After 18 months of being unable to produce a play, The Public Theatre recently announced its reopening and will launch its 31st season beginning with its previously postponed production of “Middletown.” Submitted image

After 18 months of being unable to produce a play, The Public Theatre recently announced its reopening and will launch its 31st season beginning with its previously postponed production of “Middletown.” There will also be a holiday production and a three play subscription series starting in January. New this season, The Public Theatre also will offer an option to purchase a video on demand of a live performance of each play in the season that you can watch from home.

The theater has taken its decision to resume live performances very seriously making the safety of everyone its top priority. They have recently upgraded their HVAC system with MERV filters throughout the building to meet or exceed all CDC guidelines for air circulation and filtration.

Following the lead of theatres on Broadway and cities across the country, including Boston, for the safety of its audiences, they are requiring the following protocols for “Middletown” and The Manhattan Short Film Festival:

• Proof of vaccination and the wearing of masks in the building will be required to attend. Their full COVID Safety Policy can be found at thepublictheatre.org.

• Social distancing (one empty seat on either side of your party) will be available upon request. Call 207-782-3200 for assistance.

• For people who do not feel comfortable attending the theatre in person, access to a video-on-demand option of the production will be available during the second week of live performances.

• Free ticket exchanges will be available up to one hour before your ticketed performance time.

The theatre will opened its doors Sept. 24 to host the annual Manhattan Short Film Festival. Ten short films selected from around the world will screen in over 500 cities on six continents over a one-week period including at The Public Theatre.

The theater officially begins its season of plays with “Middletown” playing Friday, Oct. 15-24. This joyful, funny and heartfelt new play tells the story of two couples who’ve been friends since their children’s first day of kindergarten. Thirty-three years later they reminisce about the highs, lows and in-betweens of their shared experiences, reminding us that friends make the good times better and the hard times easier. This will be a Maine premiere and The Public Theatre will be the first regional theatre to produce this deeply satisfying and uplifting show that has been touring around the country.

In December, Susan Poulin returns to The Public Theatre in “A Very Ida Christmas” on Friday, Dec. 10-12. It’s Christmas in Mahoosuc Mills, and Ida’s holiday spirit is so bright it could light up a Xmas tree. Don’t miss Maine’s favorite “Woman Who Runs with the Moose” as she shares her hilarious insights and advice for the holidays.

The new year will officially begin the theatre’s subscription series with the Maine premiere of “Be Here Now” by Deborah Zoe Laufer, on Friday, Jan 21–30. Watch what happens when a pessimistic professor of nihilism develops a dangerous medical condition with a side effect that turns her into a happy, likable, believer in love. Will curing her condition return her to misery? This quirky and complex comedy wisely asks us, is happiness a choice or a pre-existing condition?

On Friday, March 11-20, is the delightfully unpredictable romantic comedy Dancing Lessons by Mark St. Germain about a professional dancer with a career-ending injury who is thrown for a loop when a geoscientist shows up on her doorstep asking for a dance lesson. Offering her an absurd amount of money to teach him enough moves to avoid embarrassing himself at an awards dinner, these two mismatched souls embark on a series of lessons that lead them both of out of their comfort zone.

The season ends on a joyful silly note with the Maine premiere of “Screwball Comedy” by Norm Foster running Friday, April 29-May 8. Imagine His Girl Friday meets The Carol Burnett Show in this fast-paced, hilarious nod to the Hollywood comedies of the 30s and 40’s. Filled with classic characters and snappy banter, this zany comedy will keep you laughing from start to finish.

A recording of the above live performances will be available as a video on demand ticket during the run of the show and throughout Christmas for fans of Ida.

For more information, visit thepublictheatre.org or call 207-782-3200.