5 regional theater productions worth the trip this August

The end of summer brings an eclectic mix of plays and musicals, including a rarely seen revival, Shakespeare (of course, because what is summer theater without the Bard?), a two-hander by the late, great Terrence McNally, and a world premiere about a group of fed-up fast-food workers.

‘City of Angels’ at Ogunquit Playhouse

We’re obsessed with this summer theater in picturesque Ogunquit, Maine. Founded in 1933, Ogunquit Playhouse is steadily and strategically expanding its season and caliber of artists. August brings a rare revival of City of Angels, which won the 1990 Tony Award for Best Musical and hasn’t been seen on Broadway since.

Featuring a score by Cy Coleman and David Zippel and a book by Larry Gelbart, the musical follows a New York novelist who arrives in Hollywood to adapt his detective stories for the film industry. Featuring dual plots and a breathtaking design that juxtaposes film noir and Technicolor Hollywood, this one might be dipping its toe in anticipation of a Broadway transfer.

Performances through August 22, 2026.

Woody Guthrie’s American Song’ at Theater Alliance

Woody Guthrie's American Song, Theater Alliance

America’s 250th anniversary came and went with a barrage of fireworks and a heatwave that forced crowds to evacuate the National Mall. But when it comes to democracy, resilience is the name of the game.

Adapted by Peter Glazer, Woody Guthrie’s American Song premiered in 1988, and now returns for a nostalgic, folksy revival thanks to Washington, D.C.’s Theater Alliance. The outdoor production at the Wharf Waterfront Park includes anthems like “This Land is Your Land” (is it, though?) and protest songs such as “All You Fascists.” Described as a “panoramic tribute to the legacy of activism in the arts,” be sure to bring water to stay hydrated during what may be a scorching sunset.

Performances through August 29, 2026

‘Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune’ at Shakespeare & Company

Cinephiles may be more familiar with the film adaptation, Frankie & Johnny, which starred Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer as an ex-convict short-order cook who falls for a server in a New York City diner. But Terrence McNally’s original 1987 play, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, contained the plot to its two central characters and a one-room walk-up apartment.

Shakespeare & Company, located in the heart of the Berkshires in Lenox, MA, revisits the play with Jamal James and Jennifer Apple in the title roles. The raw sexuality and original timestamp echoed the ominous effects of the AIDS crisis. Nearly 40 years later, revisiting the work may land differently.

But as Variety wrote of the 2019 Broadway production, “There’s always the danger that the story of Frankie and Johnny might seem shallow because nothing more than a love story is at stake. Nothing more, perhaps, than a love story, but my, how those lovers can love.”

Performances through August 23, 2026.

‘Taco Town’ at Miners Alley

West of Denver in Golden, Colorado, the Miners Alley Performing Arts Center presents the world premiere of Taco Town.

Luke Sorge’s comedy follows what happens after a boss calls the cops on his fed-up staff of fast food workers. The fast-paced satire dissolves into a hostage situation, following in the steps of the recent Broadway stage adaptation of Dog Day Afternoon.

Whether it lands more as absurdist comedy or real bite remains to be seen when it opens at Miners Alley’s mainstage.

Performances through September 13, 2026.

‘Much Ado About Nothing’ at The Old Globe

Tally Sessions and Eden Espinosa in The Old Globe’s production of “Much Ado About Nothing.” Photo by Rich Soublet II.

One of Shakespeare’s most delectable couples—Beatrice and Benedick—arrive at The Old Globe’s Lowell Davies Festival Theatre for an outdoor production that will put its leads through the paces.

Much Ado About Nothing weaves themes of deception, toxic masculinity, and the performance of gender roles. The play, published in Shakespeare’s First Quarto in 1600, is ripe for reimagining. In fact, a new Broadway production arrives this fall starring Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell.

But what could be better than an evening on the Pacific coast with two of theater’s feistiest lovers?

Performances through August 30, 2026.