Theater Listings
Triangle ArtWorks strives to include all Triangle groups in this listing, but needs your help in keeping it complete and current. Please inform us of any changes/additions at info@triangleartworks.org. These entries are for convenience only and the information regarding each organization was provided by the organization or from their websites.
Triangle ArtWorks makes NO endorsement or recommendation regarding any of the organizations listed. Be sure to review their websites and other sources independently before you patronize them. If you know of a group we should add, or find a link that doesn’t work or other issue, email us!
Raleigh / Wake County
Actors Comedy Lab – Actors Comedy Lab is a small-but-feisty, non-profit theatre company dedicated to studying and refining the craft of comedy. Website.
Applause! Youth Theatre – Applause! is a part of the Town of Cary’s Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department. We offer process-oriented theatre classes, camps and workshops staffed by professional actors, designers, directors and teachers. Our goal is to inspire confidence and creativity in young people, while encouraging the exploration and development of skill and interest. In addition to class and camp performances, Applause! produces two mainstage performances annually. Website.
Bulldog Ensemble Theater – Bulldog Ensemble Theater is a group of Durham artists who create exciting productions of the best new American plays that speak to our community. We work to cultivate artists and audiences for adventurous material. Website
Burning Coal Theatre Company – Burning Coal is one of Raleigh’s intimate professional theatres. Located downtown at the historic Murphey School auditorium, we offer Summer Theatre Conservatories for both middle and high school students each summer, as well as adult classes in playwriting, auditioning, Public Speaking, Understanding Shakespeare, Acting (Uta Hagen approach) and other subjects throughout the year. Website.
Carolina Academy of Performing Arts - Carolina Academy of Performing Arts (CAPA) is a musical theater and acting conservatory located in Apex and Holly Springs, North Carolina. CAPA offers a wide variety of classes in theater arts, dance, voice, acting, improv, and acting for the camera. Along with providing instruction, CAPA offers a pre professional company program and training, a Junior Theatre Festival Company, and Summer Stock master performance opportunites. CAPA classes are offered year round including school year and summer programming for ages 4-21. CAPA partners with their non profit partner, CAPA Theatre, Inc. to build a regional youth performing arts center to house preprofessional level youth performing arts training and performances. Website
Cary Players – The purpose of the organization is to provide the citizens of Cary and surrounding areas with the opportunity to enhance and showcase their theatrical talents through a variety of activities including, but not limited to, theatrical productions, readings of up and coming playwrights, and theatre workshops. Website.
Cary Playwrights Forum – The Cary Playwrights’ Forum is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help playwrights and aspiring playwrights in the Triangle in North Carolina to develop as dramatic writers. We offer regular feedback sessions with other playwrights, actors, and directors; the opportunity to collaborate with allied artists in staged readings or productions of their original work; and educational workshops. Website.
ComedyWorx- Comedy Worx is the South’s longest-running improv comedy show, presenting a family friendly show, late night show for more “mature” audiences and private shows for businesses and parties. Worx Training Center also provides workshops for various forms of improvisation and various levels of experience. Website.
EbzB Productions – Touring Theatre Company. Website.
Flying Machine Theatre Co.- Flying Machine strives to create exceptional theatre for the benefit of the Triangle community. To achieve this, the Company provides an artistic home for an ensemble of North Carolina actors, playwrights, directors and designers. We foster the growth and further the education of artists through ongoing classes and workshops. Website.
Forest Moon Theater – Forest Moon is Wake Forest’s community theater. Founded in 2012, we are growing our audience by offering entertainment of the highest quality while engaging the community fully in the process. We are a nonprofit organization with the goal of bringing together people who love participating in the theater and those who love being entertained. Website.
Honest Pint Theatre – Honest Pint was born in the summer of 2013 and has quickly become one of the most critically acclaimed companies in the region. Honest Pint believes that “”… the purpose of playing, whose end, both first and now, was and is, to hold, as ‘t were, a mirror up to nature; to show virtue her own features, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure. The mirror should show who we are; what and how we love, what and how we hate, what we’re doing right in the world, what we’re doing wrong: that mirror should show the state of humanity as it is. It should be confirming as well as condemning. It should make us think; it should make us laugh; it should make us cry. It should be honest.” Website.
The Justice Theater Project- The Justice Theater Project is an advocacy, activist theater group. The mission of The Justice Theater Project is to use the dramatic arts as a way to call to the fore of public attention the needs of the poor, the marginalized, and the oppressed. Website.
