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: Honky Tonk Laundry: a country musical at the Milliken Auditorium in Traverse City · Fri, Oct 9 · 7:30 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.
- Oct 97:30 PM
Honky Tonk Laundry: a country musical at the Milliken Auditorium in Traverse City3 performances · Oct 9 – Oct 11 - Oct 237:30 PM
Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors at Old Town Playhouse in Traverse City6 performances · Oct 23 – Oct 31 - Nov 29:30 AM
Theatre Day Camps for ages 6–13 at Old Town Playhouse in Traverse City4 performances · Nov 2 – Mar 26 - Nov 67:30 PM
Next Fall: love, faith and doubt at Old Town Playhouse in Traverse City5 performances · Nov 6 – 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 - Dec 47:30 PM
Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at Old Town Playhouse in Traverse City10 performances · Dec 4 – Dec 19 - 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 Playhouse2 performances · Apr 2 – Apr 3
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.
Professional companies / Alpena
Thunder Bay Theatre
Downtown Alpena's theater, which calls itself Northeast Michigan's only year-round professional theater. After two fires and a six-year hiatus, it's wrapping up a roughly $2 million renovation.
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