On Stage

Experience the magic of theatre!

Theatre offers a captivating experience for audience members. Unlike a movie, a theatre performance is never the same show twice; it’s a vibrant experience that is unique to that particular audience. So get out and see a show!

July 17–Aug. 2: Once Upon a Mattress at Sonoma Arts Live Theater Company

Many, many moons ago in a far-off place, Queen Aggravain decreed no couples could marry until her son Prince Dauntless found a bride. Princesses came from far and wide to win the hand of the prince, but none could pass the impossible tests given to them by the Queen. That is, until the swamp Princess Wobegone shows up!
276 East Napa St, Sonoma

July 23–Aug. 7: Much Ado About Nothing at Raven Performing Arts Theater

While Claudio and Hero fall in love and get engaged, the villainous Don John tricks Claudio into believing Hero is unfaithful, leading him to publicly humiliate her at the altar. Meanwhile, their friends conspire to make the sparring Beatrice and Benedick fall in love, and they eventually confess their feelings for each other. The play’s climax, in pure Shakespearean form, involves a faked death, a confession of Don John’s plot, and a happy ending with a double wedding – of course!
15 North St, Healdsburg

July 31-Aug. 8: BEACHED presented by The Imaginists

A new play by G. Brent Lindsay. Beached is an absurdist tragicomedy in the tradition of Laurel and Hardy, Beckett, Kafka, Tom Stoppard, and Eric Overmyer.
Old friends Jaycoen and Ougein wake up to another delightful day at the beach as ocean sings and war rages on. But Today enters like no other Yesterday, for this day has arrived with new twisted turns and burns, tucked-up into its sun-worn sleeves. The Imaginists 461 Sebastopol Avenue, Santa Rosa

July 31st–Aug. 16: Caesar by Jacobethan Theatre Workshop

Julius Caesar unfolds in 100 minutes of sharp, modern storytelling. A political system strains under ambition, loyalty fractures, and public rhetoric turns volatile. With minimal staging and contemporary dress, the play lands uncomfortably close to the present: a study of power, perception, and how quickly a republic can shift.
(Multiple locations)

Aug. 7–16: Extended Run: Who Will Dance with Pancho Villa? at Raven Performing Arts Theater

The story of a young Chicano from Chicago, lured to the East Coast by an Ivy League scholarship. As he tries to make a life there, he neglects family relationships and deep cultural roots established throughout generations. It takes his mother’s nearly fatal heart attack, help from a Jewish therapist, and the visitation of the spirits of his long dead relatives (and of his historical idol, Pancho Villa) to help him realize what he’s lost, and how to get it back. Dancing spirits, who are intertwined throughout the play, help remind “Chicano” of the joy in dancing, especially when dancing is much more than dancing.
15 North St, Healdsburg

Aug. 13-30: Mamma Mia! by Transcendence Theatre Company

The smash hit musical based on the songs of ABBA! Set on a sun-drenched Greek island, Mamma Mia! follows a young bride-to-be on a quest to discover the identity of her father — bringing three very unexpected guests from her mother’s past back into their lives. Fueled by ABBA’s greatest hits (including “Dancing Queen,” “Mamma Mia,” “The Winner Takes It All,” and more), this joyful tale of family, friendship, love, and second chances has captured the hearts of millions worldwide.
Field of Dreams- 151 1st St W, Sonoma

Aug. 21–Sept. 20: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific at 6th Street Playhouse

Against the backdrop of the Pacific War of WWII, South Pacific blends high-stakes wartime romance with a poignant exploration of social prejudice. When spirited Navy nurse, Nellie Forbush, falls in love with a sophisticated French planter, and a young Marine lieutenant finds himself captivated by an ethereal island girl, their relationships are tested by the prejudices and pressures of a world at war. What unfolds is a deeply moving story about love, courage, and the transformative power of understanding.
52 W 6th St, Santa Rosa

Aug. 28–Sept. 13: Intimate Apparel at Mercury Theater

In 1905 New York City, Esther, a Black seamstress, is in great demand for the intimate apparel she creates for clients who range from wealthy white patrons to prostitutes. Though leading a life that provides joy to so many, she remains lonely and longing for a husband and a future. Through a mutual acquaintance, she begins a correspondence with a lonesome Caribbean man named George and soon he persuades her that they should marry, sight unseen. However, Esther’s heart is drawn to the Hasidic shopkeeper from whom she buys cloth, and his heart with her. When George arrives in the city, Esther is hit with the reality of the situation and she is forced to face a future that she is truly unprepared for.
3333 Petaluma Blvd N, Petaluma

Aug. 22–30: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie at Cinnbar Theater

If you give a mouse a cookie

With a bag of cookies and a good spot in the yard to read his comic book, Boy was ready for a perfectly peaceful day. But then…Mouse came… He may be adorable but he is full of questions. And energy. And he’s hungry. What can Boy do but give Mouse a cookie? Wouldn’t you do the same thing? But, if you give a mouse a cookie, he’s going to want a glass of milk…Jody Davidson’s adaptation is a mayhem and mishap-filled joyride for all audiences!
2200 Petaluma Blvd N, Petaluma