Bridge Street Theatre, June 5-27, Catskill
This two-year-old theatrical operation may be in the middle of an extensive renovation project, but the most critical piece is in place. In April, the theatre celebrated the opening of its new rest rooms with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Meanwhile, the show must go on, and a busy lineup has been announced for June.
On June 5, the Blue Horse Repertory Company presents Three by Tennessee (Williams), a benefit for the Theatre. An Evening with Jon B. Woodin takes place on June 6. Resident company Kaliyuga Arts christens its “raw space” with performances of The Epic of Gilgamesh for two weekends, June 11 to 21, with John Sowle directing. And on June 27, Superhero Clubhouse presents a workshop production of Jupiter, a science fiction parable about climate change.
Ticket prices for all these events at 44 West Bridge Street range from $10 to $15. To order or for more information, call 518- 943-3894 or visit www.bridgestreettheatre.org.
Open Eye Theater, Margaretville
Margaretville’s community theater group at 960 Main Street, Open Eye, just wrapped up a production of Anne of Green Gables in late May and had not yet announced its next show as of presstime. To find out what’s next, call 586-1660 or visit www.theopeneyetheater.org.
Franklin Stage Company, June 13-August 30, Chapel Hall, Franklin
Way over on the western flank of the Catskills lies the little town of Franklin, whose busy community theater troupe at 25 Institute Street might just be worth a day trip – especially since admission to all productions is free!
On June 13 and 14, the Franklin Stage Company welcomes Patricia Buckley performing her one-woman play Evolution. A workshop production of Oscar Wilde’s An Ideal Husband follows on June 25, 27 and 28. Obie-winner Chris Wells comes in on July 10 and 11 to present Stories from the Secret City. The Mettawee River Theatre Company brings its giant puppets to the Franklin Central School athletic field on July 12 as part of its farewell tour to perform a 40-year retrospective show called Out of the Past.
A workshop production of William Wycherley’s Restoration comedy The Country Wife will run for two weekends, July 30 through August 2 and August 6 through 9. More classics will follow: A workshop production of Chekhov’s The Three Sisters will be performed August 13 to 16 and 20 to 23. And a reading of Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People, with a teenage cast, will wrap up the month from August 28 to 30.
To reserve seats or find out more, call 607-829-3700 or visit www.franklinstagecompany.org.
Ten-Minute Play Festival, Half Moon Theatre, June 12-13, Marriott Pavilion, Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park
Summer seems the slow season for this Poughkeepsie-based troupe, which recently moved most of its performances from a black-box theater in a strip mall on Route 9 to the shiny new theater at the CIA in Hyde Park where dinner-and-a-show packages reach unusual culinary heights. The only production on Half Moon’s immediate docket is its Ten-Minute Play Festival on June 12 and 13. All You Can Eat features ten specially commissioned short sketches, all set in Hudson Valley eateries. Michael Schiralli directs.
Tickets (without dinner) cost $25. For more information and updates on future productions, visit https://halfmoontheatre.org or call 800-838-3006.
Tangent Theatre, Tivoli
Summertime is also downtime for the terrific little Tivoli-based Tangent Theatre, which just wrapped up a run of Kenneth Lonergan’s Lobby Hero in May. On the far horizon is the annual Newvember New Plays Festival, but keep an eye on the website, https://tangent-arts.org, for alerts about pub readings and other new productions in the works. It’s at 60 Broadway. 230-7020.
Time and Space Limited, July 18, TSL Warehouse, Hudson
Presenting original theater and multimedia productions, independent, documentary and classic movies, music and dance, art exhibitions, special events of all kinds including live simulcasts of the Metropolitan Opera, the National Theatre of London and other special high-definition presentations, TSL is now in a bit of a summer lull. There are great hands-on workshops going on for kids, where they can learn to build park benches, dulcimers and suchlike.
Most exciting for theater fans this summer is the National Theatre of London’s July 18
NT Live simulcast of a new adaptation by Britain’s current poet laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, of the anonymous medieval allegory Everyman. Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) stars. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $15 for children. For more info about this program and updates about future presentations at TSL at 434 Columbia Street, keep an eye on the TSL website at www.timeandspace.org. Or call 518-822-8448.
Stageworks Hudson, June 12, Hudson
“Theater outside the box” is the motto of Stageworks Hudson, the only professional Equity theater company in the Columbia County area. The 2015 fall season lineup has not yet been announced, but on June 12, you can catch a one-night-only one-woman show: Lauren Letellier’s satirical The Fiery Sword of Justice.
