Community theaters / Old Town, Traverse City
Old Town Playhouse
Traverse City's community theater, in a 1903 church that became a playhouse in 1975. A 277-seat MainStage, a Studio Theatre, youth and senior companies, and about 160 volunteer ushers.
Next up: Audition: How to Train Your Dragon The Musical JR · Tue, Nov 10 · 4:30 PM
Quick facts
- Opened
- 1975
- Seats
- 277 (MainStage; about 230 with full view for most sets) + Studio Theatre
- Resident companies
- Old Town Playhouse · OTP Young Company · Aged to Perfection (senior theatre group)
- Formerly
- First Christian Church (1903)
01 / Playbill
Now on stage
From the venue’s own calendar, updated automatically. Tap a title for details and tickets.
- Nov 104:30 PM
Audition: How to Train Your Dragon The Musical JRNov 10 - Nov 137:30 PM
Next Fall: love, faith and doubt at Old Town Playhouse in Traverse City2 performances · Nov 13 – Nov 14 - Nov 176:00 PM
Fall Class Showcase: student showcase at Old Town Playhouse (balcony)Nov 17 - Nov 176:00 PM
Fall Class Showcase: student showcase at Old Town Playhouse (main floor)Nov 17 - Nov 207:00 PM
A Seussified Christmas Carol: a rhyming holiday classic at Old Town Playhouse4 performances · Nov 20 – Nov 22 - Nov 259:30 AM
Theatre Day Camps for ages 6–13 at Old Town Playhouse in Traverse City3 performances · Nov 25 – Mar 26 - Dec 47:30 PM
Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at Old Town Playhouse in Traverse City10 performances · Dec 4 – Dec 19 - Dec 114:30 PM
Tech Crew Class – How To Train Your Dragon The Musical JR.Dec 11 - Jan 157:30 PM
Macbeth: prophecy, ambition and a throne at the Old Town Playhouse6 performances · Jan 15 – Jan 23 - Feb 57:30 PM
for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf at the Old Town Playhouse5 performances · Feb 5 – Feb 13 - Feb 197:00 PM
How to Train Your Dragon The Musical JR. at the Old Town Playhouse8 performances · Feb 19 – Feb 27 - Mar 127:30 PM
The Sound Inside: a professor, a student and an unthinkable favor at Old Town Playhouse5 performances · Mar 12 – Mar 20 - Apr 27:30 PM
Pippin: a prince learns about glory, love and war at Old Town Playhouse10 performances · Apr 2 – Apr 17 - Apr 237:00 PM
Sophocles' Antigone: law of the state or divine duty? Teens take it on at Old Town Playhouse3 performances · Apr 23 – Apr 24
Announced lineup
What the venue announced on its own site when we last checked (2026-09-26). Click through for exact times and tickets.
- PlayExit Laughing ↗
02 / The story of this place
Make time for these
Old Town Playhouse lives in the former First Christian Church, built in 1903 and converted into a theater in 1975. The 277-seat MainStage hosts musicals and plays, while the Studio Theatre handles smaller works. The Young Company and the “Aged to Perfection” senior group run their own programs. About 160 volunteer ushers cover more than 110 performances a season. The 2026-27 season brings Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (December 4–19, 2026) and Macbeth (January 15–23, 2027), with The Sound Inside and Pippin later on.
- A theater in a 1903 church
- Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors, Oct. 23–31, 2026
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Dec. 4–19, 2026
Plan your visit
The theater is at 148 E Eighth St in Traverse City's Old Town. The box office is open Wednesday to Friday, 3 to 6 p.m.; call (231) 947-2210. About 230 of the MainStage seats have a full view for most sets, so buy early.
Box office
Box office Wednesday–Friday 3–6 p.m.; business office Monday–Friday 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; phone (231) 947-2210.
Theaters nearby
Back to theaters ↗Broadway & big houses / Traverse City
City Opera House
An 1891 Victorian opera house in downtown Traverse City with about 680 seats, presenting singer-songwriter, roots, bluegrass and jazz concerts.
Community theaters / Petoskey
Little Traverse Civic Theatre
The volunteer community theater of Petoskey and the Little Traverse Bay area since 1945. Along with its season, it stages an annual Rocky Horror Picture Show shadowcast at local cinemas.
Community theaters / Manistee
Ramsdell Theatre
A 1903 opera house in downtown Manistee, now a regional arts center.
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