Top Ten Places For Kid's Theater In The Hamptons And North Fork

7/20/13 - By Natalie Silverstein

Movies and television are fine sometimes, but nothing beats live theater to spark young imaginations and to keep children mesmerized. With several top notch theater companies in the Hamptons and North Fork, there's no need to drive all the way into Manhattan to take kids to a show. From Kid Fest productions at Guild Hall in East Hampton, to national touring companies at the Westhampton Performing Arts Center, to the North Fork Community Theater, here are our top picks for live children's theater.

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North Fork Community Theater
12700 Old Sound Avenue
Mattituck, NY 11952
631-298-4500
The North Fork Community Theater hosts Youth on Stage each summer, a program for local teens to perform in a full-scale musical production. Shows include South Pacific, Footloose, Kiss Me Kate, and Legally Blonde.

Bay Street Theater
1 Bay Street
Sag Harbor, NY 11963
631-725-9500
The Bay Street Theater is a non-profit, professional regional theater located on the Long Wharf in Sag Harbor. The Bay Street Theater presents new, classical, and contemporary works, and is committed to providing educational programs for the community. The Bay Street Theater also hosts kids theater classes and camps. Many of the world premier productions that The Bay Street Theater stage enjoy Broadway and off-Broadway runs. Family friendly productions include Grease, and A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum.

Quogue Junior Theater Troupe
125 Jessup Avenue
Quogue, NY 11959
The Quogue Junior Theater Troupe formed in 1979 as a creative extension of the Junior Sports Program. In exchange for use of the town theater, and at the mayor's request, the founders created a theater program to benefit the youth of the village. Each summer, the Quogue Junior Theater Troupe showcases two professionally directed productions. Shows include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and How to Eat Like a Child (How to Act Like a Kid), which is based on the book by Delia Ephron.

Southampton Cultural Center
25 Pond Lane
Southampton, NY 11968
631-287-4377
The Southampton Cultural Center is a hub of activity, which includes juried art shows, center stage productions, and a Summer Concert Series in the Park. Bring a blanket and enjoy Shakespeare in the Park. The Kids and the Classics program is offered 30 minutes before each show, and keeps children engaged with theater games, along with an introduction to the featured production. This is a great way to introduce kids to the Bard.

Vail-Leavitt Music Hall
18 Peconic Avenue
Riverhead, NY 11901
631-727-5782
The historic Vail-Leavitt Music Hall, built in 1881, emulates The Ford Theater in Washington, DC. It serves as a rental and performance space, and family friendly offerings pop up on the calendar with regularity. The East End Children's Theater Company uses the Vail-Leavitt Music Hall for all of its productions, including Shrek: The Musical, and traveling theater groups like Spotlight bring crowd pleasers like Grease.

Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center
76 Main Street
Westhampton Beach, NY 11977
631-288-1500
The Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center has a packed schedule of performers, dance companies, musicians, and comedians. Options for kids are abound, with family friendly performances like Fancy Nancy the Musical, Seussical, and the Zoppe Italian Family Circus taking center stage.

Goat on a Boat
Route 114 and East Union Street
Sag Harbor, NY 11963
631-725-4193
Goat on a Boat is a hidden gem, tucked away in the lower level of the Parish Hall of Christ Episcopal Church, just steps away from Long Wharf. Visiting marionette theater companies from around the world are invited to perform, such as Puppets in Prague with its production of Snow White. Other shows are created right on site, and include classics like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Little Red Riding Hood, and The Three Little Pigs.

Suffolk Theater
118 East Main Street
Riverhead, NY 11901
631-727-4343
The Suffolk Theater has a rich and storied history in Riverhead. Originally opened as a movie theater in 1933, and the main attraction in town for many years. With the rise of the multiplex, it closed in 1987 and sat idle until purchased and revitalized in 2005. It is a vibrant beacon of light on Main Street, and is a state of the art performing arts center. In addition to theatrical and musical performances for adults, family friendly offerings include puppet workshops and shows including The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Children's Edition), and Fun with Magic Al.

Guild Hall
158 Main Street
East Hampton, NY 11937
631-324-0806
Guild Hall is a visual and performing arts center for the entire community. In addition to ongoing hands-on craft and art workshops for kids, Guild Hall hosts Kid Fest on Wednesdays all summer, with performances like The Blue Barrel Show, Story Pirates, and the National Marionette Theater's production of Peter and the Wolf

Northeast Stage
Mitchell Park
115 Front Street
Greenport, NY 11944
631-477-2972
There is nothing like experiencing Shakespeare under the stars. The mission of Northeast Stage is to continue the tradition of presenting free Shakespeare in Mitchell Park, and inviting the community to participate in the process as performers, or behind the scenes as designers and producers. Shows include Henry V. When it rains, shows take place at Greenport High School.

Photo Credit: North Fork Community Theater

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