theatre by the sea

A night out here offers theater, a charming garden, and delish restaurant. Located in bucolic seaside Matunuck (one of S. K's villages), the theater itself is housed in a barn-like structure. Theater offerings are mainstream - sometimes too much for my taste. Seating itself is cozy, read that as somewhat less generous than other theaters' seating but, hey!, this is summer theater.Considering that the physical constraints of the building, the productions are to be admired. Recent tech improvements have enhanced productions.Check this place out if you want a night out at a family friendly venue; arrive early if you need accessible parking - call the theater to ensure that they have such parking.If their play doesn't attract you, check out downtown Wakefield's The Contemporary Theater. Both theaters are within 15 minutes of each other.

All the great reviews I'm reading! Must be a good experience if you have decent seats. If it's your first time, like mine, you won't know about the seats under the balcony. We spent over $200. on seats and saw nothing but the back of the head of the persons in front us. How they can in good faith sell seats in the last six rows of the downstairs escapes me. They should have been $5. with the understanding it would be to hear the show, but not see it. We were in the second to last row, which was 4" narrower that the other rows. To top off how uncomfortable it was, the drunks in the back carrying on with over the top laughter added to the irritation. Maybe they knew the seats they had bought were terrible, so they got drunk ahead of time. Unfortunately, I hadn't had anything to drink. All the owner needs to do is eliminate ONE seat in every other row in the last six rows, then stagger the seats to open the view. I guess the money from five seats is more important than the experience everyone in that section has. I did crawl out of the row to go ask the box office if we could move upstairs. We could... for another $40. Two of us in our group spent the second half of the show outside on a bench rather than be tortured any more. Two others, not in our group, came out complaining of the same thing: cramped seats in the back with no view. Literally NO view.I would have had a photo of the head a few inches in front of me to show you the lack of view, but the obnoxious usher (he might have been the manager, he wore wrinkled mustard color sport coat) decided to be mister tough, tactless guy, came down yelling at me to delete the photo (as it turned out I took a picture of my thumb... I'm so good...). Couldn't come ask me nicely, he came unprovoked with full aggression. When I commented negatively about the view, he told me I was free to leave if I wanted, along with some additional choice words. A normal person would have offered or attempted to remedy the situation. The play had not started. The guy in the row behind me and a woman across from me took photos, but I was the chosen one for his little tantrum display. Customer service, that's what makes an event so memorable."So Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?" It sounded great. Make sure you get good seats and you'll likely have a good time. I'm sure those in normal seats, where you could see the play could give great reviews. Can't critique something I didn't see.I realize this is a small community theater... not Broadway. Sitting on bleachers to see a high school play in a gym would have been a more satisfying though. For me, between the seats and the jerk usher, I will never return. I know and appreciate that everyone in the play had worked hard for their money. I work hard for my money too... I don't like being ripped off. There are other theaters in the area. They know the last six rows are awful, yet still sell them. It's been a full week since the play and I'm still just as dissatisfied and disappointed in the experience.

We've seen a number of wonderful shows here...and a couple of duds, but overall this is a unique theater with professional talent. Like others pointed out, there's no A/C, but ceiling fans and doors open to sea breezes help a lot. This is a great place to expose kids and teens to classic Broadway and they have a series of children's shows as well. Never had the pleasure of dining there, but I've heard good things. The gardens are lovely and make for a delightful pre show or intermission stroll. Be wary of row GG (I think) in the balcony, which is at approximately the same level as the row before it!

Had front row seats, hard to beat. Great performance, reasonably priced drinks on the patio before & during intermission.

We went for dinner and a show and loved the whole experience. It is warm in there, dress accordingly. Outside was beautiful with a slight ocean breeze. Dinner was delicious with good portions and prices not bad for the whole ambience you are getting. Great place for a special night also!

Went to see a production of Spamalot. Fast paced, irreverent and very funny. The quality of the production was very good with some great singing voices. The facility is on the small side so that almost every seat is good. As said in so many reviews there is no AC so be prepared. The balcony can be very hot as a result. But the quality of the productions is consistently good and the pricing for a Broadway show is reasonable. Great local theater. Thank you Bill Hanney for making this possible.

Tucked away in Matunick RI this old barn converted into a theater puts on unbelievable shows. There is something for everyone. Spam-a-lot was side splitting funny. There is also a restaurant which serves yummy martinis and the freshest swordfish around. Reasonably priced. Check out Cabaret some nights.

We just saw a Monty Python's,"Spamalot." The music, the acting, and the entire production were wonderful. We were sitting near the back of the orchestra, but had no problem hearing and seeing the show. Wonderful way to support local theatre and to spend a summer evening!

