Congratulations, you survived the record-breaking Blizzard of 2026. With the anticipated arrival of clear skies and warm temps, how will you be spending your well-earned, much-needed downtime this summer?
If you’re adventurous, you could explore some of the state’s 266 hiking trails, numerous world-class gardens, or the 14.5-mile Providence-to-Bristol East Bay Bike Path. Perhaps you could score tickets for some of the many outdoor music and arts festivals or tour The Real Housewives of Rhode Island locales. Of course, lounging on the beaches that dot over 400 miles of coastline is always an option, perhaps after visiting a few of RI’s soon-to-be operational recreational marijuana shops that are eyeing locations from Woonsocket to Westerly.
But if staying indoors, air-conditioned, and entertained is more to your liking, you could immerse yourself in some of the superb storytelling taking place inside a nearby community theater or professional playhouse.
Here are a few productions for your consideration, listed from May to August opening nights.
Boeing Boeing
Attleboro Community Theatre @ Ezekiel Bates Lodge, 71 North Main St, Attleboro. attleborocommunitytheatre.net. Bachelor Bernard, has a flat in Paris. He is also engaged to three airline stewardesses who don’t know about each other. Bernard’s life gets bumpy, though, when his friend Robert comes to stay, and complications such as weather and a new, speedier Boeing jet disrupt his careful planning. Soon, all three stewardesses are in the city simultaneously, and catastrophe looms in this 1960s-set French farce. Runs thru Jun 7
America’s Sexiest Couple
Newport Playhouse, 102 Connell Highway, Newport. newportplayhouse.com. Dinner Theater. Two actors, who were America’s Sexiest Couple on a fictitious popular ’90s sitcom of the same name, reunite for the first time in 25 years. They face a lifetime of unresolved issues, longings, resentments, and regrets. Plus, the network wants to reboot the show. Runs thru June 7.
Measure for Measure
Burbage Theatre, 59 Blackstone Ave, Pawtucket. burbagetheatre.org. Set in corrupt Vienna, this play centers around Angelo, a deputy entrusted to rule the city in the absence of Duke Vincentio, who disguises himself as a humble friar to observe Angelo’s regency and his citizens’ lives. Angelo prosecutes a young man for a crime, sentencing him to death on a technicality and exploits his sister, a chaste and innocent nun, when she comes to plead for her brother’s life. No, not one of Shakespeare’s classic comedies. Runs thru June 7.
Disney’s The Lion King
Providence Performing Arts Center, 220 Weybosset St, Providence. Contact ppacri.org. National tour. A Hamlet-in-the-East-African-savanna story, this film-turned-stage musical revolves around the lion cub Simba, whose uncle Scar has claimed the throne of Pride Rock by killing his brother Mufasa, the King. Although Scar has cast out his young heir-apparent nephew, Simba returns as an adult to take back his homeland with the help of a meerkat and his sidekick, a gassy warthog. Runs thru June 7.
Arsenic and Old Lace
Arctic Playhouse, 117 Washington St, West Warwick. thearcticplayhouse.com. A timeless hit, this play tells the amusing story of two charming elderly ladies who decide that by poisoning their poor, lonely lodgers and burying the bodies in their cellar, they are saving these unfortunates from the sorrows of this world. But this creates a madcap comedy. It is being performed by a theater whose journey started in an old department store and resulted in a vibrant neighborhood troupe. Runs thru June 7.
Yerma
Teatro ECAS, 679 Valley St, Providence. teatroecas.org. Teatro ECAS is the premier Latinx professional theater in New England. This rural and poetic tragedy, in Spanish with English supertitles, follows a young woman consumed by her desire to be a mother. This becomes a destructive obsession, leading her to commit a violent crime against her husband. Runs May 28 – June 7.
Little Shop of Horrors
Theatre by the Sea, 364 Cards Pond Rd, Wakefield. theatrebythesea.com. This hysterically campy and delightfully dark sci-fi musical, performed at this RI summer stock institution, follows hapless floral assistant Seymour, who pines for his coworker Audrey, a Skid Row girl who’s always dreamed of a life that is something more. When he stumbles upon a strange seedling, he nurses it to life, only to find it growing into a carnivorous plant with devilish intentions. Runs May 28 – June 20.
