It’s the season of splendor, abundance, and vibrancy. We are, of course, referring to the summer theater scene in Rhode Island and its varied, homegrown bumper crop of entertaining and thought-provoking productions.
Here’s a list of community and professional playhouses, straw hat theaters, and outdoor venues where local theater artists are creating something for everyone.
Academy Players
180 Button Hole Drive, Providence. academyplayersri.org. Celebrating 70 years of community theater staffed by volunteers from Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.
- “The Wedding Singer.” Set in New Jersey in the 1980s and based on the popular 1998 film of the same name, a wannabe rock ‘n’ roller finds his true self when he finds true love. Aug. 14-24
Arctic Playhouse
1249 Main St., West Warwick. thearcticplayhouse.com. While COVID has kept many from attending the theater, an impressive 10,000 tickets were sold at this community playhouse in 2023 alone.
- “Laughter on the 23rd Floor.” This ensemble comedy about a harried writing staff was inspired by playwright Neil Simon’s youthful experience as a staff writer on Sid Caesar’s 1950s hit TV program “Your Show of Shows.” May 15-June 1
- “Harvey.” This chestnut features Elwood P. Dowd, who has a six-foot rabbit that nobody else can see for a best friend. It won the 1945 Pulitzer Prize for drama, beating “The Glass Menagerie.” Tennessee Williams was robbed. Aug. 28-Sept. 14
Artists’ Exchange
50 Rolfe Square, Cranston. artists-exchange.org. An arts collaborative whose mission is to create an atmosphere in which creativity, learning and discovery converge and individuality is celebrated.
- “10-Minute Play Festival.” Six short plays were selected for performance from local, regional and national playwrights. May 16-18
Burbage Theatre
59 Blackstone Ave., Pawtucket. burbagetheatre.org. This company strives to excite and engage with socially relevant and compelling stories, both classic and contemporary, told by an inventive, professional cast and crew.
- “The Legend of Georgia McBride.” Casey has just been fired from his gig as an Elvis impersonator in a run-down, small-town Florida bar. When the owner brings in a B-level drag show to replace his act, Casey finds that he has a whole lot to learn about show business – and himself. May 22-June 8
Contemporary Theater Company
327 Main St., Wakefield. contemporarytheatercompany.com. Founded in 2005, this community theater produces scripted and improvised work as well as smaller shows, concerts, and community events.
- “Noises Off.” The ultimate farce, this play follows the making of a play amid a confused late-night rehearsal, a backstage backstabbing, and a performance where everything that can go wrong does. June 20-July 26
- “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” This Shakespeare comedy is a dreamy charade where mortals mingle with pixies and all sorts of absurdities are commonplace. Here, this reverie takes place under the stars and on the banks of the Saugatucket River. July 6-Aug. 3
- “The Last 5 Years.” Jason Robert Brown’s intensely personal chamber musical is a simple story about a singular event: the failed marriage between Cathy and Jamie. Their respective timelines careen in opposite directions until they cross and converge. Aug. 8 – Sept. 14
Gamm Theatre
1245 Jefferson Blvd., Warwick. gammtheatre.org. Now in its 40th season, The Gamm is one of the region’s premier and most dynamic professional theaters.
- “Angels in America (Part I).” This Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning masterpiece is set in 1980s New York City at the height of the AIDS epidemic. Part II will open in September. May 29-June 15
Granite Theatre
1 Granite St., Westerly. granitetheatre.com. This community theater is run by a former professional who performed in, produced, and directed off-Broadway and touring productions for the better part of 20 years.
- “Kiss Me, Kate.” Passions run high in Cole Porter’s 1948 backstage musical comedy as the leading lady and her ex-husband actor/director battle onstage and off in a production of Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew.” July 11-Aug. 3
Head Trick Theatre
AS220, 95 Empire St., Providence. headtricktheatre.org. Known for staging controversial, challenging and politically fueled scripts written by and about marginalized and repressed sectors of our society.
