Looking For Something Fun to Do: Theater Edition
Around Town With Amy Modesti's Theater Events and Auditions for July 2025
Welcome back to Around Town With Amy Modesti! Happy July and happy belated summer solstice! Thank you so much to everyone for your positive words of support and feedback over my job promotion as editor of InPlay Capital Region via SubStack and social media. The past few weeks, I’ve been feeling all of the love and support over this new job role.
To those who have been keeping me in the loop with your upcoming theater, music, and art events and projects, thank you so much. Things have been busy since I began work at NYVT Media two months ago, and I will try to do my best in keeping you updated on the latest, local news.
This week’s “Looking for Something Fun to Do?!” events listings are all about theater and auditioning for a role in a play this month! July may be the month to watch fireworks but be sure to go out and support local theater too!
-Amy (7/2/2025)
Park Playhouse
Rogers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! at Albany’s Park Playhouse (located at 35 Willett St., Albany, NY 12110), July 1-July 26,2025, Tuesday-Sunday, starting at 7:30pm.
ALBANY - In 2025, the enduring Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, Oklahoma! returns to Albany’s Park Playhouse for the first time in a generation! One of the landmarks in 20th century theatre, Oklahoma! launched a new era in the American musical. It began the most successful songwriting partnership in Broadway history. In a Western territory just after the turn of the 20th century, a high-spirited rivalry between local farmers and cowboys provides a colorful background for Curly, a charming cowboy, and Laurey, a feisty farm girl, to play out their love story. Their romantic journey, as bumpy as a surrey ride down a country road, contrasts with the comic exploits of brazen Ado Annie and hapless Will Parker in a musical adventure that embraces hope, determination, and a promise of a new land. This groundbreaking musical that set the stage for all that followed is a lively, tuneful night of theatre full of cowboys, farmers, romance, and fearless optimism. Lawn seating is free and first-come, first served basis. The premium reserved seating pricing is between $30-$40, and tickets can be purchased at the link: Oklahoma!
The 2025 Park Playhouse Gala: Wednesday, July 9,2025 at Albany’s Park Playhouse (located at 35 Willett St, Albany, NY 12210), Pre-Show Reception: 6pm, performance of Oklahoma! 7:30pm.
ALBANY - Help make Park Playhouse’s free theatre and arts education programming possible with a special night out at our theatre under the stars. Come join Park Playhouse for a delightful and delicious country-themed evening at Washington Park’s Park Playhouse, with all proceeds benefiting free theatre and arts education programming. Guests will enjoy a 6pm pre-show reception inside the newly upgraded Lakehouse, with food and drink from some of Albany’s best culinary talents, along with a live bluegrass band and performances by the playhouse’s incredible students. Gala guests will be escorted to their premium table seats in the theatre and treated to a picnic basket of scrumptious goodies to enjoy during the 7:30 p.m. performance of Oklahoma! Dessert will be served to guests at their seats during intermission. Dress code for the gala is summer casual and country-western flair is optional. Please note that gala tickets are sold out.
Oklahoma! Encore Presentation at Tawasentha Park: Thursday, July 31-Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, Tawasentha Park (located at 188 NY-146, Altamont, NY 12009), 7:30 p.m.
ALTAMONT - Playhouse Stage Company will be bringing their production of Oklahoma! to Tawasentha Park (Guilderland) for the play’s encore weekend. This production will make its final stage appearance at the park’s Guilderland Performing Arts Center, beginning Thursday, July 31 and will run through Saturday, Aug. 2. Showtime for the Thursday and Friday show will start at 7:30 p.m. and the Saturday matinee show will begin at 3:00 p.m. The concession stand will remain open for all three shows. This performance is free and open to the public. For more information about the show can go to the Guilderland Parks & Recreation Facebook page.
Mac-Haydn Theatre
Guys and Dolls at Mac-Haydn Theatre (located at 1925 NY-203, Chatham, NY 12037), Final week of showings: July 2-July 3,2025 and July 5-July 6,2025, 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m., 8 p.m.