Next to Normal
Trinity Rep, 201 Washington St, Providence. trinityrep.com. This Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, staged by a Tony Award-winning theater, features a soaring rock score and unforgettable characters. It features a suburban mom struggling with delusional bipolar disorder. Her daughter is a stressed-out overachiever and her exhausted architect husband is determined to keep everything “normal.” Her son has other plans. Runs May 28 – June 28.
Girl From The North Country
The Wilbury Theatre Group, WaterFire Arts Center, 475 Valley St., Providence. thewilburygroup.org. It’s 1934 in Duluth, Minnesota. In this professional production, we meet a group of wayward travelers whose lives intersect in a guesthouse filled with music, life, and hope. This is a profoundly beautiful musical with a score consisting of 20 reimagined, legendary songs by Bob Dylan. No nasal singing. No electric guitar. Runs May 28 – June 21.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Gamm Theatre, 1245 Jefferson Blvd, Warwick. gammtheatre.org. One of the most iconic American dramas of the 20th century. In the sweltering Mississippi heat, the Pollitt family gathers to celebrate Big Daddy’s birthday, but the air is thick with tension. Brick drinks to forget, Maggie claws for love, and everyone is hiding something. With Williams’ signature lyricism and emotional depth, this play burns with desire, denial, and the desperate fight to hold on to what’s already slipping away. Runs June 3 – 21.
Newsies Jr.:
Granite Theatre, 1 Granite St, Westerly . granitetheatre.com. Based on the hit Disney musical, it’s set in turn-of-the-century New York City, a family-friendly production that follows a group of newsboys who stand up against unfair working conditions. Featuring beloved songs like “Seize the Day” and “King of New York.” Runs Jun 5 thru Jun 14
Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Rhode Island Stage Ensemble, 320 Main St, Woonsocket. ristage.org. This musical, based on the Hans Christian Andersen Story and the Disney film, is an adventurous love story about identity, community, and finding the strength of your inner voice. The tale revolves around Ariel, King Triton’s youngest daughter, who dreams of exploring the human world and falling in love. Runs June 5 – 13.
Grease
Theatre by the Sea, 364 Cards Pond Rd, Wakefield. theatrebythesea.com. Relive the timeless story of bad boy Danny and new girl Sandy as they fall in love. Taking place against the backdrop of 1950s Rydell High, this musical adaptation features the irresistible songs from the hit movie and the Broadway production. Runs June 25 – July 18.
Into The Woods
Contemporary Theater Company, 327 Main St, Wakefield. Contemporarytheatercompany.com. Once upon a time, in a far-off kingdom, wishes are made, bargains are struck, and someone loses a slipper. A baker and his wife set out to reverse a curse, while Cinderella, Jack, Rapunzel, and Little Red chase their own dreams to find their happy endings. But wishes come true, not free. This witty, poignant Stephen Sondheim musical reveals what lies beyond “happily ever after.” Runs July 3 – 25.
Pageant
Little Theatre, 340 Prospect St, Fall River. littletheatre.net. This community theater’s comedy takes the form of a campy pageant played out in real time. Judges selected from the audience actually vote and determine the winner. The show does not mock the six contestants, who compete in evening gown, talent, swimwear, and spokesmodeling events, but pageants themselves. Runs July 9 – 19.
Oklahoma!
Granite Theatre, 1 Granite St, Westerly. granitetheatre.com. This timeless Rodgers & Hammerstein classic is set in the early 1900s and tells the story of love, rivalry, and community in a small Oklahoma territory town. With unforgettable songs, sweeping choreography, and a story full of romance and humor, this musical is a joyous celebration of life, love, and the pioneering spirit. Runs July 10 – Aug 2.