Moonlight Stage Company-Moonlight Stage Company is a theatre company dedicated to New Works. Its priority is audiences, patrons, performers, writers and students. Performance areas include theatre, improv, original music, stand up comedy, and writer’s theatre. We will be focused on bringing fresh new material to the stage that will be for the enjoyment of live entertainment and to celebrate humanity and creativity. This company is also dedicated to it’s students in helping foster opportunities in performance and preparing them for the professional world of performing arts. Specifically in theatre, film, television, and music. Moonlight will grow into something very special for the community as both a place of entertainment and also a top notch education in the performing arts. Its teachers and company members are of the upmost artistic integrity and professionalism. They all are currently working or have worked at the top levels in the industry. Moonlight Stage Company will also be dedicated to its audiences. Website
North Carolina Theatre – North Carolina Theatre works to strengthen the cultural vitality of the region and cultivate musical theatre appreciation by producing outstanding professional Broadway musicals and developing the next generation of artists through youth training, performance and outreach programs. NCT blends regional performers with Broadway and national stars to create consistently high-quality productions. NCT also makes important contributions to the economic development of the Triangle while providing employment for local and regional performers, musicians, technicians and staff. With NCT, Broadway is here to stay! Website.
North Raleigh Arts & Creative Theatre: A non-profit, community-based performing arts center, created to enrich the cultural life of the North Raleigh community. We provide a creative outlet for all ages and openly invite community involvement. Along with providing instruction in the performing arts, we seek to promote the traditions and values of the theatre and to produce quality entertainment in a community-oriented atmosphere. We offer classes for all age ranges as well as summer camps and track-out camps. Website.
Raleigh Little Theatre –Founded in 1936, RLT is a welcoming community using theatre to enrich, educate, entertain and engage volunteers, students, and audiences of all ages. RLT serves 40,000 people a year through indoor and outdoor plays, education programs for children (starting at age 4) and adults, and volunteer opportunities. Website.
Seed Art Share – Seed Art Share celebrates shared arts experiences for Triangle performers, patrons, and the people they love! Our goal is to explore theatre while sharing stories, resources, environments, families, challenges, and even roles. Seed offers three shared arts experiences for patrons and performers: Smart Arts theatre integration classes, the Share the Show family inclusion program and Sprout Out Productions. Website.
Southeast Theatre Company - Southeast Theatre Company is led by two dedicated teaching artists, Mrs. Chanda Branch & Mr. Don Carreras. They are committed to supporting young people in the performing arts and generating a greater appreciation of it by the masses. There are more than 4 decades of performing and educational experiences between the two instructors and they have touched the lives of young people across the nation. Website.
South Stream Productions – South Stream Productions is a collaboration between Brook North and John Honeycutt. We are a small actor driven company that mounts one show per year in early January. We select our plays based on our abilities and interests (both in terms of acting and production). Website
Theatre In The Park – Theatre In The Park has entertained audiences since 1947. Theatre In The Park is one of North Carolina’s largest non-profit performing arts organizations and acclaimed for its numerous outstanding theatrical achievements. Each season Theatre In The Park presents an exceptional series of productions including the very best in comedy, original musicals, Shakespeare, and contemporary drama. Website.
University Theater – Since 1964, University Theatre has been North Carolina State University’s open access student theatre. Under the direction of a full-time professional staff, University Theatre produces five high-quality student productions in the MainStage Series from September to April and two professional productions in the TheatreFEST series during the month of June. University Theatre operates NC State University’s three performance spaces, available for public rental. Website
Women’s Theatre Festival – Women’s Theatre Festival creates, produces, and promotes extraordinary theatre by women. Website.
Chatham County
Center for the Arts in Pittsboro – Offers two theater arts programs, the Pittsboro Youth Theater and the Sweet Bee Theater, including acting classes and public performances in its 65-seat facility. 18 East Salisbury Street Suite A, Pittsboro, NC 27312. Website. Email.
StreetSigns (Piedmont Performance Factory) – StreetSigns Center for Literature and Performance is an award-winning professional performing arts and educational center. Founded in Chicago in 1992, StreetSigns has presented more than fifty productions in its twenty-plus year history. StreetSigns has worked in partnership with Northwestern University, the Department of Communication Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Georgetown University, always dedicated to the development and presentation of new literary adaptations, company created theatrical works, innovative new plays, and bold re-imaginings of classics. StreetSigns is committed to celebrating the region’s rich oral and written traditions, and to engaging cultural and political issues through the performance of literature. StreetSigns is searching for a home theatre and is working to create the Piedmont Performance Factory in Pittsboro. The Piedmont Performance Factory aims to develop a dynamic and creative space for theatre and other performances in Pittsboro, ranging from small experimental shows to larger festivals. The first-class space at the Piedmont Performance Factory will allow the fertile ground for the arts in Chatham County to flourish.204 Harland’s Creek Drive, Pittsboro, NC 27312 Email. Website.
