roughly 200 seats, which can now be moved more easily to adapt the space for other events.

“We really wanted to rebrand ourselves as a community hub and a place for people to come and enjoy entertainment of all kinds,” he said.

Outside of the theater, Conor Guptill is an 11th-generation farmer. He and his wife raise bison and other animals at Hackmatack. Aram Guptill teaches English language.

Kaye said many of the actors who will participate in this summer’s shows are alumni of the playhouse. He said returning to the barn gave him “a sensation of joy and satisfaction and excitement.”

“The pandemic really hit the performing arts hard, and there were certainly plenty of theater companies that were never able to recover from it, and many others that are still struggling,” said Kaye, who also works in the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of New Hampshire. “My greatest desire is that we’ll see in this resurrection of Hackmatack this step toward reaffirming that there are still plenty of people that love the experience of live theater performance and, particularly, live theater in a barn.”

When the Guptill brothers asked the Zentises to help with their plans to revive the theater, the couple immediately said yes. Emily Zentis is the music director for two shows this summer, and her husband is the main character in “Tick, Tick… Boom!” and will run one of the camps. She said she is excited for the new energy and events that Aram and Conor Guptill are bringing to this season.

“It feels like the old Hack, but it’s also new,” she said. “There’s a new breath of life in the theater, and there’s so much potential.”

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