A play by Avery Deutsch

Directed by: Caitlin Ryan O’Connell

This new play follows two women as they traverse the New York City medical system on one very hot day. You may have seen them at Urgent Care, at the eye doctor, in the ambulance, squeezed into a single bed in the ER. They were talking loudly, and laughing loudly too. A nominee on the 2025–2027 Venturous Play List, Sick Day tells the story of two dear friends performing for strangers, themselves, and each other as they try to keep reality at bay.

Dir. John Hughes | Comedy / Drama | U.S.A. | 1985 | 1 hr. 37 min. | Rated R

Gates open at 7:45 p.m.; the film begins at approximately 8:30 p.m.

Five high school students from different social circles—a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal—spend a Saturday in detention together. As the hours pass, they begin to open up, break down stereotypes, and discover that they have more in common than they ever expected.

Saturdays at 10 AM, July 11–August 29

Tisbury Amphitheater
Written and Directed by: Paul Padua

Starring: A rotating cast of Martha's Vineyard Playhouse actors and artists

Nearly every Saturday morning in July and August, Paul Padua and his company of incredible performers welcome families and young audiences to the beautiful Tisbury Amphitheater, to laugh out loud and celebrate the magic of live theater together. Fun for the whole family, featuring a rotating lineup of original plays that encourage audience participation, improvisation, and imagination, it’s the perfect way to kick off summer weekends!

Dirs. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller | Sci-Fi / Adventure | U.S.A. | 2026 | 2 hrs. 36 min. | Rated PG-13 

Gates open at 7:45 p.m.; the film begins at approximately 8:30 p.m.

Alone on a spaceship, a science teacher (Ryan Gosling) awakens and discovers he may be humanity’s last hope to save Earth from an extinction-level threat. As fragments of his memory begin to return, he must piece together the truth behind his mission before time runs out.

Dir. Julie Taymor | Drama | U.S.A. / Mexico | 2002 | 2 hrs. 3 min. | Rated R

Followed by a discussion with director Julie Taymor and composer Elliot Goldenthal

Frida is a visually stunning biopic that chronicles the tumultuous, uncompromising life of the legendary Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. Starring Salma Hayek, Alfred Molina, Geoffrey Rush, Edward Norton, Antonio Banderas, and Ashley Judd, the film explores Kahlo’s artistic genius, her lifelong physical pain, and her passionate, stormy marriage to muralist Diego Rivera.

Julie Taymor is an Academy Award-nominated and Emmy and Tony Award-winning director whose productions range from musicals and Shakespeare plays to classical operas and films. She has been hailed as one of the most imaginative and provocative directors and designers working in the arts today. Her past projects include The Lion King, Frida, Across the Universe, and The Glorias. 

Composer Elliot Goldenthal creates works for film, orchestra, theater, opera, and ballet. He received an Academy Award for his score for Frida, and Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for his music for Interview with the Vampire and Michael Collins. Other films he has scored include Heat, The Butcher Boy, Alien 3, Drugstore Cowboy, and The Glorias. In 2026, his ballet, Othello, was performed by The American Ballet Theatre at the Koch Theatre at Lincoln Center. In 2024, he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the World Soundtrack Awards.

In this evening with acclaimed filmmaker Dawn Porter (When a Witness Recants, MVFF ‘26), she will speak about her latest documentary, still in the making, and show clips from it. Drawing from newly uncovered archives and personal records, her film reexamines the extraordinary relationship between South African leaders Winnie and Nelson Mandela, tracing how love, sacrifice, and political struggle shaped two of the most influential and contested figures of the twentieth century.

With themes that examine acceptance, love, gender, and the powers of art and human kindness in the face of tyranny, this more-than-420-year-old play feels strikingly timely. Set in a world where people are forced to flee their conflict-torn homes, reinvent themselves while in exile, and see the world through another’s eyes, As You Like It reminds us, beautifully and urgently, of what it means to choose harmony, joy, and forgiveness even when it feels futile to do so. Join us in our very own “Forest of Arden” for this very special run of one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies. 

Starring: Brad Austin, Amy Barrow, Leslie Field, Liz Hartford, Emily Hewson, David Mintz, Leif Moore, Jo Orr, Paul Padua, Xavier Powers, Katherine Reid, Chris Roberts, Ian Tripp, Benedict Yancey, Mac Young

Directed by: Brooke Hardman Ditchfield

Scenic Design: Mac Young

Costume Design: Amy Barrow and Chelsea McCarthy

Stage Manager: Violet Cabot

Assistant Stage Manager: Jason Jarell

Written by: William Shakespeare

Dir. Sam Green | Documentary | U.S.A. | 2026 | 1 hr. 27 min.
Followed by a discussion with director Sam Green

A decade-long undertaking, this film chronicles a global journey to meet those holding the ever-changing record for being the oldest person on Earth. What begins as a profile of longevity becomes a meditation on the passage of time, the randomness of fate, and the joy and profound human experience of being alive.

