Fire Island Theater Festival

The Fire Island Theater Festival (FIT Fest), September 21 - 27, 2026, 

is a fundraising initiative for CHANGE Arts. CHANGE Arts aims to make curated arts access limitless for classrooms and communities, emphasizing the unique work of Teaching Artists. 

The inaugural Fire Island Theater Festival (FIT Fest) is committed to work that explores our cultural landscape, past, present, and future. Art of the community, by the community, for the community. CHANGE Arts aims to unite intentional arts experiences with the classrooms and communities that need them most, to encourage critical thinking and empathy in our teaching and learning.

BEACH READS

September 21st & 22nd, 2026

Ice Palace and CG Community House & Theater

Scenes and Segments of Plays Written by Fire island Playwrights and Performed by Fire island Actors

To recognize the robust theatrical talent already on Fire Island, we will present a series of new play readings written and performed by locals to start off the inaugural Theater Festival. A limited number of plays will be selected from an open call for submissions, and be given one day to cast, rehearse, and present their readings.

Cherry Picked Plays

NATIONAL QUEER THEATER 
PLAY READING RESIDENCY,

September 23rd & 24th - The Ice Palace

Expanding on the success of the 2025 season at the Cherry Grove Community House and Theater, we are excited to invite NQT back to Fire Island to stage two new queer plays in the week leading into FIT Fest’s Marathon Theater Weekend.

Songs on the Sand

September 25th - The Ice Palace

Songs by Fire island Composers Performed by Fire island Singers

For decades Fire Island has been a haven for queer musicians and composers, including the late Jerry Herman, who we have to thank for beloved shows such as Hello, Dolly! and La Cage aux Folles. To celebrate and continue this tradition, we will showcase a lineup of original songs written and performed by FI residents.

FIT Fest Marathon Theater Weekend, September 26th & 27th

*Including special tours of the West End of Cherry Grove and the Carrington Estate*

Pride House by Chris Weikel

Cherry Grove Community House and Theater

Ocean Walk by Gianfranco Lentini

Reflections in Fire Island Pines

Last Summer on Neptune

A Fire Island Premiere by Pines local and Grammy Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning, Mark Campbell, and composer, Matthew Ricketts