With Grammy award winning Jazz musician and producer Quentin Baxter headlining the 25th Deer Isle Jazz Festival, the Maine premiere of the new play “Rooted,” and “Matinicus,” a tribute to the lighthouse heroine Abigail Burgess, the vast array of entertainment on our stage will include something for everyone. 

Opera House Arts’ Artist Director Kathryn Markey noted that “As we enter our 25th year, it is especially fitting to present the type of programs that built OHA – Shakespeare, Jazz, Broadway and family events. We have put together a dynamic line up that includes new voices from across the nation – music of the Penobscot tradition, a deeply resonant new play, a community dance, outdoor movies, and a juggler on a six foot tall unicycle. 

Executive Director Erika Sanger shared that “the board and staff are excited for this summer’s programs, performances, and concerts, developed for people of all ages and interests to experience live entertainment and make new memories filled with stories from our stage.” 

Shakespeare returns to Stonington June 19-29 with a joyous production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” directed by Opera House Arts’ Artistic Director Kathryn Markey. In this beloved comedy, two young couples run away to the magical realm of the Fairies. When the trickster Puck enchants them, love stories get muddled, jealousies arise, and a rustic band of amateur actors manage to perform an unforgettable play within the play, proving “what fools these mortals be…” A treat for the whole family, “Midsummer” will feature a fantastical design and a cast of ten, including established and emerging talent from around the nation. Made possible with the generous support of Ray and Judy McCaskey and the Anahata Foundation. 

On July 11th and 12th, we will present three performances of “Matinicus” by Jenny Connell Davis in partnership with Penobscot Theatre Company. Life is hard enough for a bright and independent young girl in 1853, but when Abbie’s father moves the family to Matinicus Rock to tend the lighthouse, the challenges grow. Abbie’s courage and resolve are tested by a desperately harsh winter and the “Gale of 1856.” Inspired by the true story of Maine folk heroine Abigail Burgess, this is a story of community, isolation, and resilience in the face of forces far greater than ourselves. Made possible by William and Grace Gregor and the Anahata Foundation. 

The 25th Annual Deer Isle Jazz Festival presents two evenings of modern jazz mastery with headliner Quentin Baxter. On Friday July 18th The Quentin Baxter Quintet will blend the elements of modern jazz, popular music, and the Gullah tradition of Baxter’s South Carolina home. On Saturday, they will celebrate the work of renowned South African musician, Abdullah Ibrahim. Baxter’s unique skill sets have garnered a Grammy Award and four Grammy nominations as a producer/performer. Baxter’s passion for performance is paralleled by his dedication to educate, promote, produce, and present world-class artists. Made possible by the generous support of Rich Howe, George and Liz Zentz, and the Anahata Foundation. 

Musical performances will fill the summer calendar. The Opera House seats will be pulled out to open the dance floor for an evening with The Soul Benders on July 9th. The celtic-inspired sounds of Bailey’s Mistake on July 25th, and chamber music from one of Maine’s finest musical ensembles The Daponte String Quartet at Burnt Cove Church Community Center on July 31st. Broadway Comes to Stonington returns with two special programs. Opening Doors on August 21st features John McVeigh, Fred Rose and friends exploring new horizons in musical theatre, and Sunday on Broadway! when our singers return for an afternoon of classic tunes that will leave you humming all day. Sponsored by Vicki and Peter Bartholow and J. McVeigh Jewelry. Join us to wrap up the summer with our very own hometown band – Along For The Ride grooving on the Opera House stage on September 13th. 

August 7-17 brings our production of “Rooted” an engaging new comedy by Deborah Zoe Laufer, directed by Joan Jubett. “Rooted” tells the story of Emery, an eccentric amateur botanist who lives in a tree house in the small town of Millerville, NY. When Emery’s video experiments with plants go viral on the internet, her pragmatic waitress sister and a young idealist find themselves navigating a whole new world. Laufer says the play is about “the yearning for meaning and belief, the struggle to be truly present, the power of female friendship and what happens when you slow down and allow there to be quiet and connection in the midst of a chaotic, sometimes frightening world.” Made possible by Joan and David Maxwell and the Anahata Foundation. 

Join us on August 29th and 30th for “The Masque of Night” an intimate cabaret version of the love scenes from Romeo and Juliet created by New Place Players. Featuring two actors and live music on piano and harp, Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers will find and lose each other in this hour-long performance at the Burnt Cove Church Community Center. 

Live for $5 moves to Tuesdays at 6 PM in 2025 with a variety of high spirited entertainment for all ages – including the virtuosic one-person circus of Janoah the Juggler, songs and rhythms from Firefly the Hybrid of the Penobscot Nation, fun with the Frogtown Puppeteers, the rootsy rock sounds of Deer Isle’s own Hymn For Her, Enchanted Islands with storyteller Melody Bates and much more. With a generous grant from the W.F. Whitman Foundation in honor of Maia Aprahamian, and support from the Anahata Foundation all tickets are still only $5. 

A Midsummer Night’s Gala, our largest fundraising event of the year will be held on July 5th. With fabulous food prepared by Portland’s Bread and Butter Catering and entertainment by jazz vocalist and songwriter Gabrielle Stravelli, this is a special event not to be missed! 

Opera House Arts will join theaters around the nation in a special simultaneous screening celebration of the 50th anniversary of the movie “Jaws.” The film will be screened at 6 PM on May 24 for only $5 per person. “Jaws” is sponsored by The Island Agency. Outdoor Movies at the Stonington Ball Field will also be $5 per person. On July 26 at 8:00 PM we will present “Stand By Me” and on August 23 at 7:30 PM “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.” 

We still have other exciting programs pending for our summer calendar. To subscribe to advance notices of shows and events, please visit the Opera House website https://operahousearts.org.

Programs produced by Opera House Arts in 2025 are sponsored by a major grant from the Anahata Foundation, with additional grants from the Town of Stonington. Live for $5 programs are sponsored by The W.F. Whitman Family Foundation in memory of Maia Aprahamian and the Anahata Foundation.

Opera House Arts, a 501 [c] [3] nonprofit organization, was founded in 1999 to restore the 1912 Stonington Opera House, on the National Register of Historic Places, and its original purpose as a performance space and community cornerstone.