Guide to 2025 Summer Theater in New Hampshire

June 11, 2025

New Hampshire Magazine Staff,

Andy’s Summer Playhouse features outstanding plays performed by talented children. Photo by P.T. Sullivan

New Hampshire is home to some truly excellent talent and venues. Whether you appreciate Shakespeare or Broadway, there’s sure to be something happening that you’ll love. Here you’ll find, in alphabetical order, seasonal summer theater venues from across the state.

This summer you could spend a sunny afternoon with the family watching a production of “Legally Blonde” at the Prescott Park Arts Festival in Portsmouth, experience Shakespeare’s eternal brilliance in Sandwich, enjoy a night at the opera with Opera North and much, much more.

Venues:

Advice to the Players

August
As Hamlet said in his advice to the players, “Be not too tame neither, but let your own discretion be your tutor” and head over to the Advice to the Players to hear the challenging but inspiring words of Shakespeare. This talented group of Shakespeare enthusiasts has been presenting Shakespeare performances and workshops since 1999. The company is a mix of professionals, community members and teenagers.

Summer 2025 Performances:

Boy My Greatness by Zoe Senese-Grossberg: June 27-28
The Taming of the Shrew presented by Mortal Fools Collective: July 8
Shakesperience Camp Showcase (& Other Public Festivities): July 25
Queen May Presents Romeo and Juliet: July 25-26
The Merry Wives of Windsor: August 1-10

Click here or call (603) 996-3912 for tickets and information.

54 Maple St., Sandwich

Andy’s Summer Playhouse

Andy’s Summer Playhouse features innovative plays by children intended to be enjoyed by those of all ages. From the website: “Andy’s Summer Playhouse exists to provide a safe environment for children to experience and learn about all aspects of the performing arts, with the goal of creating innovative theater for the surrounding community. Andy’s emphasizes education and community building, encouraging all participants to explore their own creativity.”

Summer 2025 Performances:

“The 24 Hr. Play Festival,” June 28
“Ahoy,” July 11-19
“Battle of the Books,” July 25-August 2
“Fated”, August 7- 15

Click here or call (603) 654-2613 for information, tickets and details on other programs such as the Andy’s Academy workshops, Writing Labs, the Greenhouse Initiative, the apprenticeship program and more.

582 Isaac Frye Hwy., Wilton

The Barnstormers Theatre

Located in the charming small village of Tamworth, the Barnstormers is one of the longest-running professional summer theaters in the country. The company was founded in 1931 by Francis Cleveland, the youngest son of President Grover Cleveland, Francis’s wife Alice and their friend Ed Goodnow — all of whom were involved with theater on Broadway. Today, The Barnstormers is one of three Equity theaters in New Hampshire, and consists of over 40 professional actors, some of which have been performing at Barnstormers for 50 years.

Summer 2025 Performances:

“Something Rotten!,” June 26-July 5
“Barefoot in the Park,” July 10 – July 19
“Front Row to Murder,” July 24- August 2 (World Premiere!)
“The Mousetrap,” August 7- August 16
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” August 21- 30

Click here or call (603) 323-8500 for tickets and information.

104 Main St., Tamworth

Hatbox Theater

(NOTE: We are waiting for information on their 2025 season!)
Boundary-pushing black-box theaters may seem like a luxury reserved for college campuses and big cities, but Concord has one of its own. The 99-seat space (located in a former Coldwater Creek in the Steeplegate Mall) hosts a wide variety of theatrical and performing arts productions throughout the year, from one-act plays to magic shows by the theater’s owner, Absolutely Magic’s Andrew Pinard.

Summer 2024 Performances:

“Discovering Magic with Andrew Pinard,” select Wednesdays
“Heathers the Musical,” July 12-July 21
“Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical,” August 2- 11

Click here or call (603) 715-2315 for tickets and information.

270 Loudon Rd., Concord,

Interlakes Summer Theatre

This company seeks to bring the Lakes Region a wide variety of productions, from children’s theater to classic favorites.

Summer 2025 Performances:

“She Loves Me,” July 2-13
“Tootsie,” July 16-27
“My Fair Lady,” July 30- August 10
“Menopause the Musical,” August 13-17

Click here or call (603) 707-6035 for tickets and information.