Love’s Labour’s Lost
Contemporary Theater Company, 327 Main St, Wakefield. Contemporarytheatercompany.com. Another summer of Shakespeare performed in the theater’s riverfront gardens and under the stars. This comedy is about the King of Navarre and his three lords, who swear an oath to avoid women and focus on study, only to have their vows broken by the arrival of the Princess of France and her ladies. Lots of witty wordplay, mistaken identity, and romance. Runs July 15 – Aug. 2.
Titanic
Theatre by the Sea, 364 Cards Pond Rd, Wakefield. theatrebythesea.com. This epic musical offers a stirring account of the first and last days of the “ship of dreams.” It features the real stories of Third-Class immigrants dreaming of a better tomorrow and First-Class passengers living a life of privilege. Winner of five 1997 Tony Awards. Runs July 23 – Aug. 15.
The 39 Steps
Newport Playhouse, 102 Connell Highway, Newport. newportplayhouse.com. Dinner theater. This immensely clever comedy is a romp from beginning to end – a parody of film noir romantic thrillers with their low-budget aesthetics, gentlemanly heroes with mysterious femme fatales, dark and misty ambiance, and abrupt twists and turns. Runs Aug. 2 – 23.
Rock of Ages
Academy Players, 180 Button Hole Dr, Providence. academyplayersri.org. This production takes you back to the time of big rock bands with big egos playing big guitar solos and sporting even bigger hair. This Tony Award-nominated Broadway musical features the hits of bands including Night Ranger, REO Speedwagon, Twisted Sister, and more. Runs Aug. 13 – 23.
Firebringer
East End Theatre & Performing Arts, 1336 Pawtucket Ave, Rumford. eastendtheatreri.com. In this satirical, female-led musical, a prehistoric tribe faces comedic chaos when rebel member Zazzalil discovers fire. Runs Aug. 14 – 15.
The Importance of Being Earnest
Contemporary Theater Company, 327 Main St, Wakefield. Contemporarytheatercompany.com. In this Oscar Wilde classic comedy, two young bachelors invent alter egos to escape social obligations, only to have their romantic schemes hilariously unravel. Overflowing with sharp wit and outrageous twists, the play is a delightful romp that proves the truth is rarely as entertaining as a good lie. Runs Aug. 14 – Sept. 12.
Mamma Mia!
West Bay Community Theater, North Kingstown Town Beach Bandshell, 10 Beach St, North Kingstown. wbctheater.org. “We now have a reputation for performing musical theater like a Tanglewood-meets-rock concert,” says theater founder Terry Shea. This production boasts a score grounded in ABBA’s Top-40 hits. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother’s past back to the Greek island they last visited 20 years ago. Runs Aug. 15.
Art
Little Theatre, 340 Prospect St, Fall River. littletheatre.net. This Tony Award-winning comedy is about three long-time friends whose relationships are tested by the purchase of a large, expensive, all-white painting with a few diagonal lines. The friends argue over the painting’s value, meaning, and the very foundation of their bond. Runs Aug. 20 – 30.
You’ve Still Got A Friend: A Musical Tribute to the Friendship of Carole King & James Taylor
Theatre by the Sea, 364 Cards Pond Rd, Wakefield. theatrebythesea.com. This intimate tribute brings to life the enduring bond between Carole King and James Taylor through the songs that defined a generation. This concert/performance weaves together the iconic songs and lived-in performances with the emotional history behind the music. Runs Aug. 20 – Sept. 13.
Bell, Book and Candle
Arctic Playhouse, 117 Washington St, West Warwick. thearcticplayhouse.com. It’s New York City at Christmastime in the late-1950s in this romantic comedy. Gillian Holroyd is a modern-day witch living in Greenwich Village. When she encounters charming publisher Shepherd, she decides to make him hers by casting a love spell. Gillian takes added pleasure in doing so because Henderson is engaged to her old college rival. Runs Aug. 27 – Sept 13.
Bob Abelman is an award-winning theater critic who also writes for The Boston Globe. Connect with him on Facebook.
Title Photo: Little Shop of Horrors image courtesy of Theatre by the Sea
The 39 Steps image courtesy of Newport Playhouse
Arsenic and Old Lace image courtesy of the Arctic Playhouse