There’s a rich and robust crop of RI summer theater awaiting you

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 local productions and not just sweet corn, summer squash and an abundance of berries. 

Here’s a list of community and professional playhouses, straw hat theaters and outdoor venues where local theater artists are creating something tasty for everyone.

Academy Players

180 Button Hole Dr., 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 - Aug. 24

Arctic Playhouse

1249 Main St., West Warwick. thearcticplayhouse.com. While COVID kept many from attending the theater, an impressive 10,000 tickets were sold at this community playhouse in 2023 alone.

“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

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. Through 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 amidst 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. 13

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. Through 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 some of the more 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. Through June 18

“It’s Your Funeral.” This funeral home farce finds the new owners breaking into the business amidst bad news from a doctor, threats from their shady silent partners and a surprise visit from a former bookie. June 15 - Aug. 7

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 kids’ shows.

“Always…Patsy Cline.” This jukebox musical follows the country music icon’s longtime friendship with a fan from Houston. The story is over-simplified, and the down-home humor is an acquired taste, but the work is heartfelt, and the music is country classic. through - 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 Rep

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 amidst racism and sexism. Through  - 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, in Wickford. 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. Through  - June 15

See you at the theater.

Bob Abelman is an award-winning theater critic who also writes for The Boston Globe. Connect with him on Facebook.