CHATHAM - The Mac-Haydn Theatre continues its 2025 season with a final week of showings of Broadway’s most iconic and beloved musical, “Guys and Dolls”. The musical, originally opened to the public at the Columbia County theatre on June 26, will have its final week of showings, beginning Wednesday, July 2 at 2 p.m. The musical will be presented Thursday, July 3 (showtimes at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.), Saturday, July 5 (showtimes at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.) and concluding Sunday, July 6 (showtimes at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.). This production, returning back to the theatre stage, will feature Tristian Caldwell (as Sky Masterson), Belle Babcock (as Sarah Brown), and Bridget Carrow (as Adelaide). The play is directed by Berkshire Theatre Award-winner, Mandy Modic. Tickets are available for purchase on the website: www.machaydntheatre.org, or by calling the box office at (518)-392-9292.
From left-right: Spencer Stanley, Jack Iovanella, Jack Dossett in Guys and Dolls. Photo courtesy of Mac-Haydn Theatre
Rensselaerville Stage Creations
R’ville Stage Creations presents, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, at Hilltown Commons (located at 63 Huyck Rd, Rensselaerville, NY 12147), July 10, July 11-July 13,2025, 7:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
RENSSELAERVILLE - R’ville Stage Creations will present William Shakespeare’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The production is a whimsical tale of love, mischief, faeries, and mistaken identity. This local production will be performed outdoors on the lawn at Hilltown Commons in Rensselaerville. This is RSC’s first Shakespeare production and features 22 local performers from the Hilltowns and beyond. Directed with a classic touch, the play brings the Bard’s original magic to life under the open sky. This performance will be held on the lawn at Hilltown Commons outside Guggenheim Pavilion. Guests can bring a folding chair or blanket and arrive early to claim their spot (grounds are open one hour before each show.). If it rains, the play will be held inside the Guggenheim Theater. A pay-what-you-will relaxed performance will be held Thursday, July 10, 7:30 p.m. by reservation only. The Thursday production will be limited to 25 attendees, and to register for the Thursday show, please email or call to request a spot. The production will only be showcased for three days, beginning Friday, July 11 and Saturday, July 12, starting at 7:30 p.m. to Sunday, July 13, beginning at 2:30 p.m. For tickets, tickets can be reserved online at the weblink: A Midsummer Night's Dream, by calling (518)-248-3261, or email: rvillestagecreations@gmail.com.
Mettawee River Theatre Company
Mettawee Celebration at Georgi on the Battenkill Museum and Park (located at 21 Adams Ln, Shushan, NY 12873), Saturday, July 11, 2025, Rain Date: Sunday, July 12,2025, 8:00 p.m.
SHUSHAN- 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Mettawee River Theatre Company and to celebrate that important, special milestone, the theatre company will present a special performance to be held on the lawn of the Georgi Museum Friday, July 11, beginning at 8 p.m. This performance will include a selection of scenes, songs, and appearances from past Mettawee productions. Special appearances will be made by an array of characters, creatures, and deities drawn from their many decades of creating theatre from myths, legends and folktales from around the world. Admission for the show is free, with contributions gratefully accepted. Patrons are encouraged to bring a blanket or a lawn chair to sit on and enjoy the show. If it rains on the day of the show, the performance date will be moved to Sunday, July 12. For additional information, go to the Mettawee River Theatre Company’s website and 2025 events listing page: Summer 2025 | Mettawee River Theater Company.
A scene from a prior production put on by the Mettawee River Theater Company. Photo courtesy of Mettawee River Theater Company
Creative Action Unlimited
Creative Action Unlimited’s 10th Anniversary Celebration, Arts Center of the Capital Region (located at 265 River Street, Troy, NY 12180), Sunday, July 13,2025, 1-3 p.m.
TROY - For a decade, Creative Action Unlimited (CAU) produced over 15 original stage and film productions that are rooted in social Justice, community storytelling, and creative resistance. Creative Action Unlimited invites the public to celebrate their 10-year anniversary Sunday, July 13 at the Arts Center of the Capital Region, 1-3 p.m. The celebration, free and open to the public, will feature a special thank you to artists, supporters, and longtime collaborators, in addition to excerpts from some of their films (featuring David Quinones Jr., Siobhan Shea, Diaka Kaba Hill, and D. Colin), and actors will present live scenes of past productions from Jae Gale and Michael A. Lake (“Sides”), Stephanie Frances and William Billy Spillane (“Epicenter”), Tony Pallone (“Any Addict”), and CAU founder and artistic director, Michael Kennedy (“Michael and Steve Talk About the End of Life as They Knew It”). CAU will also announce their 2025-2026 season at the celebration. Although the event is free, event attendees are encouraged to make a donation in increments of $10 to honor a decade of powerful theater. For more information, go to Creative Action Unlimited.