1 Laker Ln., Meredith.

Jean’s Playhouse

This North Country theater has been open for more than three decades and prides itself on bringing the community together. Over 150,000 locals have come out to support the theater and each summer the children’s theater entertains over 12,000 members of nearby communities. Jean’s Playhouse is home to many concerts and events throughout the year, but stop by in the summer and fall for great theater.

Summer 2025 Performances:

“Juston McKinney” July 5
“Fairytale Theatre for Children” July 9- August 13
“Jersey Boys” July 10- August 23
“Jimmy Dunn” July 19
“Grease,” July 24- August 22
“Paula Poundstone” August 9
“Jordan TW Trio,” August 30
“North Country Comedy Series” August 31

Click here or call (603) 745-2141 for for tickets and information.

34 Papermill Dr., Lincoln

M&D Playhouse

Tucked away in a strip mall on the edge of the White Mountains, North Conway’s M&D Playhouse has quietly amassed a reputation in its 19-year history for staging some of the most challenging theater in the state. Daring past productions include “Equus” and “Glengarry Glen Ross.” Below are this summer’s shows, but performances continue into the fall and winter.

Summer 2025 Performances:

“Jon Stetson,” June 14
“Lerner & Loewe’s My Fair Lady,” June 26- July 13
“Imari and the Sahara Desert Dancers; A Theatrical Belly Dancing Performance,” July 19- 20
“Josh and Darin’s Comedy Show for Jen’s Friends,” July 25- July 26
“Arsenic and Old Lace,” August 7- August 24
“Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest,” September 11- 21
“Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None,” October 9- October 2
“To Be Announced,” October 30- November 1
“A Christmas Carol”, December 4- 21

Click here or call (603) 733-5275 for tickets or more information.

2760 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway

New London Barn Playhouse

One of the oldest summer stock theaters in the country, the New London Barn Players combine emerging talent with seasoned professionals to produce high quality theater. Although some things have changed since its 1933 opening (such as the 50-cent tickets), Mr. Holmes’ core mission still stands true — “To establish … a theater group presenting dramas of stimulating artistic and literary merit.”

Summer 2025 Performances:

“66th Annual Straw Hat Revue” June 4-8
“The Bridges of Madison County” June 11- 22
“Sister Act,” June 25- July 13
“Mary Poppins,” July 16- August 3
“Hairspray,” August 6-17
“The Cottage,” August 20- 31
“The Sea and the Stars,” September 4- 7

Click here or call (603) 526-6710 for tickets and information.

84 Main St., New London

Opera North

In 2017, the National Park Service chose Opera North to partner in the creation of a park for the arts at the 46-acre property, which is deeded to the adjacent Saint-Gaudens National Historic Park. Augustus Saint-Gaudens was one of America’s great sculptors, and he lived seasonally in Cornish starting in 1885 and year-round from 1900 to his death in 1907. The sculptor’s friends — some of the most talented artists, musicians and writers in the country — joined him there, creating what became known as the Cornish Colony. Today, you can visit the gorgeous home and grounds, which is sprinkled with Saint Gaudens’ sculptures. Opera North is reviving that artistic spirit, and Summerfest is a fantastic opportunity to be a part of the exciting process.

Summer 2025Performances:

“The Little Prince,” June 27- 29
“Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro,” July 13- 18
“Man of La Mancha,” July 24- 27

Click here or call (603) 448-0400 for tickets and information.

20 West Park St., Lebanon

The Palace Theatre

The Palace Professional Theatre for Children Series takes the stage this summer at one of New Hampshire’s most well known and historic theaters. The beautiful 840-seated theater is the only one of it’s kind in the area. The children’s series will have you and your children leave the theater singing.

Summer 2025 Performances:

“A Chorus Line,” May 30- June 22
“13 Jr.” June 10-11 (Palace Teen Apprentice Company)
“Urinetown the Musical” June 17-18 (PTC)
“James and the Giant Peach,” July 2-3 (PYT Camp)
“A Winnie-the-Pooh (Birthday Tail)” July 8-11 (Children’s Summer Series)
“Peter Pan Jr.,”- July 15-18 (Children’s Summer Series)
“Annie Jr.,” July 22-25 (Children’s Summer Series)
“Madagascar Jr.” July 29- August 1 (Children’s Summer Series)
“Annie Kids,” August 1 (PYT Camp)
“The Berenstain Bears on Stage” August 5-8 (Children’s Summer Series)
“Under the Sea,” August 8 (PYT Camp)

Click here or call (603) 668-5588 for tickets and information.

80 Hanover St., Manchester

Peterborough Players

A true rustic theater company, the Peterborough Players was founded in 1933 (2023 marked their 90th anniversary!) and perform in an 18th-century barn to this day, but don’t worry — there’s air conditioning.

Summer 2025 Performances:

“Boeing Boeing,” June 18- June 29
“Dial M for Murder,” July 2-13
“25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” July 16-27
“Native Gardens,” July 30- August 10
“Noël Coward’s Hay Fever,” August 13-24

Click here or call (603) 924-7585 for tickets and information.

55 Hadley Rd., Peterborough

Prescott Park Arts Festival

A delightful summer tradition since 1974, and held in the waterfront Prescott Park, the festival offers a full summer of events that are family appropriate. The main musical is featured here, but the festival includes much more, including other live theater performances, outdoor movies, music, a fairy house tour, chowder fest, road race, chili cook-off, brewfest and other entertainment and special events. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the festival- make sure to check out their star studded River House Concert Series as part of their summer long anniversary celebration!

Summer 2025 Performances:

“Disney’s Freaky Friday” June 20-August 10
Check out Camp ENCORE, June 28- August 3, where performers, artists and aspiring technicians, ages 8-17, all work together towards a common goal — a fully produced musical presented at the end of each session.

Click here or call (603) 436-2848 for tickets and information.

105 Marcy St., Portsmouth

Seacoast Repertory Theatre

This award-winning professional performance space once acted as the warehouse for the Portsmouth Brewery in the ’70s but has since made a great addition to the Seacoast community’s theater life. Though there are performances all year long, Portsmouth is a popular summer destination, and it would be a shame to leave out this excellent theater. While you’re in town to soak up some summer seaside life, stop in at the Rep for an excellent show.

Summer 2025 Performances:

“Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” May 15 -June 15
“Shrek the Musical,” June 25- July 27
“Into the Woods” August 7- September 7

Click here or call (603) 433-4472 for tickets and information.

125 Bow St., Portsmouth

Weathervane Theatre

The Weathervane Theatre brings Broadway all the way to North Country New Hampshire for its 59th season this summer. Weathervane is the only professional alternating repertory theater in the country, producing seven shows in eight weeks — a different show every night.

Summer 2025 Performances:

“Jagged Little Pill” June 25-29
“The Shark is Broken,” July 3-26
“Becoming Dr. Ruth” July 6-July 12
“Grease” July 7- August 16
“Waitress” July 29- August 31
“One Man, Two Guvnors,” August 12- 30
“Honky Tonk Angels,” August 22- October 3
“Dirty Blonde” September 4- October 4
“The Tempest” September 18 – October 2
“The Producers,” October 6- 12

Click here or call (603) 837-9322 for tickets and information.

389 Lancaster Rd., Whitefield

The Winnipesaukee Playhouse

The Playhouse is a nonprofit, award-winning theater specializing in high-energy shows. Newer to the theater scene, The Playhouse was founded in 2004, and was soon thereafter regarded as a cultural gem of central New Hampshire. You can catch performances in the fall and winter as well, but there’s something extra special about catching a show on a warm summer evening after a day spent on the lake. This year, two shows will be performed at the outdoor amphitheater (noted below). The Playhouse also offers some excellent summer youth educational camps and other programming.

Summer 2025 Performances:

“The Wedding Singer” June 12-21
“POTUS or Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive” June 27- July 5
“Little Shop of Horrors,” July 11-19
“Fully Committed,” July 25- August 2
“Once on This Island” August 8- 16
“The Woman in Black,” August 22-31
“Mutiny on the Mount,” October 1-3 and 8-10
“Winnie-the-Pooh,” October 18, 20-26
“A Special Event Improv Olympics,” October 18
“Peter the Starcatcher,” November 6-9
“My Fair Lady,” Novemebr 19-23
“Jack and the Beanstalk,” December 19- January 1