Summer Theater

If you're looking for some exciting local entertainment, attending one of our area's many live theater productions is a great way to spend a summer evening. You can passively take in a movie or television any day, but going to a live theater production is an intimate, interactive experience. It's a living, breathing performance that changes every night. Your laughter, applause and attention are part of the energy and emotion of the play. Here in Southern Vermont, we're fortunate to be within a short drive to a host of renowned summer theater festivals that attract top-notch directors, actors and playwrights every season. There are family friendly shows, outdoor performances, opening night galas, musicals, and after-show talks with actors; so if you haven't had the pleasure of seeing a great live performance recently, plan a special night out this summer and support these excellent local theaters.

Dorset Theater Festival

The Dorset Playhouse opened in 1929 and in typical Vermont style, the theater included the use of three local barns in its construction. In 2001 it underwent a $3 million restoration. Their summer theater festival, now in it's 35th season, attracts A-list actors with a great line-up of shows. The theater has a small art gallery and cafe where they also feature family performances, live music and tapas.

Williamstown Theater Festival

With three state of the art stages in the magnificent 62' Center Theater at Williams College, the Williamstown Theater Festival is renowned for it's Broadway level productions and casts. Every year WTF audiences enjoy brilliant performances of well-known stage, movie and television actors - Christopher Reeves, Gwenyth Paltrow, Marisa Tomei, Christopher Walken, Blythe Danner and many more have graced their stages. From Sondheim to Shakespeare to gifted contemporary playwrights, WTF offers an exciting season of world-class shows.

Weston Playhouse

Named "The most beautiful theatre in New England" by the Boston Globe, the Weston Playhouse offers spacious seating in an intimate 300 seat auditorium as well as spectacular views of an historic mill and waterfall. In August and September you can still catch their productions of Damn Yankees and Death of a Salesmen (starring Christopher Lloyd). Enjoy a pre-show dinner at the Cafe on the Falls or catch their Cabaret shows every evening following the plays.

Old Castle Theater

In it's 39th year, Bennington's Oldcastle's summer season features professional equity actors from New York and around the globe. From comedies, to edgy and thought-provoking dramas, to your favorite classics, Oldcastle is a true company of actors, writers, directors and designers working together over time to create first-rate productions in the Green Mountains.