Gretna Theatre

As we head into our 96th Season, all of us here at Gretna Theatre are more excited than ever about the future of professional theatre in Mount Gretna!

In addition to our five MainStage productions each summer, we are shining a spotlight on arts accessibility through every opportunity offered at America's OLDEST Summer Theatre. Your gift can make it possible for someone to appreciate theatre and arts-education for the very first time. 

- Super Saver Seats: Live theatre experiences should be open to everyone - despite financial obstacles - which is why Gretna Theatre is committed to offering the last two rows of the theatre for every production in our Mainstage season at a discounted rate of $15. That's 1,110 seats for those who may have felt burdened by the cost to attend theatre. 

- Student, Industry and Military Discounts: In addition to our super saver options, we also offer discounted tickets to students, theatre industry members, as well as members of our military for all seats in the theatre at any performance.

- Gretna Theatre Kids Series: By connecting children's literature to live performances on our stages, audiences are able to see stories come to life, providing a different learning model. Our shows are sensory-friendly and children are encouraged to participate; following each show, families receive the book that the show was based on to continue the educational experience. We also bring these shows for free, public viewings to other local community organizations to help combat geographic obstacles.

- Spotlight on Theatre Camp Scholarship Program: Youth who dream of making it on Broadway, but whose families could never dream of sending their child to a professionally led two-week summer camp now can. In 2022,Gretna Theatre was able to offer nine full scholarships to deserving children in our community who had financial challenges that would make it difficult to participate in camp. Campers got to work with master artists across a wide range of theatre genres, have the opportunity to perform in front of an audience on the Mt. Gretna Playhouse stage as well as get to experience the beautiful outdoor activities available in Mount Gretna.

- Touring Outreach Program: Even in light of school restrictions, we are bringing social-emotional learning, curriculum-driven shows to thousands of students across Central PA through virtual adaptions of performances. Study guides are shared to facilitate further conversations on the topics the address current issues students face. We also have continued to provide closed-circuit digital shows for those in local senior living residencies that have been homebound so they can have live arts-appreciation.  

Thank you for your generosity as we work to provide creative, unique programs that impact over 17,000 individuals annually. 

Who We Are

Gretna Theatre is considered America’s oldest summer theatre having opened in 1927 in the Chautauqua community of Mount Gretna. Gretna Theatre’s mission is to grow community by producing and presenting live, professional theatre that engages, transforms, entertains and educates; our ongoing commitment to serving both our loyal audience base and the community at-large is a major reason Gretna Theatre has thrived over the past nine decades as a hidden gem of Central PA.

The backbone of Gretna Theatre’s artistic programming is our summer Mainstage productions staged at the historic 700 seat Mount Gretna Playhouse, which features Broadway plays and musicals. While our reputation has been built on the quality and success of this artistic programming, we are particularly proud of our impact on the broader community through a series of arts-education programs, featuring performances that take place at the theatre and directly in local spaces. Examples include: our Professional Summer Internship Program, Kids Series, Educational Seminars and Workshops in various aspects of the theatre arts, and our Touring Outreach Program bringing professional curriculum based theatre into schools and community centers. Each year over 5,000 students and 2,000 community members have theatre brought directly to them through our Educational Programs.