Dirs. Anna Fitch and Banker White | Documentary | U.S.A. | 2026 | 1 hr. 18 min.
Followed by a discussion with directors Anna Fitch and Banker White

After losing her good friend Yo, filmmaker Anna Fitch spends a decade obsessively building a detailed, miniature version of Yo’s house, with a 20-inch puppet of her inside it. When the pair met, Yo was 73 and Anna just 24, but over almost two decades they formed a deep friendship despite the gap in their ages and experiences. Juxtaposing intimate vérité footage with Anna's creative interpretations of Yo's dramatic life stories, this documentary film blurs memory, time, and invention, revealing art’s power to channel—and share—grief and love. It premiered at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, where it won a prestigious Silver Bear award.

Dir. Steven Spielberg | Adventure / Sci-Fi | U.S.A. | 1982 | 1 hr. 55 min. | Rated PG

Gates open at 7:30 p.m.; the film begins at approximately 8:15 p.m.

After a gentle alien becomes stranded on Earth, it is discovered and befriended by a young boy who introduces his brother and sister to it. The children decide to keep its existence a secret, but when "E.T." falls ill, the government intervenes and the situation becomes precarious.

Dir. Rian Johnson | Mystery / Thriller | U.S.A. | 2019 | 2 hrs. 10 min. | Rated PG-13

Gates open at 7:30 p.m.; the film begins at approximately 8:15 p.m.

When a wealthy crime novelist is found dead at his estate, renowned detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is brought in to investigate. As he interviews the wildly dysfunctional Thrombey family, a tangled web of lies, secrets, and red herrings begins to unravel.

Victoria Cardona is a guitarist, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist one-woman band whose live looping performances create a sonic and visual journey through intricate layers of guitar, bass, percussion, and vocal harmonies. Rooted in her Cuban heritage and spanning jazz, blues, soul, Afro-Cuban and Afro-Caribbean music, salsa, and rock ’n’ roll, she fuses rhythm and harmony to deliver performances that are both technically impressive and deeply emotive. Her spontaneous, improvisational style invites audiences into an experience that is bold, playful, and utterly captivating.

Luiz Lacerda will open the show. A 2026 MVRHS graduate and member of the Minnesingers, he was also a star of the Island high school’s recent production of the musical Hadestown.

Dirs. Peter Kunhardt, George Kunhardt, and Teddy Kunhardt | Documentary | U.S.A. | 2026 | 1 hr. 27 min.

Followed by a discussion with Mario Cuomo’s daughter, Maria Cuomo Cole, and fashion designer Kenneth Cole

The son of Italian immigrants, Mario Cuomo became governor of New York during Ronald Reagan’s presidency, forging a legacy of compassionate leadership while navigating the tensions between faith, politics, and his personal and public roles. Through unseen archival footage, family reflections, and excerpts from his personal diary, this new documentary not only covers Cuomo’s political battles, his doubts and ambitions, and his deeply held Catholicism, countered with his dedication to addressing the AIDS crisis and supporting abortion rights, but also conveys his identity as a leader shaped by humility, intellect, and struggle.

Dirs. Jennifer Ash Rudick and Amanda M. Benchley | Documentary | U.S.A. | 2025 | 1 hr. 20 min.

Followed by a discussion with director Amanda Benchley and film subject Marilyn Minter 

Visual artist Marilyn Minter has been a defining creative force since the 1970s, building a career on work that pushes against the boundaries between glamour, sexuality, and commercial imagery. Often dismissed for her provocative style, she has nonetheless remained committed to her own vision, moving through cycles of acclaim, controversy, and reinvention, and collaborating with contemporary icons such as Lizzo, Jane Fonda, Pamela Anderson, and Monica Lewinsky. This documentary explores her enduring influence and evolving legacy, asking whether the art establishment will finally embrace an artist who has long been ahead of her time.

Written and Produced by: Amy Brenneman and Sabrina Peck

Directed by: Sabrina Peck

Starring: Amy Brenneman, Jesse Jason, Adrianne Krstansky, Alison Manning, and Joshua Olumide

In this autobiographical journey infused with music and movement, celebrated actor Amy Brenneman takes us along as she learns how to become a true ally to her daughter Charlotte, born with a rare chromosomal abnormality. Funny, poignant, and powerful, Overcome takes a bold look at preconceptions of disability, unexamined ableism, and the promise/challenge of a truly inclusive society. Originally presented at The Yard, this is a workshop of a production now in development at the American Repertory Theater and offers audiences a behind-the-scenes glimpse into its creative development.

Dir. Robert Zemeckis | Adventure / Comedy | U.S.A. | 1985 | 1 hr. 56 min. | Rated PG

Gates open at 7:30 p.m.; the film begins at approximately 8:15 p.m.

In this 1980s classic, high school student Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is accidentally sent back to 1955 in a plutonium-powered DeLorean "time machine" invented by his friend, the eccentric scientist Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd).