11 Local Theaters Where You Can See a Live Show Close to Home
Hey, neighbors! You don't have to drive into New York City to see a live show. Our towns and the ones just next door are home to professional theaters, community theater companies that have been at it for generations, and a summer stage in New Canaan. We pulled them together in one place, town by town, with what's coming up this season.
Ridgefield, CT
A.C.T. of CT
A.C.T. of CT, short for A Contemporary Theatre of Connecticut, is a nonprofit professional theatre at 36 Old Quarry Road. It's where we buy season tickets every year. This season brings Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (now through November 22, 2026), Avenue Q (February 4 to March 7, 2027) and Les Misérables (May 20 to June 20, 2027), plus the Broadway Unplugged concerts on December 7 and 8.
Ridgefield Theater Barn
At 37 Halpin Lane, the Ridgefield Theater Barn is a community theater now in its 62nd season. Shows are set up cabaret style at tables, and you're welcome to bring your own snacks and drinks.
The 2026-27 lineup includes Radium Girls, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), A Christmas Carol Read and Sing Along, and An Evening of One Acts in 2027. The Barn also hosts Piano Barn music nights, improv, stand-up comedy open mics and the Hear Me Out storytelling series. Dates for many shows are still to come, so check the Barn's site.
The Ridgefield Playhouse
The Ridgefield Playhouse at 80 East Ridge is a nonprofit performing arts center. Most nights it's concerts, comedy and conversations, and it also has a Broadway and Cabaret series and a lineup of family theater.
Upcoming stage shows for families include The Adventures of Harold and the Purple Crayon (January 31, 2027), Click, Clack, Moo (February 28), Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical (March 7), Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat (April 4), Clifford the Big Red Dog: The Musical (April 25) and Rosie Revere, Ada Twist and Iggy Peck: The Questioneers (May 8). The Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance also brings The Nutcracker to the Playhouse December 11 to 13, 2026.
Wilton, CT
The Wilton Playshop
The Wilton Playshop at 15 Lovers Lane has been Wilton's community theater since 1937. Here's its 2026-27 season:
Pippin: November 6 to 21, 2026. Stephen Schwartz's musical about a young prince searching for his purpose.
It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play: December 4 and 5, 2026, the holiday classic performed as a 1940s radio broadcast
Steel Magnolias: February 19 to March 6, 2027
Baby: April 23 to May 8, 2027, a musical about three couples expecting their first child
New Canaan, CT
Town Players of New Canaan
Town Players of New Canaan performs at the Powerhouse Theatre in Waveny Park, 679 South Avenue. The community theater calls 2026-27 its 80th year season, and it also offers classes for kids, teens and adults.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: November 20 to December 13, 2026
Almost, Maine: February 19 to March 7, 2027
The Bad Seed: April 16 to May 2, 2027
The Full Monty: June 4 to 20, 2027
Connecticut Stage Company
Connecticut Stage Company is a newer nonprofit, founded in 2023 by Lorah Haskins and Kate Simone. It has staged musicals like Into the Woods and Hair at New Canaan Library.
Its upcoming lineup includes My Fair Lady and Come From Away, plus a Broadway Concert Series evening with Tony Award nominee Betsy Wolfe. Dates are on the company's site.
Summer Theatre of New Canaan
When the weather warms up, Summer Theatre of New Canaan stages a full-scale musical at 11 Farm Road, by New Canaan High School. Its 2026 production was Matilda, after The Little Mermaid in 2025. Watch for the 2027 announcement.
North Salem, NY
The Schoolhouse Theater
The Schoolhouse Theater is a nonprofit professional theater at the North Salem Community Center, 3 Owens Road in the hamlet of Croton Falls. Founder Lee Pope turned a 1925 schoolhouse into an arts center in 1983, and the theater staged its first professional production there in 1986. It describes itself as Westchester County's longest-running professional theater.
Next up on its site is The Lion in Winter by James Goldman, directed by Owen Thompson, listed for December 4 to 20.
Brookfield, CT
Brookfield Theatre for the Arts (Brookfield, CT)
Brookfield Theatre for the Arts at 184 Whisconier Road, next to the Brookfield Library, is an all-volunteer nonprofit community theatre that has been in Brookfield since 1957. It's heading into its 70th season.
Amélie: November 13 to December 5, 2026
The Drowsy Chaperone: February 4 to 27, 2027
The Whales of August: April 2 to 17, 2027
Gypsy: June 4 to 26, 2027
Between shows you'll also find concerts, staged readings, improv, storytelling nights and the Brookfield Film Festival (March 19 to 21, 2027).
Newtown, CT
Town Players of Newtown (Newtown, CT)
Town Players of Newtown performs at The Little Theatre, 18 Orchard Hill Road, a small house with about 65 seats. The community theater group traces its roots to 1935 and has been in its Orchard Hill Road home since 1955.
Next up is Arthur Miller's All My Sons, December 4 to 19, 2026, directed by Gus Bottazzi.
Pleasantville, NY
Arc Stages (Pleasantville, NY)
Arc Stages at 147 Wheeler Avenue in Pleasantville is a theater with three stages, plus classes and workshops. This fall it opened The Last Five Years, directed by Broadway's Adam Pascal.
Next on its Community Stage is Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley, November 13 to 21, a Southern drama about three sisters who reunite after a family crisis.
Dates and details come from each theater's website as of October 22, 2026. Shows can change, so check with the theater before you go. See you at the theater!
Local Theaters Where You Can See a Live Show Close to Home
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