Fascinating and beautifully constructed, I Am My Own Wife tells the story of East German transvestite Charlotte von Mahlsdorf who successfully navigated two oppressive twentieth century regimes while openly gay and defiantly in drag. Ed Shea portrays more than thirty characters in this inspirational study of courage and endurance. Winner of the 2004 Tony and Pulitzer, Doug Wright’s astonishing tale of individualism and daring was hailed as the dramatic event of the year. Don’t miss it.

Harper Lee’s coming-of-age classic remains one of the most beloved and influential stories of our time. The adventures of Scout, Jem and Atticus Finch are at once an epic saga brimming with stark lessons of tolerance and quiet heroism, and a simple story of love, hope and family. Imaginatively dramatized by Christopher Sergel,To Kill a Mockingbird is the perfect way for your family to celebrate the spirit of the holidays. Reserve soon for this one.

When an infamously cynical critic pens a gushingly glowing review, it’s time to sit up and take notice. Right? Well, here’s what New York’s John Simon wrote about Al an Ayckbourn’s unique masterpiece: Comic Potential “is one of the finest plays of all my theatergoing decades: A riotous farce, an exquisite love story, a superb satire, and an irresistible evening of theater. If you are going to see only one play in your life, make it this one.” Not bad, eh?

David Mamet's powerfully spare adaptation of The Voysey Inheritance is an impeccably crafted yarn chronicling a family in the midst of a moral dilemma. For generations, the Voysey family business has been cheating its clients. And when an honorable son inherits the company, he’s horrified to discover the secret of his family’s wealth: An Edwardian-era Ponzi scheme. Part drawing room comedy, part love story, part business-and-finance drama, Granvill e-Barker’s very prescient, very timely tale could have been ripped from today’s headlines. Can you say Madoff?

Steve Martin (yes, that Steve Martin) has transformed Die Hose, a 1910 German satire about an officious bureaucrat and his infuriatingly alluring wife, into a laugh-outloud farce. In Martin’s hands, scandal erupts into spectacle, and spectacle explodes into comedy. Filled with absurd, off-the-wall humor, incisive social commentary and, of course, Martinesque irreverence, The Underpants affirms the time-honored belief in the seriousness of silliness. It’s a wild-and-crazy play.

Full of passion, poetry and heart, William Luce's critically acclaimed one-woman show is a loving celebration of the life of one of America's greatest poets. And what better venue to experience Emily Dickinson's literary legacy than the atmospheric courtroom of the Historic Bristol Statehouse. This special event to benefit 2nd Story's 'Cool Campaign' promises to be a magical, lyrical and unforgettable experience. Don't miss it.
Contact 2nd Story Theatre for ticketing information

Historic Bristol Statehouse 240 High St Bristol, RI

Eccentric and loveable, the Sycamores are a devoted family, with young Alice at its heart. When Tony Kirby falls in love with her, his rigid, bourgeois family threatens to stand in the way of the young couple’s happiness. Amidst fireworks (literally), a living-room printing press, and an ex-Russian Grand Duchess turned waitress, the Kirbys realize that love and family are where it’s at.

Affable Elwood P. Dowd and his Pooka (a 6 1/2 foot invisible rabbit Harvey) have brought Elwood’s sister Veta to the end of her rope. While trying to commit Elwood to a sanitarium, it’s Veta who winds up in the doctor’s care. When Elwood returns to the hospital in search of Harvey, and risks the doctor’s interference on his sweet personality, Veta realizes that, in the end, she loves the kind-hearted Elwood just as he is.

those little foxes
younger and more passionate
yet just as vicious

alabama clan
covetous, grasping, scheming
the ties that bind them

A faith healer questions his motives,
his life, and his next move.

At the historic Bristol Statehouse
240 High St
Bristol, RI

Contact 2nd Story for tickets
Not part of the subscription series
All seats $20

Faith Healer is made possible in part by a grant from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, through an appropriation by the Rhode Island General Assembly and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

EXTENDED through December 20!

deaf, mute, and blind girl
prisoner of silent dark
how can i reach you?

illumination
w - a - t - e - r
the teacher is taught

death of a salesman
or the front page? Let's go with
the second story.

second city pols
battle with the fourth estate
some things never change

midwest family
strives and struggles, strengthened by
the power of love

playwright’s requiem
a childhood revisited
all is forgiven

stella’s sister blanche
always depended on the
kindness of strangers

blanched in poetry
on long rainy afternoons
hanging back with brutes

lovers and liars
bosoms heave while beaux deceive
all’s well that ends well

broke, bodacious boys
with wiles to woo wealthy wives
pricked by cupid’s shaft

chauvinistic lads
emancipated lassies
spark the flames of love

a romantic ruse
cleavage confronting codpiece
subterfuge exposed

Oscar Wilde with his words would cavort;
Epigrams were his varsity sport.
For his love, not allowed,
He was scorned, but unbowed:
Victimized in Victorian court.