Home Made Theater
1776, Saratoga Springs City Hall (Anthony “Skip” Scirocco Music Hall), third floor, 3065 NY-50, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, July 18-July 27,2025, 7:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.
SARATOGA SPRINGS - Home Made Theater will present, 1976, a Tony Award -winning musical, based on the book written by Peter Stone, inside the Anthony “Skip” Scirocco Music Hall, located on the third floor of the Saratoga Springs City Hall. The production will begin Friday, July 18 and will run through Sunday, July 27,2025. Play synopsis: In the days leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, tempers flare, alliances will shift, and history was made. 1776 will take audiences inside the debates, doubts, and determination of the Second Continental Congress as John Adams (portrayed by Travis Burnell), Benjamin Franklin (portrayed by Henry DiMaria), Thomas Jefferson (portrayed by Josef Mendez), and their fellow delegates wrestle with the monumental task of creating a new nation. Kelly Slenklewicz also will play the role of Martha Jefferson. Performances will take place only on Friday & Saturday, starting at 7:00pm, and Sunday, beginning at 2:00pm. General admission tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for students, and free for young children five-years-old and under, and can be purchased on Home Made Theater’s website, www.HomeMadeTheater.org.
From left to right: Josef Mendez as Thomas Jefferson, Henry DiMaria as Benjamin Franklin, and Travis Brunell as John Adams. Photo Credit: Michael Gatzendorfer.
Harbinger Theatre
Between Riverside and Crazy, written by Stephen Adly Guirgis, at Albany Civic Theater (located at 235 Second Ave, Albany, NY 12209), July 18-July 27,2025, 7:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
ALBANY - Harbinger Theatre will present their 17th production and their 16th Capital Region premiere with the production, “Between Riverside and Crazy”, written by playwright, Stephen Adly Guirgis and directed by Patrick White. Guirgis, a SUNY Albany graduate, is the first local playwright that Harbinger Theatre produced twice, after the success of Guirgis’ play, “The Motherf***** with the Hat”, Summer 2023. City Hall is demanding more than his signature, the landlord wants him out, and the liquor store is closed. The church won’t leave him alone. For ex-cop and recent widower, Walter “Pops” Washington (played by Hasson Harris Wilcher), and his recently paroled son, Junior (played by J.R. Richards), the struggle to hold on to one of the last great rent stabilized apartments on Riverside Drive collides with old wounds, sketchy new houseguests, and a final ultimatum in the Pulitzer-Prize winning dark comedy. Additional actors include Elizabeth Wellspeak (portraying Detective O’Connor), Jared Lewis-Holliday (portraying Oswaldo), Jenny Forson (portraying Lulu), Jay Hunter (portraying Caro), and Sabrina Renee (portraying the Church Lady). A free preview will be held Thursday, July 17, and the play will hold its opening, Friday, July 18. The production will run through Sunday, July 27,2025. Friday and Saturday shows will begin at 7:30 pm and Sunday shows will start at 3:00 pm. Talkback Fridays will be held on July 18 and July 25 after the show ends. A barbecue party will take place Saturday, July 19, beginning at 6pm, before the show starts. Tickets for the production are $15 and can be purchased online at Harbinger Theatre.
Poster courtesy of Harbinger Theatre
Bridge Street Theatre
South: A Nautical Musical, written and composed by Carmen Borgia, directed and choreographed by Timothy Dakin-Dunn, at Bridge Street Theatre (located at 44 West Bridge Street, Catskill, NY 12414, July 24- Aug. 3,2025, 7:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.
CATSKILL - Bridge Street Theatre invites audiences to hoist their sails, pack their sense of adventure, and come aboard to watch the production of South: A Nautical Musical, beginning Thursday, July 24, and running through Sunday, Aug. 3. This brand new musical comedy will make its stage debut at Bridge Street Theatre. South: A Nautical Musical, originally developed as a full-length audio musical, is also a winner of a Platinum Award from the National Audio Theatre Festivals. The production tells the story of a young sailor who’s on a quest to find his mother while encountering pirates, queens, and coffee along the way. The musical, set in the golden era of wooden ships and Caribbean breezes, is a journey filled with heart, hilarity, and a killer score of original songs by writer-composer, Carmen Borgia. The production will take place Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, beginning at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, beginning at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $37 for adults and $20 for students and can be purchased online at South a Nautical Musical. For more information on the musical, go to the Bridge Street Theatre website.
