13 Professional Theaters in New England and New York State

Great live theater is not confined to the city limits of New York City and Boston. You can find thriving, professional, year-round theater throughout southern New England. Here, we share a baker’s dozen of professional theaters, many housed in historic architectural venues.

Connecticut

A.C.T of CT

Ridgefield

Housed in a state-of-the-art theater that was once laboratory space, A.C.T. of CT (A Contemporary Theatre of Connecticut) focuses on supporting American musical theater. The theater company stages professional productions of beloved musicals and provides space for playwrights to workshop emerging musicals. A.C.T. of CT also hosts a popular “Broadway Unplugged” series, in which popular Broadway performers sing tunes solo, accompanied only by piano.

Legacy Theatre

Branford

The Legacy Theatre’s opening is just the latest chapter in the storied and varied history of this entertainment locale, which has at turns hosted a silent movie house, a puppet museum and an aborted attempt by Orson Welles to host what might have been the first multimedia experience. Legacy Theatre offers an eclectic mix of crowd-pleasers and less well-known works in a village on Connecticut’s southern coast.

Yale Repertory Theatre

New Haven

Since its inception in 1966, this acclaimed theater has staged more than 100 premieres of new theatrical works, including two Pulitzer Prize winners. Connected with the storied David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University, Yale Repertory Theatre hosts university students as understudies or in small roles. It also incubates new theater at the more intimate Binger Center for New Theatre.

Massachusetts

Hanover Theatre & Conservatory

Worcester

Located in a historic and restored theater building, the Hanover Theatre hosts a season of touring Broadway-production musicals. Hanover Theatre’s more intimate BrickBox Theater provides the stage for shows from the THT Rep, a troupe that combines the work of professional actors with local actors in training.

Merrimack Repertory Theatre

Lowell

This 279-seat theater is nestled within a larger auditorium complex just a few blocks from the storied Merrimack River. For more than four decades, the theater company has staged seasons of thoughtful plays you are unlikely to see elsewhere in the region and hosted the world premiere of several plays from acclaimed playwrights.

North Shore Music Theatre

Beverly

A bastion of theater north of Boston, the North Shore Music Theatre stages crowd-pleasing musical theater throughout the summer and fall, and its much-beloved production of “A Christmas Carol” closes out each season. The theater has been in operation since 1954 and features 1,500 seats for in-the-round viewing.

New Jersey

Paper Mill Playhouse

Millburn

For the past 90 years, this 1,200-seat theater has hosted crowds in a historic building that harkens back to the region’s more industrial past. The playhouse stages both newer and well-loved musicals, as well as musical trivia and murder mystery events. Located close to the Big Apple, the theater attracts the talents of commuting New York City actors.

UCPAC

Rahway

A historic theater built in the old school, “picture palace” style, UCPAC (Union County Performing Arts Center) now serves as a multipurpose venue for live, performing arts. UCPAC also has the distinction of hosting its Sensory Friendly Theatre series of live theater, dance and music. This series is especially tailored to children and adults with autism and includes specially trained staff and volunteers who can assist theatergoers throughout the performance.

New York

Chenango River Theatre

Greene

An intimate professional theater far from New York City, the Chenango River Theatre offers shows that are also a bit off the beaten path. It is also one of the few professional theaters in the area that stages a summer and fall season with non-musical productions.

The Gateway

Bellport

Billed as “Broadway on Long Island,” the Gateway’s seasons favor crowd-pleasing jukebox musicals and seasonal fare. Located a relatively easy commute from New York City’s theater district, this theater draws its casts directly from the Big Apple.

Stanley Theatre

Utica

Housed in an historic Baroque-style theater, the Stanley Theatre hosts an eclectic mix of touring theater productions from Broadway and beyond. In addition, it provides a venue for many other live music and dance events.

Yorktown Stage

Yorktown Heights

This theater focuses squarely on crowd-pleasing performances, with touring Broadway-based musicals and many children’s shows. Yorktown Stage also hosts robust educational opportunities for future generations of musical actors.

Rhode Island

Trinity Repertory Company

Providence

Designated as the state theater of Rhode Island, Trinity Rep offers a diverse array of performances to best reflect the character of the communities of the Ocean State. In recent seasons, the theater has focused on offering different perspectives to well-known plays, and staging plays focused on Rhode Islanders. In addition, the theater offers space for Brown University MFA productions, and a summer slate of free, bilingual Spanish and English plays.

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