As the Green Mountains shift back to actual green for the summer, a familiar and electric energy returns to Southern Vermont. Professional summer theater is back at the historic Dorset Playhouse, a venue that has served as a cultural hub for the community for nearly a century, as well as a destination for professional artists. The intimate, wood-beamed charm of the Playhouse offers a rich environment for both creating – and experiencing – live theater. Over the years, the Playhouse has become a summer home for legends of the stage and screen, including the likes of Laila Robins, Tim Daly, Judd Hirsch, Danny DeVito, and Jayne Atkinson.
A Season of Premieres and Star Power
The Dorset Theatre Festival’s 49th Main Stage Summer Season promises to be one of its most engaging yet. A major highlight is the return of the Festival’s resident playwright, the prolific Theresa Rebeck. The most Broadway-produced female playwright of our time, Rebeck returns to Dorset to direct a revival of her own play, The Understudy (July 10-July 19). Originally premiered at the Williamstown Theatre Festival before its acclaimed New York run in 2009, this wickedly funny backstage comedy explores the fragile line between art and ego—revisited now through the lens of the writer herself.
The momentum continues with the New England premiere of Advice by Brent Askari (July 31-August 15). The Festival has welcomed Katie Lowes and Adam Shapiro to join the 2026 Season. Lowes is beloved for her series-regular roles as Quinn Perkins on ABC’s Scandal and Rachel in Netflix’s Inventing Anna, and Shapiro can currently be seen in the Emmy-winning series The Bear and Netflix’s Never Have I Ever.
The rest of the 2026 slate rounds out a masterclass in genre: Deceived (June 19-July 4): A chilling new adaptation of the classic thriller Gaslight by Johnna Wright and Patty Jamieson; and Lobby Hero (August 21-September 5): Kenneth Lonergan’s celebrated sleuthy exploration of truth and justice.
Community and Celebration
Broadway’s Desi Oakley will headline this year’s Dance Party Ball (July 25), the Festival’s signature fundraising gala at the Old Gray Barn. Oakley is best known for her leading roles on Broadway and in National Tours, including starring as Jenna in Waitress, Roxie Hart in Chicago, and appearing in Les Misérables, Wicked, and Annie.
The event is billed as a night to get dressed up and party with friends, dance the night away, and help keep the tradition of professional theater alive in Southern Vermont by supporting Dorset Theatre Festival. Admission to the event includes an open bar, passed hors d’oeuvres, delicious yet casual dining, a full bar, unique prizes, bespoke auction items like a dinner reservation for four at Rao’s, the most exclusive restaurant in NYC.
Actors Katie Lowes and Adam Shapiro, along with other Festival artists, will be on the dance floor as special guests.
Whether you’re a lifelong local or a seasonal visitor, the 49th season at the Dorset Playhouse is a reminder that the best of the American theatre is right here in the valley.
Tickets and more information for the 49th Season and the Dance Party Ball available at www.dorsettheatrefestival.org or by contacting the Box Office at (802) 867-2223 ext. 101
