“Rhinoceros,” 2026. Lindsay Raymondjack Photography.
About Vermont Stage
Vermont Stage is Northern Vermont’s professional theatre company. We are a home for creative artists and bold, thought-provoking theatre.
Since 1994, we’ve produced over 150 shows, bringing nationally recognized plays to local audiences hungry for stories that challenge, inspire, and connect. From gripping dramas to unexpected comedies, we celebrate the vibrant, ever-evolving culture of our time.
Mission
To create theatre that makes our community a better place.
We do this by:
Producing plays that show us what we have in common is more powerful than what separates us
Providing a supportive professional environment in which theatre artists are inspired to perform their best work
Enhancing the cultural and commercial vitality of our community
Encouraging the development of Vermont audiences and their love of theatre
Vision
Community members flock to Vermont Stage productions because theatre enriches their lives. The breadth and depth of Vermont Stage productions is unmatched in the region and is made possible by the strong support of the community.
Values
At Vermont Stage, our values guide every decision we make onstage, in the office, and out in the community.
Creativity
Professionalism
Community Enrichment
Stimulated Audiences
Substantive Theatre
As a nonprofit arts organization, Vermont Stage thrives thanks to the support of our community. Each year, we produce more than 100 performances and education programs that engage thousands across the region: on stage, in classrooms, and beyond.
Our History
“The Glass Menagerie”, our first production, 1994.
When Vermont Stage was founded in 1994, it reignited professional theatre in Burlington for the first time in nearly a decade.
In its early years, the company embraced its nomadic circumstances with ingenuity, producing plays wherever the story could be told: Champlain College's Hauke Auditorium, UVM's Royall Tyler Theatre, and barns across Vermont during a spirited tour of its original production Mad River Rising by Dana Yeaton. These formative years laid the groundwork for what Vermont Stage would become: inventive, fearless, and built for the community it serves.
“The Tempest” with Burlington's Taiko Drummers
By 2000, Vermont Stage had earned three Bessie Awards for Best Play from Burlington City Arts and a permanent home to match its growing reputation.
The company became the resident theatre at FlynnSpace within the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Burlington, marking a major milestone in its history. For the first time, Vermont Stage had a real stage, a real season, and deeper roots in the community it was built to serve.
Young Actors performing at the VYP Festival, 2025
Vermont Stage’s education program is where the next generation of storytellers finds its voice.
Vermont Stage's Vermont Young Playwrights program has helped more than 13,000 middle and high school students across Vermont write their very first play since 1995. Hundreds of those plays have been brought to life on stage with humor, heart, and insight. In 2004, the program was honored with the New England Theatre Conference Regional Award for Outstanding Achievement in the American Theatre, a recognition of what happens when young people are given the tools, the time, and a real audience.
“The Legend of Georgia McBride,” 2019. Raymondjack Photography.
In December 2018, Vermont Stage opened its first production in a renovated theatre at Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center on the Burlington waterfront.
The intimate black box creates a powerful connection between audience and performance, and the stunning lobby, with panoramic views of Lake Champlain, offers a welcoming place to gather before the show. For Vermont Stage, this space has been more than a new venue. It has been a home.
“Gracie vs The People,” 2026 Tour. Will Wilder Photography.
In 2024, Vermont Stage launched Public Square Plays, bringing professional theatre directly to Vermont students.
Since then, the program has toured curriculum-connected plays to middle and high schools across the state, reaching communities where access to theatre is limited. Each performance includes a post-show discussion connecting students to the social and historical themes on stage. The work is designed to spark empathy, sharpen critical thinking, and open conversation among a new generation of Vermonters.
Sarah Mell in the world premiere of “Breakfalls” by Gina Stevensen, 2024. Raymondjack Photography.
Vermont Stage isn't just creating theatre. We're fueling Vermont's creative economy.
Since our founding, we've employed more than 5,000 local actors, designers, directors, and technicians, and welcomed nearly a quarter million people to our performances. According to the Americans for the Arts AEP6 study, Vermont arts audiences spend an average of $38.46 per person beyond the cost of admission, money that flows directly to nearby restaurants, bars, and businesses. Every Vermont Stage production is an economic event as well as an artistic one. This year alone, Vermont Stage will engage more than 10,000 people on stage, in classrooms, and throughout the region, generating an estimated $269,000 in additional revenue for Burlington's local economy.
Chris Caswell and Alex Hudson in “The Half-Life of Marie Curie”, 2026. Raymondjack Photography.
Thirty-one years in, Vermont Stage is still doing what it set out to do: create theatre that makes our community a better place.
The productions get more ambitious, the education programs reach further, and the community that gathers around this work keeps growing. We're grateful for every person who has been part of it, and we're not done yet.
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