Ithaca is home to some amazing local theatre with which students can engage.
THE HANGAR THEATRE
The Hangar Theatre is Ithaca's flagship professional theatre, offering world-class productions of plays and musicals in addition to excellent children's theatre and educational programs. The Hangar produces a series of plays and musicals every summer, and hosts a variety of events and concerts throughout the year. Ithaca College students have an opportunity to get involved with the Hangar by taking advantage of student discount tickets, auditioning to be a part of their Mainstage season, work on their craft by www.hangartheatre.org.
WALKING ON WATER PRODUCTIONS
Walking on Water Productions (WoW) is a Tompkins County musical theatre company that empowers local theatre artists by training, collaborating with, and showcasing them through production opportunities, internships, and educational workshops that provide individual development and community connection; together, we present both new and existing works that appeal to multi-generational audiences.
https://www.walkingonwaterproductions.org/
THE KITCHEN THEATRE COMPANY
Kitchen Theatre Company is a professional Equity theater that is now in its 25th season. Located in a recently renovated LEED certified building with an intimate 99-seat performance space, the Kitchen is committed to producing bold and engaging new and recent plays. KTC was founded by two Ithaca College students in 1991 and has been led by artistic director Rachel Lampert since 1997. There continues to be a strong connection between the Kitchen and Ithaca College. Graduates of Ithaca College regularly design, act and direct on the Kitchen stage. Students often work with us as interns, technical over hire and have designed and acted on our MainStage season. Kitchen Theatre Company offers EMC points to qualifying young actors and stage managers. KTC appreciates the long-standing relationship with the faculty and the future professionals from Ithaca College's Center for Theatre and Dance. Tickets and subscriptions are available by calling (607) 272-0570 or online at www.kitchentheatre.org
THE CHERRY ARTSPACE / CHERRY ARTS
The Cherry Artspace is a flexible, multidisciplinary venue located at 102 Cherry Street on the banks of the Cayuga Inlet in Ithaca's West End. The Cherry Artspace houses the work of our resident company, The Cherry Arts, and provide a home for a number of Ithaca's excellent arts organizations and for exciting work from outside the area. In addition to theatre, we host concerts, burlesque, dance, and opera performances; art exhibits and installations; film screenings; poetry and book readings; and any other form of artistic expression we love.
The Cherry Arts is the Artspace's resident not-for-profit theatre company: we produce work that is radically local, radically global, and formally innovative, created by a collective of Ithaca-area professional theatre artists. And we curate a full season of programming in the Artspace from a variety of creators whose work we love. In addition to innovative theatre, this work includes dance, music, puppetry, visual arts, and other exceptional works from Ithaca-area artists and beyond. Visit online at http://www.thecherry.org/.
THE STATE THEATRE
The State Theatre was built in 1915. Under current leadership the theatre's missions is to enhance the cultural life of Ithaca and the Finger Lakes by preserving, operating and promoting the historic State Theatre as an active venue for national, international and community performances and programming. Visit online at www.stateofithaca.com.
OPERA ITHACA
Opera Ithaca is Ithaca NY's professional opera company. Co-founded in 2014 by Zachary James (IC Theatre Arts alumni) and Lynn Craver. Opera Ithaca is now in its fifth season. Opera Ithaca opened its doors with Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle and has gone on to produce Don Giovanni, Die Fledermaus, Abduction from the Seraglio, Thumbprint, Cenerentola, the professional premiere of IL Sogno by Kristin Hevner Wyatt and the world premiere of Billy Blythe by Bonnie Montgomery. In addition to stage productions, Opera Ithaca is committed to providing a consistent venue for classical vocal music and programs concerts and community outreach events in Ithaca and the surrounding region.
Opera Ithaca is committed to educating the singers of tomorrow and with that goal in mind started an Apprentice Artist program which provides opportunities to young singers who are in between formal training and a professional career. These young singers are cast in supporting roles, sing in the chorus, understudy principal singers and perform in concerts and community outreach events. For more information, please visit https://www.operaithaca.org/
RUNNING TO PLACES
Running to Places (R2P) is a nonprofit youth community theatre company that brings together middle and high school students from across the area. They develop life skills and meet their new best friends, all while making great theatre. We produce a season of five shows that are performed at venues such as the State Theatre, Kitchen Theatre, and Ithaca High School's Kulp Auditorium. Thanks to the support of our community and people like you, participation in R2P for the students is free. www.runningtoplaces.org or follow at facebook.com/runningtoplaces.
CIVIC ENSEMBLE
Civic Ensemble creates theatre that explores and explodes the social, political, and cultural issues of our time. We bring audiences of different races, classes, and experiences together in a public forum on the American experiment. Visit online at http://civicensemble.org/ .
ITHACA BALLET
The Ithaca Ballet, under the direction of Cindy Reid, is Upstate New York's only repertory company and is the resident ballet company at the beautiful State Theatre in downtown Ithaca. Founded in 1961, it is also the oldest continuously performing arts group in Tompkins County. The Ithaca Ballet's mission is sharing the art of classical dance with the widest audience possible in upstate New York. For more information, please visit http://www.ithacaballet.org/.
ITHACA SHAKESPEARE
The Ithaca Shakespeare Company is regional organization in Central New York. Our performances draw a total audiences of approximately 5,000 per year, with visitors in 2016 coming from throughout New York State and from 38 other states and 34 foreign countries. ISC currently presents three to four fully stage productions each year, including indoor shows in February and/or November and two outdoor shows performed in rotating repertory each July. ISC productions feature both Equity and non-Equity actors, with actors and designers coming from throughout Central New York, New York City, Chicago, and elsewhere. For more information, please visit http://ithacashakespeare.org/.
CORNELL PERFORMING AND MEDIA ARTS
The department of Performing and Media Arts leads students from all disciplines through artistic and scholarly explorations of live performance forms, such as theatre and dance, and mediated forms, such as cinema and television. Cornell Performing and Media Arts will often include Ithaca College Center for Theatre and Dance performers, designers, technicians and more for their productions. For more information, please visit https://pma.cornell.edu/.