Why stop celebrating winter just because the holiday season has come to a close? You may not be able to lighten the winter sky any faster, but there are plenty of ways to brighten the long, polar nights that lay ahead of Cape Cod’s favorite season.

Community theater takes center stage at these favorite local venues celebrating American classics, musicals, and tour de force performances sure to stoke your fire!

The Barnstable Comedy Club, the Cape’s oldest live community theater (along with one of America’s), has the shoulder season perfectly covered. 2020 kicks off their almost 100^th season with the beloved, Pulitzer-winning Driving Miss Daisy through January 26th, followed by the saucy whodunit mystery A Shot In The Dark in March. Got a flair for drama? Check out the Auditions board!

Run, don’t walk to the Black Box Theatre at Cotuit Center for the Arts to see the smash hit Broadway comedy Fully Committed. This one-man show, playing through February 1st, features more than 40 magnificent characters in an uproarious day in the life of an unemployed actor manning a red-hot reservation phone line at a most sought-after Manhattan restaurant. You’re sure to leave mighty grateful to be in the “no reservations required” season on the Cape! And since it’s right down the road, plan another night out in the community this February to see the killer comedy Arsenic and Old Lace, one of America’s favorite farces, first debuted on Broadway in 1941. Live theater (and auditions) continue at this dynamic hub of culture through April—with a jam-packed schedule certain to bring you back all year long.

Chase away the big chill at the Upper Cape’s Falmouth Theatre Guild's production of You Can’t Take It With You, a comedy in three acts with more Playbills than you can count. This Pulitzer Prize-winning crowd-pleaser takes the stage at Falmouth's historic Highfield Theater through January 26th. What better time to be reminded of the bliss in pursuing your own interests? Speaking of bliss, if you happen to be looking for a Valentine’s date, Cape Cod’s Brazen Belles Burlesque troupe delivers an evening of pure entertainment on Friday, February 14th at their annual, sassy Valentease production.

Comedy’s in the air all winter long on the Cape with another satirical farce taking stage at the artist-driven Cape Rep Theatre in Brewster February 7-8. Once In A Lifetime, the rare Tinsletown play (some even say the best), promises direct transport to Hollywood in all of its glory portraying the zany film industry just after the revolution of talking pictures.

Got kids? The Cape Cod Theatre Company - home of Harwich Junior Theatre Company - has whole family entertainment staged to a T (capital T for theater, that is!) with winter vacation magic, a Rumpelstiltskin puppet show (February 22), and an award-winning musical adaptation of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Artists in residence here extend a robust adult class schedule with offerings from comedy improv to tap, so there’s no excuse for winter blues!

Finally, the Academy Playhouse in Orleans presents the favorite Brothers Grimm fairy tale Snow White February 15-23 at the longstanding community theater, along with acting classes for kids.

Supporting the revival of beloved community theaters like this one are what makes being a part of a greater good so meaningful, whether you’re a local or visiting supporter of the performing arts on Cape Cod.