Chapel Hill / Carrboro / Hillsborough
ArtsCenter Stage: Arts Center Stage is international theatre at its most local. Front and Center presents dynamic, full-length plays and musicals by emerging and established artists. Generation Next brings to our stage wonderful touring performances for families and children and helps create the next generation of theatre audiences and artists. OffCenter is committed to developing new works and features our international festival of ten-minute plays, 10 By 10 in the Triangle; the oldest, active improv company the South, Transactors Improv; the fast and furious PlaySlam!; and our resident Playwright’s Roundtable. 300 East Main Street, Carrboro, NC 27510-2359; Website.
The Drama Circle – Since its founding in 2002, the Drama Circle has served to encourage the use of drama among Bahá’ís, their friends and their communities. PO Box 1361, Carrboro, NC 27510; Email; Website.
Orange Community Players – Orange Community Players was started in 2005 with a vision to provide quality theatrical productions in the Hillsborough community. Over the years participants have ranged from the ages of 5 to 80 as audiences have enjoyed more than thirty productions. PO Box 144, Hillsborough NC 27278 Website
Paperhand Puppet Intervention – Since 1998, PAPERHAND has been using corn starch, papier mache’, bamboo, your old house paints, and other assorted junk to create giant puppets, masks, shadow plays, and performances for all ages. We tell stories, illuminate myth, beat drums, paint cardboard, sew cloth, get sweaty, push boundaries, and carry heavy things to help make the world a better place. Our parades, pageants, and shows are celebrations for everyone to enjoy; they are expressions of our love, for the earth and its creatures. Community is the lifeblood of PAPERHAND, helping us in so many ways. Mailing Address: 6530 Whitney Rd. Graham, NC 27253, Email; Website.
The Pit Chapel Hill Comedy School –The PIT is dedicated to fostering the art of comedic theater through coursework in Performance, Professional Writing & Production. In our program, students find and hone their own unique comedic voice, act like themselves, learn how to work collaboratively both onstage and off, and create career opportunities within a supportive artistic community. Offers improv and standup performances, open mics and classes. 462 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill, NC 27516. Email. Website.
PlayMakers Repertory Company – PlayMakers Repertory Company is the professional LORT theatre on the campus of the UNC at Chapel Hill. Considered the leading theatre of the Carolinas, the company has been honored by the Drama League of New York as one of the best regional theatres in the country. PlayMakers’ home is the 55,000 square foot Center for Dramatic Art which houses two theatres, a rehearsal hall, production shops, studios, classrooms and administrative offices. Between September and May each year the theatre produce a Mainstage season in the 500 seat Paul Green Theatre and a second stage series called PRC2 in the 265 seat Elizabeth Price Kenan Theatre. UNC Campus, Center for Dramatic Art, Country Club Dr, Chapel Hill; 150 Country Club Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599; Email; Website.
Puppet Show Incorporated – Puppet Show Incorporated is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve and promote puppetry arts. Puppet Show Inc. provides fun with benefits. All the puppetry arts performances are aligned with the N.C. Essential Standards, foster Social Emotional Learning and teach Character Education Traits. Puppet Show Inc. is a mobile puppet theater that travels and performs in after -schools, libraries, museums, scout organizations, schools, pre-schools, hospitals, P.T.A. events, community activities, festivals, charity fundraisers, etc. Student and Teacher Workshops are also offered. Teacher Lesson plans for performances with extension and enrichment activities are available. Puppet Making Art activities follow performances. Business Office located at 207 Oak Park Drive, Chapel Hill NC 27517. Email. Website.
Transactors Improv Co.: Transactors Improv is the oldest active improvisational theater in the South. Our work focuses on emotion, physicality, character, commitment, teamwork, and fun. Our approach to improvisation revolves around discovery rather than invention. Email, Website.
Durham
Black Poetry Theatre – Black Poetry Theatre Company was founded in 2008 by Church da Poet and Dasan Ahanu. We seek to expand the understanding of spoken word and foster a greater appreciation for the power of contemporary poetry by presenting it in traditional theatrical settings; raising cultural awareness through the use of performing arts and telling necessary stories from within our communities. For current and future events please visit our website.