EXTENDED through December 23!

A story that most can recite:
How Mary and Joseph unite,
Flee Herod and danger
For Bethlehem’s manger—
A new version, sure to delight.

EXTENDED through March 1!

The 50’s! McCarthy! The Reds!
Bolsheviks under Hollywood’s beds!
The laughs are contagious,
The camp so outrageous,
We’ll prob’ly get bugged by the Feds!

It’s hot as the devil, and well,
With drifters you never can tell.
Now Lady’s in danger
Of bedding a stranger,
And sending him straight back to Hell.

Claire’s coming apart at the seams;
Her life is as weird as your dreams.
This tale of amnesia
Will tickle and tease ya
‘Cause nothing is quite as it seems!

Part romantic comedy, part civics lesson, Garson Kanin’s classic screwball satire presents a sparklingly effervescent tale of an endearing Everywoman’s transformation and triumph.

Part political satire, part love story, Lindsay & Crouse’s Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy waltzes between back room and bedroom, between affairs of state and affairs of the heart.

In the Courtroom of the historic Bristol Statehouse

A special event

Lawrence and Lee's powerful rendering of the landmark Scopes Monkey Trial shows that history never stays safely in the past. It might have been yesterday. It could be tomorrow.

A cavalcade of unforgettable characters comes to vivid, comic life in this new adaptation of Dickens' most cherished novel: "Like a fond parent, I have a favorite child; his name is David Copperfield."

Doors slam. Beds revolve. Libidos roam. Identities double. Is she? Does she? Who's he?! Feydeau mixes sex and suspicion into a naughty brew of love, laughter, lust, and a little more laughter.

With spin-doctoring passing for public discourse, George Bernard Shaw's topsy-turvy take on poverty, politics and other crimes becomes a timely, witty celebration of intellectual exuberance.

Love is in the air in a Kansas diner. William Inge’s classic comedy remains as delightful today as it was fifty years ago.
A retro charmer

Blind Willie and the Talking Dog
Shel Silverstein
"…man's best friend?…"

Can Can
Romulus Linney
"…the ties that bind…"

Single and Proud
Frederick Stroppel
"…dating's new world order…"

The Best Daddy
Shel Silverstein
"…a gift horse…"

The Mystery at Twicknam Vicarage
David Ives
"…masterful spoof, dahling!…"

Itch
Frederick Stroppel
"…scratch THIS…"

Funeral Parlor
Christopher Durang
"…a stranger to kindness…"

A Grave Encounter
Gene Ruffini
"…one last chance…"

Buy One, Get One Free
Shel Silverstein
"…per verse fun…"

Cover
Jeffrey Sweet
"…boys will be boys…"

For Whom the Southern Bell Tolls
Christopher Durang
"…a fractured classic…"

Lemonade
James Prideaux
"…tart, sweet, refreshing…"

Seven Menus
David Ives
"…marry-go-round…"

The Role of Della
John Wooton
"…performance anxiety…"

Naomi in the Living Room
Christopher Durang
"…mommy queerest…"

Something to Eat
Norman L. Rhodes
"…love over easy…"

Terminating
Tony Kushner
"…shrink rap…"

The Imaginary Cuckold
Molière
"…curious, is he?…"

Awkward Silence
Jay Reiss
"…fretting to know you…"

Death Comes to Us All, Mary Agnes
Christopher Durang
"…family plotz…"

At mid-life, a woman risks it all for the love of a much younger man.
Adapted by Brian Friel.

What becomes a legend most? Patrick Dennis' heartwarming ode to eccentricity.

A towering American classic. Haunting. Passionate. Lyrical.

La créme de la créme: Richard Wilbur's wittiest translation of Molière's most popular play.

A tragicomedy of hope deferred, but never extinguished.

A Script-In-Hand Performance of this eloquently passionate homage to '60s anti-war activism.

Net proceeds to benefit the Rhode Island Military Family Relief Fund.