Tickets cost $15. It’s at 42 Cross Street opposite the Amtrak station. For more info about this performance and announcements of future plays, check out www.stageworkshudson.org. Or call 518-828-7843.
HRC Showcase Theatre, Hudson
A theater company at 52 Green Street in Hudson dedicated to staged readings of new plays, HRC Showcase is one of several interesting theatrical venues whose forte is not summer stock. Shows are typically scheduled for spring and fall. Check back regularly at www.hrc-showcasetheatre.com for future events. Or call 518-852-7244.
Hudson Opera House, July 25-August 15, Hudson
A multi-arts center housed in the 1855 former Hudson City Hall at 327 Warren Street, currently in the midst of a multi-year restoration project, the Hudson Opera House has a few performance programs lined up for summer 2015, several of them kid-friendly and free of charge: Silly Billy on July 25, a visitation from Arm-of-the-Sea Theater on August 12 and Seano’s Circus Spectacular on August 15. For the grownups, there’s jazz at the Hudson Opera House on August 9, spotlighting trumpeter Claudio Roditi; admission only costs $10.
To keep tabs on upcoming shows, call 518-822-1438 or visit www.hudsonoperahouse.org.
Ghent Playhouse, Ghent
Named best community theater in the Capital Region by Metroland magazine, the Ghent Playhouse on Town Hall Plaza off Route 66 is unique in the area in offering a British-style holiday pantomime each Thanksgiving. But summer is its downtime, with a new season launching each October. Check out the website at www.ghentplayhouse.org for updates. Call 518-392-6264.
Walking the Dog Theater, Ghent
Another Ghent-based theatrical project is Walking the Dog Theater, which appears to be on hiatus at present, its most recent production having been A Christmas Carol in December 2014. When active, the Walking the Dog folks emphasize avant-garde theater, movement, improv and arts-in-education programs, especially Shakespeare workshops for kids. Keep up with them at www.wtdtheater.org or call 518-610-0909.
Mac-Haydn Theatre, June 4-September 20, Chatham
Musical theater-in-the-round is the specialty of Chatham’s Mac-Haydn Theatre at 1925 Route 203, which has a very busy summer lined up. The Drowsy Chaperone runs from June 4 to 7 and 10 to 14, followed by Rent from June 18 to 21 and 24 to 28. You can experience the John Waters weirdness of Hairspray July 2 to 5, 8 to 12 and 15 to 19. West Side Story also runs three weekends: July 23 to 26, July 29 to August 2 and August 5 to 9. The Producers comes in from August 13 to 16 and 19 to 23, then Thoroughly Modern Millie August 27 to 30 and September 2 to 6. The summer rep season ends with Xanadu September 11 to 13 and 17 to 20.
Besides the mainstage productions, Mac-Haydn offers lots of children’s theater: Sleeping Beauty June 26 and 27 and July 3, 4, 10 and 11; Sleepy Hollow July 17, 18, 24, 25, 31 and August 1; and Jack and the Giant. August 7, 8, 14, 15, 21 and 22. Mainstage tickets go for $14 to $35, children’s shows for $10. To order, call the box office at 518-392-9292 or visit www.machaydntheatre.com.
The Two of Us Productions, June 5-14, Performing Arts Center at Taconic Hills, Copake
Roving Actors’ Repertory Ensemble and The Two of Us Productions, Inc., based in Copake, produce full-scale musicals, drama and comedies, as well as murder-mystery dinners and theater cruises. Their next production is Jesus Christ Superstar, running June 5 to 7 and 12 to 14. Tickets cost $20 general admission, $14 for seniors and students. For reservations and information, call 518-329-6293 or visit www.thetwoofusproductions.org.
The Theater Barn, June 26-September 20, New Lebanon
The Theater Barn on Route 20 is a real summer stock venue with a 32-year track record. The 2015 season kicks off with Moon over Buffalo from June 26 to July 5, succeeded by Agatha Christie’s A Murder Is Announced from July 9 to 26. The musical John & Jen comes in from July 30 to August 9, then The Fantasticks August 13 to 23. Evita will be presented August 27 to September 6, and God of Carnage wraps up the summer from September 11 to 20.
Tickets cost $25 for evening shows, $23 for Sunday matinées. To order, call 518-794-8989 or visit www.theaterbarn.com.
Spencertown Academy Arts Center, Spencertown
It’s not a theater venue, but this arts center on Route 203 presents an ongoing series of concerts, readings, lectures, garden tours, fine arts exhibits and arts-related workshops and classes. Its annual festival of books will mark its tenth anniversary this Labor Day weekend. For more info visit www.spencertownacademy.org. Or call 528-392-3693.