Bulldog Ensemble Theater – Bulldog Ensemble Theater is a group of Durham artists who create exciting productions of the best new American plays that speak to our community. We work to cultivate artists and audiences for adventurous material. Website Email
Clown Jam – Clown Jam is a collaborative community experience for those currently or interested in practicing contemporary clown. No experience necessary. This event is for adults only, 18+, because kids don’t need it. They know how to play already! In the two hours we work on being open, honest, and vulnerable in a safe space through games and exercises. Participants are encouraged to offer up skills for the group to work on. Clown Jam occurs once a month, usually the first or second Sunday, at the Levin JCC in Durham. Facebook.
Durham Family Theatre: DFT’s mission is to create a community-based theatre, reaching into and being fed by our diverse neighborhoods, where amateur and professional actors, designers, directors, playwrights and technicians of all ages, races and walks of life can gain skills that lead to meaningful careers and relationships, while creating engaging, exciting, transforming theatre. DFT performs shows and has classes for children through adults. Website, Email.
Durham Regional Theatre – Durham Regional Theatre is an intentionally multi-racial, multi-ethnic & intergenerational theatre, with a focus on education for ages 5-17, creating and presenting works that tenaciously reflect the rich human diversity in Durham. Email. Website.
Eno River Players -The Eno River Players is a non-profit community theater based in Durham, NC. Our goal is to create stage productions – ranging from Shakespearean to modern day – that challenge, entertain, and inspire audiences. We want to create meaningful works that bring people of all experiences together while celebrating the magic that is created and shared on stage. Profits from our productions are donated to local charities that support the Durham community. Email. Website.
Little Green Pig Theatrical Concern – The Little Green Pig Theatrical Concern is a nonprofit theatre company that has been bringing high-octane work to Triangle audiences since 2005. Our model is European but accessible, strange and dreamlike but familiar and immediate. Mailing address: 2646 Lawndale Ave., Durham, NC 27705; Email; Website.
Rags to Riches Youth Theater – A traveling theatre troupe, entertaining the young and the young at heart with stories pulled from history, literature and fantasy. Our performance include music, laughter and improvisation. PO Box 25500, Durham, NC 27702-5500 Website
Redbird Theatre Company –“We are North Carolina artists. We are proud. We work hard. We dream Big. We make theater.” Email; Website.
Switchyard Theatre Company – Switchyard Theatre Company is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, dedicated to producing theatre that both entertains audiences and highlights important themes of today. We do this by "switching up" classic plays with diverse casting and innovative production, and bringing new works produced nationally and locally to residents of the greater Triangle area. We also provide opportunities for aspiring theater professionals of all ethnicities and gender identifications to grow through experience and education, both on- and off-stage.). Website
Tiny Engine Theater – Tiny Engine is an ensemble-driven company dedicated to exploring the boundaries of theater in the Triangle. By giving new voices and local talent a platform to entertain and move audiences, we act as an engine of possibility to the greater creative community. Email. Website.
The Durham Savoyards, Ltd.– Producing the topsy-turvey musical comedies of Sir William S. Gilbert & Sir Arthur S. Sullivan since 1963. This amazing homegrown theatre troupe was born out of love for that perfect combination of W. S. Gilbert’s incisive satire and Arthur Sullivan’s sparkling music. Email; Website.
Walltown Children’s Theater – Walltown Children’s Theatre inspires positive social change by developing and reconnecting diverse, under-served youth in Walltown and the surrounding communities through exemplary performing arts programming, after-school academic tutoring and collaborative leadership opportunities. 1225 Berkeley Street, Durham, North Carolina, 27705 Email, Website.
Young People’s Performing Company – The Performing Company provides classes, workshops and performance opportunities in the dramatic arts for children and teens from kindergarten through high school. Since 1985 YPPC has been granted class, rehearsal and performance space in the Durham Arts Council building at 120 Morris St., downtown Durham. Email, Website.
Johnston County
Clayton Youth Theater – Clayton Youth Theater is a community theater for students in 7th-12th grade. Located in Downtown Clayton, CYT performs two productions a year at The Clayton Center. Clayton Youth Theater was established to involve area youth in the theater arts, showcase the talents of area students in grades 7-12, perform high-quality productions at the local level, and cultivate an appreciation for the arts in the community. Since 2007, CYT has impacted hundreds of students and entertained thousands of patrons in and around Johnston County. Visit their website for more details.
Neuse Little Theater – The Neuse Little Theatre is a volunteer, community based theatre group that provides high quality entertainment and thought provoking performances of drama, comedy, and musical theatre to the residents of Johnston County – and has done so for over 36 years! Our home base is the former American Legion Hut (still affectionately called “The Hut”) located at the corners of Front and Market Streets in Downtown Smithfield. PO Box 1832, Smithfield, NC. Website
