July
Comedy of Errors - Highland Arts Theatre in Sydney kicks off its summer season with an outdoor showing of Shakespeare. Hit up Open Hearth Park, Indian Beach or Rose Schwartz Memorial Park in New Waterford for these free performances—just be sure to book a seat online before you go. Jul 9, Indian Beach, North Sydney, 7pm; Jul 12, Rose Schwartz Memorial Park, New Waterford, 7pm; Jul 13-15, Open Hearth Park, Sydney; free, highlandartstheatre.com to reserve your seat
Half-Cracked - Ship's Company is now in its 37th year of working to prioritize Atlantic Canadian theatre art, and along the way it became an economic incubator as a reliable draw for visitors to Parrsboro. In the Mary-Colin Chisholm-written Half-Cracked, sisters Yewina and Sissy Mary—played by Sharleen Kalayil and Genevieve Steele—will have your sides splitting in blissful agony in this rural Nova Scotian-set comedy as the two spinsters spin tales. July 7-25, 7:30pm, Ship's Company Theatre, 18 Lower Main Street, Parrsborro, $30
First Flight - Two Planks and a Passion Theatre and Theatre du Poulet are pulling out the puppets to chronicle the journey of a bird as it takes its first flight. The piece is part of the National Arts Centre's nationwide series Grand Acts of Hope—and is the only Atlantic Candian entry. July 24, Ross Creek Arts Centre, 555 Ross Creek Road, Canning, free, reserve a seat and make a donation at artscentre.ca/twoplankscurrent.html
Schoolhouse - Take a trip back to 1938 with this Two Planks and a Passion Theatre play that follows Melita Linton as she begins her teaching career at a schoolhouse outside of Baker's Creek. Will this outsider be able win over the locals—and her students? July 14-Sep 5; Tue, Wed, Sat 6pm; Sun 2pm; Ross Creek Arts Centre, 555 Ross Creek Road, Canning, $32-$15
A Tale on Two Wheels - Gale Force Theatre—the powered-by-bike theatre duo bringing all-ages shows to a park near you—is back with a new show that wee ones (18 months to six years old) will love. The show follows two delivery workers: Normally tasked with delivering the day, their lives are rapidly turned upside down when asked to deliver the night. The show includes a live musician, puppetry, whimsy and much silliness. Jul 9, Frog Pond Park (Dingle) 11am, 2pm; Jul 10, Fort Needham Park, 11am, 2pm; July11, Dartmouth Common, 11am, 2pm; Jul 16-18, Point Pleasant Park (near lower parking lot) 11am, 2pm; Jul 23, Dewolf Park, 11am; Jul 23, Fish Hatchery Park, 2pm; free
Outside Mullingar - The Tony-nominated story about misfit love, warring families and a good amount of wit, don't mistake Outside Mullingar for a teenage passion-drama: This tender story centers around two middle-aged shut-ins caught in the middle of a dispute over farmland in Ireland. Jul 16-Aug 7 (no shows on Mondays), 7:30pm, Theatre Baddeck, 24 Queen Street, Baddeck, Cape Breton, $18-$28
Midsummer Night's Dream - Shakespeare By The Sea is back—and how we missed the fresh-air theatre during last year's COVID hiatus! To celebrate its return, SBTS is performing its most popular show for audiences all season long, so get ready to experience gender bending to a backdrop of crashing waves surrounded by nature and...other people? What a concept. Jul 30-Sep 5, Tues-Sun 7pm, Cambridge Battery at Point Pleasant Park, 5480 Point Pleasant Drive, $20-$30
Macbeth by Fire - For the health and safety of the (award-winning) Two Planks and a Passion cast and crew, please refrain from saying the play's name out loud when at the performance—but know that there's no better way to see The Scottish Play this summer than by bonfire in Canning. Jul 17-Sep 4, Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat, 9pm; Ross Creek Arts Centre, 555 Ross Creek Road, Canning, $15-$32
Hello City by the Sea - The biggest name in improv takes the stage for a mix of competitive short-form and Shakespearean-inspired silliness. Mondays, Jul 19-Aug 30, 7pm, Cambridge Battery at Point Pleasant Park, 5480 Point Pleasant Drive, pay what you can
August
Good Grief - In its second production of the season, Ship's Company continues to vaccinate against COVID stress with a solid dose of whimsy. This heartwarming comedy investigates grief through song, dance and a giant named Andre. "My Cape Breton background has definitely taught me to rely on humour and music as a way to cope," says playwright Richie Wilcox. Aug 4-22, 7:30pm, Ship's Company Theatre, 18 Lower Main Street, Parrsborro, $15-$30 (Aug 4-5 are PWYC)
Robin Hood: The Great Escape - Festival Antigonish takes Robin Hood to new heights—literally and figuratively—in its forward-thinking version of the classic legend: This immersive play will take place over a 1.5 km stretch of trail on Keppoch Mountain. Aug 4-19, 7pm, 193 Keppoch Road, Antigonish, $27-$30
Adventures - A pair of coming-of-age stories blurring the line between fairytale, fantasy and the uncomfortable realities of our modern condition, Adventures tells the story of PJ and Wendy, narrated by Mother Tree (played by Ann-Marie Kerr). Will PJ and Wendy fly or fall when they jump from her highest branch? Aug 25-29, 9:15pm, Cambridge Battery at Point Pleasant Park, 5480 Point Pleasant Drive