Ogunquit Playhouse
Ogunquit Playhouse past and future: a historic summer theater carrying its legacy into the next century.
Since 1933, the Ogunquit Playhouse has stood at the cultural heart of Ogunquit, growing from a summer theater founded by Walter and Maude Hartwig into one of the most prominent regional theaters in the country. Built at its present Main Street location in 1937, the Playhouse is one of the last great survivors of the golden age of summer stock, and for generations it helped bring first-rate theatrical talent to a small seaside town with outsized artistic ambition.
In its earlier years, the Playhouse was part of a theatrical world shaped by touring performers, summer stock traditions, and road-company culture. But over time it evolved into something more distinctive: not merely a stop along the way, but a nationally respected producing theater in its own right. Today its productions are not generic imports. They are purpose-built for this stage, created with Broadway-level craft and imagination for the Ogunquit audience and for this particular venue.
No visit to Ogunquit feels complete without the possibility of a night or matinee at the Playhouse. It is one of the town's signature experiences: elegant, lively, beloved, and central to Ogunquit's identity as a place where beauty and culture meet. Now, as it approaches its second century, the Playhouse is planning a renewed campus for the future — preserving its historic importance while expanding its capacity to serve artists, audiences, and the larger community for generations to come. (Tip: Avoid site misdirection and scalpers, purchase tickets directly from the Playhouse website!)