Artwork for the poster made by Haley Summerfield
Audition(s)
UpStage Productions Inc.
Disney’s The Little Mermaid, based on the book by Hans Christian Andersen, Auditions at The Reformed Dutch Church of Claverack (located at 88 NY-9H, Claverack, NY 12513), July 9-July 10,2025, 6:30 p.m. with callbacks at 1:00 p.m.
CLAVERACK - Did you ever imagine yourself as The Little Mermaid, as you watched the popular Disney movie? UpStage Productions is hosting auditions for actors and actresses ages 8-years-old and up, to take part in this upcoming production at the Hudson High School Performing Arts Center, Hudson, NY, Nov. 21-Nov. 23,2025. Auditions will take place Wednesday, July 9 and Thursday, July 10, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at The Reformed Dutch Church at Claverack. Callbacks will be held Saturday, July 12 at 1:00 p.m. To audition, participants must prepare 16 to 32 bars (about 30 seconds) of a song of your choosing in the style of the musical. Bring an accompaniment/karaoke track on a Bluetooth compatible device; a Bluetooth speaker will be provided. Dance auditions will also be held for all who are able so be sure to wear clothes and shoes that you can move in. Email info@upstageproductions.org for more information and to see the list of characters with suggested ages. To learn more about UpStage Productions Inc., go to www.upstageproductions.org.
Poster Courtesy of UpStage Productions, Inc.
The Dorset Players
What The Constitution Means to Me, written by Heidi Schreck, Auditions held at the basement of the United Church of Dorset and East Rupert (located at 143 Church St., Dorset, VT 05251), July 15-July 16,2025, 6-8 p.m.
DORSET, VT - The Dorset Players, with director, Dana Haley, are seeking two actors to help round out the cast of What The Constitution Means to Me, written by Heidi Schreck. This play is a hilarious, touching, and genre-defying play which blends theater, debate, and improv in a deeply personal exploration of the U.S. Constitution. This piece of work draws on the experiences of four generations of women in Schreck’s family, the author examines the Constitution’s promises and limitations, raising urgent and hopeful questions about how the U.S. Constitution has shaped American lives today and how it continues to influence the future of America.The Dorset Players are looking for someone to play a Legionnaire/Mike: a male that’s 40-years-old and over. The character starts out as a stern, rule-following Legionnaire but later becomes Heidi’s thoughtful, genuine ally, and Teen Debater: a female, identifying or non-binary between the ages of 13-19 years old. This role will involve a real-time, unscripted debate, so confidence, curiosity, and clear communication is key. Debate experience is a plus but not required. The auditions will be held inside the basement of the United Church of Dorset and East Rupert, Tuesday, July 15 and Wednesday, July 16, from 6-8 p.m. The auditions will be relaxed, conversational, and will feature fun improv games and an open discussion about the day. No experience is necessary; just come as you are. Future performances of What the Constitution Means to Me, will be held at the Dorset Playhouse October 3-5,2025. For audition sides and additional information, call the business office at 1-(802)-867-5570.
Classic Theater Guild
Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors, written by Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen, and very loosely based on the novel, Dracula by Bram Stoker, at Congregation Beth Israel (located at 2195 Eastern Parkway, Schenectady, NY 12309), Sunday, July 20,2025, 3:00 p.m., and Wednesday, July 23, 2025, 7:00 p.m.
SCHENECTADY- Do you want to perform a part that you can really sink your teeth into? Do you enjoy chewing on the scenery? Do you wish to audition for a role with a little bite in it? Classic Theater Guild (CTG) is hosting auditions for actors and actresses to take part in their upcoming production of “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors”. Auditions for the local production will be held Sunday, July 20, beginning at 3 p.m. and Wednesday, July 23, beginning at 7 p.m. at Congregation Beth Israel. The production was written by Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen, and is very loosely based on the novel, “Dracula” by Bram Stoker”. Any questions, contact Linda Wilday at (518)-701-1520, and on the website, Classic Theater Guild.