Summer is upon us, and the Seacoast's theaters have been whiling away the winter's darkness by readying a bunch of theatrical treats to beat the heat this season.

"We're very excited about the 2005 summer season, our 73rd season of bringing Broadway to the beach," says Tammy J. Heon, director of marketing and publicity for the Ogunquit Playhouse. The Ogunquit's summer offerings range from the dramatic tale of star-crossed lovers in Elton John's Tony-award winning musical "Aida" to the lighthearted tale of small town vice in "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," starring Sally Struthers. "Even more exciting, we have the regional premiere of Nunsensations! The Nunsense Vegas Review!" she says, "so our season offers something for everyone."

The Rochester Opera House opens its second non-musical season with Larry Shue's "The Foreigner," directed by Cathy Allyn and starring cast members David Durham, Richard Harris, Crystal Lisbon and Christopher Savage. "It's funny, it's something audiences will enjoy that we can do really well," says artistic director and producer Anthony Ejarque.

Two of the Opera House's shows will have a unique spin on them that will turn the productions into full-fledged "Nights on the Town." "For 'Lettice and Lovage,' a play about a museum guide with a fabulous imagination, we're using the whole of the opera house to represent the magnificent museum, and we're in talks with a very well-known and accomplished local artist about scenic design," says Ejarque.

Meanwhile, during "The Meaning of Single Life in One Sentence," attendants are encouraged by Ejarque to bring dates and later go to Slim's Tex Mex Saloon in Rochester for some wine, drinks and companionship. "It's a full-package experience," says Ejarque. "I want to bring the audiences something different, that they'll remember."

Kate Kirkwood has been busy getting her Touring Actor's Company ready for their hefty summer roster. Their current schedule includes "Beauty and the Beast," "Sarah, Plain and Tall" and "The Wizard of Oz."

"Last year I had to really work to book 30 performances for the teen company. This year, word of mouth has worked for us, and with much less effort on my part, we have over 40 performances scheduled, and it's just barely June! Get your requests for dates in right away, our summer is pretty full," says Kirkwood, "We do still have dates in September and October for all four shows."

Kirkwood and Ejarque have joined forces for what he's calling "Caf?? Kids." TAC has been selling out to bigger houses lately and looking for spaces they could perform in on a semi-permanent basis, and Ejarque has been trying to find theatre that appeals to all ages. TAC's children's theatre will perform on the outside platform at the Governor's Inn Caf?? on Saturday mornings for patrons. "Nothing like this has been done on the Seacoast," she says. "I'm really proud of my actors and the draw they have."

Gamaliel Theatre bounces back from "The Man Who Laughs" to give us the one-man show "Cottonpatch Gospel," starring Leslie Alan Coates and directed by Billy M. Butler at Durham Congregational Church, June 17 through 26. Gamaliel follows up with "Julius Caesar" from Aug. 25 to Sept. 5. Steven Knight, a founder of Gamaliel, is scheduled to fly out from his home state of Oklahoma to direct the show.

"It is going to be a great season at PPAF. We have two full-length main stage productions, "Into the Woods" and "The Wizard of Oz," says Keith Late, executive director of the Prescott Park Arts Festival. The ambitious director has planned a lot of new surprises to complements the tried-and-true theme of musical theatre in the park. "We are also celebrating our 31st anniversary on July 3, with great bands, city fireworks and Pink Floyd's 'The Wall' in concert, complete with a light show, sponsored by WHEB." Along with the annual jazz and folk festivals, this year the park will feature a country music fest sponsored by WOKQ. On July 6, the US Army Field Band, a 100-piece orchestra and choir, will play the park. There will also be a tall ship parked at the Prescott Park Dock, open to the public prior to the concert, according to Late.

"The theme for the 'Late Night' summer season would have to be 'originals'," says Barbara Newton, artistic director of The Player's Ring. For the last five years, the Ring has produced "Late Night Theatre," with a new one-act play every weekend at 10:30 p.m. for the summer. Historically, it's been a fertile ground of creativity for experimental artists, according to Newton.

"Every show is an original. And usually originals are somewhat unusual pieces as well, for a variety of reasons," Newton says. Expect some plays to put a new twist on old favorites, like "Looking Glass Diner" and "Kansas," based on "Alice in Wonderland" and "The Wizard of Oz," respectively.

Bruce Allen's group Senior Moments are getting in on the summer theater act with a show opening at the Seacoast Repertory Theater on June 12. "Then and Now" is the fifth original play written by members of the troupe. "Maybe we can't turn back the clock or smooth out all the wrinkled or change the world - but we can laugh about it," Allen says of the show.

The Bell Center is adding two more hefty musical experiences to their roster. "The Man of La Mancha," directed by Tommy Hensel and starring the versatile Kelli Connors as Eldona, with Scott Severance as the errant knight Don Quixote, will be on stage Aug. 12 through 28. And June 17-19, it's "Die Fledermaus," directed by Beth Macleod with musical direction by Steven Morris (of the Boston Vocal Artists) and featuring local opera singer Melissa Manseau.

The Seacoast Repertory Theatre always gives us a good reason to come back from the beach, and this year is no exception. The vibrant "Buddy Holly Story" will be at SRT from June 10 through July 10. The musical follows Buddy Holly's meteoric rise to fame, from his debut with the Crickets to "the day the music died," his untimely death in a plane crash with fellow 1950s legends Richie Valenz and the Big Bopper. Then there's the oft-performed and much-loved "Grease," on stage June 22 through August 28. Rumor is "Grease" is going to be a reunion of sorts, with a number of former students of the Portsmouth Academy of Performing Arts coming back to perform on the stage where they once studied.

The Hackmatack Playhouse in Berwick is getting into some "Footloose" action, putting on the play inspired by Kevin Bacon's need to dance. "Footloose" is followed by "Sherlock's Last Case," the dark "Cabaret" and the hilarious "Seussical the Musical."

Genevieve Aichele is offering summer camps at the New Hampshire Theatre Project, which will keep her from directing this summer, but the Pontine Theater's Pat Spalding isn't taking any breaks at the West End Studio Theater in Portsmouth. Spalding offers up a show of original monologues with "Me, My Mother, and the Moon," on July 24 and 25. Also at WEST will be Spalding's family storytelling show "Secrets and Treasures" on July 23.

The Leddy Center is showing "Beauty and the Beast" and the fun and frolicking "Broadway Rocks!" billed as a "tribute to Broadway's toe-tapping, hand-clapping side." Leddy Center artistic director Elaine Gatchell got an unexpected gift when shopping for fur for the Beast's costume.

"We had just returned from the factory that makes all of the fur for the Disney fur costumes," she says. "They noticed our sign, that we were doing 'Beauty and the Beast.' They called and offered all the fur for our Beast (costume)! It is gorgeous!" It's an impressive gift, as many theatres rent costumes for productions like "Beauty and the Beast."

"We always build all our own costumes," says Gatchell, "So this was an unbelievable gift."

Whether you're hunting a beast, seeing a witch in Prescott Park, or having a night out with Anthony Ejarque, one thing's for sure: this is a summer where there's literally something, if not two or three things, for everyone in the Seacoast's theaters.