Chenango River Theatre -

Be a Part of the First Season

This summer, the Southern Tier's new, fully professional, non-profit theatre will raise its curtain for the first time.   Situated within the historic village of Greene, NY, the Chenango River Theatre will present a first season of 4 productions.   Talent will be drawn from both NYC and the best actors from our region, as the theatre strives to present the highest quality productions and to develop a place for the best of the area's actors and designers to work.

The Chenango River Theatre will be the only Equity theatre in the area (Equity is the term for the union for professional actors and stage managers).   The company will present high-quality, regional theatre to the Southern Tier at an immensely affordable price.

And we should mention - while “union” is often a word that can have a negative connotation, in this case it’s a union which is realistic.   Our actors, under union contract, will make $212 per week.   At that rate, why wouldn’t you want to hire union actors?

The simple truth is that if you want access to professional actors, they’re virtually all in the union.   After 30 years in the industry, I can’t name a single actor making their living from working on stage who is not in the union. And at $212 a week, that’s barely minimum wage, for access to the finest group of actors in the country.   In this case, working with the union is making a commitment to trying to present our region with the best possible productions, at a salary level that all of us should want to see grow in the coming years.

Renovations on the theatre's permanent home, a 19,000 square foot former warehouse across the river from downtown Greene, NY, are on target for the August opening.   The new theatre will be an intimate space where every seat is within 20' of the thrust stage currently under construction.

With only 99 seats, many performances are likely to sell out.   Season tickets are now on sale for as little as $49 for all 4 shows, and season ticket holders receive priority seating.

Individual tickets go on sale July 1st , with prices ranging from $14 - $19 for comedies and dramas.   Tickets for the musical are $19 - $24.

We hope to see you at the theatre.

Bill Lelbach
Artistic & Managing Director