- “Dr. Korczak and the Children.” A metatheatrical drama about four actors who try to tell the story of a Jewish doctor killed by the Nazis after refusing to abandon the orphaned children in his care. Aug. 15-24
Newport Playhouse
102 Connell Highway, Newport. newportplayhouse.com. Everything is prepared on the premises at this professional dinner theater, which has been in operation since 1983.
- “Just a Dinner.” Single and in their 50s, Candace and Oliver prepare to enter the internet dinner dating scene. Much to the chagrin of their adult children. May 14-June 18
- “It’s Your Funeral.” This funeral home farce finds the new owners breaking into the business amid bad news from a doctor, threats from their shady silent partners, and a surprise visit from a former bookie. June 25 -Aug. 7
Teatro ECAS
679 Valley St., Providence. teatroecas.org. The premier Latinx theater in New England, the company presents classic and contemporary works by Hispanic playwrights in Spanish with English subtitles.
- “La Dama Boba.” A 400-year-old commedia dell’arte work that asks, “Why must women be sorted into ‘pretty’ or ‘smart’?” May 15-25.
Theatre by the Sea
364 Cards Pond Rd., Wakefield. theatrebythesea.com. A Rhode Island institution offering a summer season filled with professionally produced musicals, concerts, and kid’s shows.
- “Always… Patsy Cline.” This jukebox musical follows the country music icon’s longtime friendship with a fan from Houston. The story is oversimplified and the down-home humor is an acquired taste, but the work is heartfelt and the music is country classic. May 28-June 21
- “Waitress.” Adapted from the low-budget 2007 film, the story is a blue-plate special. It offers marginally nutritious fare about a talented pie-maker trapped in a troubled marriage with an unexpected pregnancy while working at a small-town diner. It comes with a side of gorgeous songs by Grammy-winning composer/ lyricist Sara Bareilles. June 25-July 19
- “Hairspray.” Based on the high-camp, low-budget 1988 cult film, this Broadway musical offers the light-weight story of a heavy-set girl with big dreams against a backdrop of the civil rights movement in 1962 Baltimore. July 23-Aug. 16
- “Heartbreak Hotel.” This biographical musical chronicles Elvis Presley’s rise to fame, featuring over 40 of his iconic hits and a pedestrian script that explores his journey from humble beginnings. Aug. 20-Sept. 14
Trinity Repertory Company
201 Washington St., Providence. trinityrep.com. This company of resident artists has been a standard-bearer for vibrant professional theater since 1964.
- “Blues for an Alabama Sky.” In the summer of 1930 in Harlem, New York, the creative euphoria of the Harlem Renaissance has given way to the harsher realities of the Great Depression. This play looks at the lives of five characters trying to hold onto their idealism amid racism and sexism. May 29-June 29
West Bay Community Theater
25 Dillon Ave., North Kingstown. wbctheater.org. Six years as “West Bay’s performing arts entity.”
- “Chicago” – In Concert. A dazzling, satirical look at fame, justice, and the media machine, set in 1920s Chicago and performed at the NK Town Beach Bandshell, 10 Beach St., Wickford, R.I. Aug. 16
Wilbury Theatre Group
WaterFire Arts Center, 475 Valley St., Providence. thewilburygroup.org. This professional company inspires thought-provoking conversation through new works, reimagined classics, and adventurous playmaking.
- “American Idiot.” In 1994, Rolling Stone magazine dismissed the underground band Green Day as “cheeky monkeys who came to raid the bar and disappear.” Raid they did, but disappear they did not. In 2004, the boys produced the Grammy Award-winning anti-hero concept album, “American Idiot,” which was turned into a 90-minute punk rock opera that opened on Broadway in 2010. May 29-June 15
See you at the theater.
An earlier version of this report misstated the addresses of two venues: The Arctic Playhouse is located at 1249 Main St. in West Warwick; and Head Trick Theatre is located at 95 Empire St. in Providence.
Bob Abelman is an award-winning theater critic who formerly wrote for the Austin Chronicle. Connect with him on Facebook.
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