The theatre version of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" Played well on the Rhody coast in Matunick. Wish the little barn theatre had AC, and would have rated 5 if it did. Dress lightly and you will enjoy, Buddy Cianci as the voice of God was a plus, as was the music, entertainment and great shore dining nearby. Can't wait until next season begins with "Smoky Joe's Cafe."

We are season ticket holders and enjoy attending the performances here. We have done this for many years. When the theatre closed a few years back, we were so sad. But, finally it opened up again and we returned to looking forward to each performance. Bill Hanney bought the place and had a theatre company come in to perform. They were very good, but not to the standards of the shows they had in the past. Then, a couple of years ago, Bill took over and the performances are top notch. We have been to many shows on Broadway and the shows at Theatre By the Sea are every bit as good, in my opinion. We live close by and it is so convenient. No, there is no AC, but we have found that we are comfortable and there has always been a nice ocean breeze during the evenings that we have attended the performances. It is rustic, but the seats are very comfortable and there is something very charming about this place that you will probably not find anywhere else. The grounds are beautiful with lovely greenery and flowers everywhere. They have benches to sit on outside while waiting and if you get there early enough, you can find a seat and take in the beauty of the surrounding plantings. We love this theatre and will continue to support it. Every performance this year, was amazing from Grease to the Rat Pack, Mary Poppins and then last night, we saw Spamalot. They were all wonderful with a very professional cast that are spectacular in regards to acting, singing and dancing. Don't miss this wonderful place!!

The production of Mary Poppins was extraordinary! The set, the choreography, the acting, the costumes.. everything.. it was captivating! You found yourself tapping your toes and wanting to sing along! Funny, after all these years, prior to the show, I could only recall a few lines of the songs, and that the storyline was something to do with ill behaved children, but couldn't recall the exact story. It was very enjoyable to see this story come to life again through this production!Theatre by the Sea is great summer theatre.. down toward the beaches of South County, in an older bldg with fans and opened windows & doorways, to keep you cool. There's an outdoor courtyard garden & a lit arbor walway leading to a restaurant that you can dine prior to the show, or enjoy a cabaret after the show. The arbor is made up of beautiful assortment of flowers and greenery. We decided to attend, just hours before the curtain call time, finding seats in the balcony, that worked out fine. The theatre is small enough that you really don't have a 'bad' seat. My only concern was the seats were a bit cramped.. but the production had me focusing on otherwise, in no time.FYI.. you can purchase tickets for available seats, online ($5 processing fee for each ticket), or call the box office for an eticket (only $3 processing fee/ticket), or pick them up at the box office.

Mary Poppins was one of the best shows I have ever seen. The acting, singing, props, stage, lighting were tops. I felt like it was magical.

We vacation for a week on the Rhode Island shoreline almost annually, and over the years we have taken in a few shows at Theater By the Sea. The level of acting/singing/dancing/set construction/lighting is always high and doesn't disappoint! But be prepared; the venue is RUSTIC--pretty much just a barn--and there is no air conditioning, which made one show we went to absolutely brutal. It has an overall "quaint" feel, however, and if the weather is on the cooler side you will enjoy yourself. The grounds are interesting, with a pergola-covered walkway lined on both sides with lovely gardens and covered in vines. We have eaten in the attached restaurant a couple of times too, and that has been a good experience as well. Before the play and during intermission, cocktails are available at a gazebo in the center of the yard. It's all pretty expensive, but I don't mind splurging for a memorable night out which this usually is. Attended by all ages including lots of elderly, and any dress is accepted, from beach casual to people who just enjoy dressing up for a night out. Fun night out. Would probably give it 5 stars if not for that one time where the lack of air conditioning really, really mattered.

My wife and I have been subscripers to this national treasure for many years and we look forward to it every year. While some productions are better than others they are always done professionally and the acting, singing, and dancing are performed by an excellent cast. The ground are beautiful and the on-site restaurant is very good. Come to see one production and you will end up a season subscriber!

I went to a wedding venued here and it was grogeous. Unfortunately, it was supposed to be an outdoor wedding, but it rained the whole time. The staff was super accommodating and quickly moved everything inside and made it seem like it was meant to be an indoor wedding the whole time. It is a gorgeous place but the rain brought out the not so gorgeous parts of it like the leaky ceiling, lights flickering, and a couple other small things. Some of the people working there were ridiculously nice, others were not. Overall, a great venue for a wedding. I have never been there for a performance though so I cannot rate the theater.