A Remarkable Space – The Hangar is a Performing Arts Venue and Community Partner

Every year the Hangar welcomes numerous arts and culture organizations from Tompkins County and beyond into the theatre to share music, dance, comedy, theatre, and other live performances with Ithaca audiences. In 2025:

• We hosted Running to Places for their productions of Mean Girls, Alice in Wonderland Jr., and Annie Jr. for a total of 24 performances featuring close to 100 young artists.
• Our long-standing partnership with Dan Smalls Presents (DSP) brought 9 different musical and comedy performances into the Hangar space including Dar Willians, the Cowboy Junkies, and Kathleen Edwards
• We also hosted GIAC, Ithaca Ballet, Opera Ithaca, WBVR, Twisted Minds (an Ithaca College student group), and welcomed musical groups from outside the Finger Lakes region including Seven Wonders, Ronstadt Revue, and The Waiting Room.

The Hangar Theatre has been a hub for creativity, culture and connection since 1975. We’ve hosted countless performances, from emerging student artists and beloved local performers to nationally renowned acts and more.

Engaging Field Trips – The Hangar is a Field Trip Destination for Local School Groups

We welcome groups from Ithaca-area schools into the Hangar every year. Schools who participate in Project 4 take a field trip to the theatre for their Hangar Day, and for the past three years we have produced a KIDDSTUFF show during the school year, allowing us to welcome young people and educators into the Hangar to experience live theatre. Groups from the following schools have recently taken field trips to the Hangar:

• Northeast Elementary
• Belle Sherman Elementary
• Trumansburg Elementary
• EAC Montessori
• Groton
• Newfield
• Caroline Elementar
• South Seneca
• Fall Creek Elementary
• Spencer-Van Etten Elementary

When school groups come to the Hangar…

• students have the opportunity to perform on the Hangar stage.
• young people get to experience interactive, engaging live performances.
• educators can incorporate the experience and themes from the show into their classrooms.

Theatre For All – The Hangar is Committed to Providing Patrons with the Opportunity to Procure Free and Subsidized Tickets

We provide a variety of options for acquiring free and subsidized tickets to all Mainstage and KIDDSTUFF productions. These include our Pay What You Will (PWYW) program, the Tompkins County Library Pass, and subsidized tickets for groups attending KIDDSTUFF shows. Thanks to the support of sponsors and donors, the Hangar Theatre is able to offer these programs, so that economic means are not a barrier to experiencing live theatre. 

In 2025, the Hangar was able to offer a combined savings of over $14,800 to more than 900 patrons through these programs. Our Next Gen classes are accessible too, we offer financial aid for Next Gen students to all who express a need. In 2025 we were able to provide over $7,000 in full and partial scholarships for Next Gen participants.

The Next Generation – The Hangar Provides Opportunities to Young and Emerging Artists

The Next Gen musical–a fully produced KIDDSTUFF production, complete with costumes and scenery–provides students with the opportunity to learn and create together under the guidance of a professional director and choreographer, and culminates with performances on the Hangar stage. The Next Generation School of Theatre Musical has been a part of the Hangar’s KIDDSTUFF programming for almost 20 years.

For over 30 years, the Hangar’s KIDDSTUFF shows have been produced by artists participating in our professional development programs. The Hangar’s Lab Company Fellows (previously the Lab Company) perform in and design productions in our KIDDSTUFF series, and may work on a Hangar Mainstage production as well. In 2022, the Hangar officially transformed the Lab Company into the Hangar Lab Performance Fellowship, making the formerly tuition-based program a compensated fellowship.

Community Partnerships – The Hangar Finds Ways to Connect and Collaborate with Other Local Organizations

We regularly partner with local businesses and organization for cross-promotional opportunities and to provide patrons with unique, engaging experiences. In recent years these collaborations have included:

• Working with the Johnson Art Museum to offer free art activities to patrons before KIDDSTUFF shows
• Inviting PFLAG to table in our lobby before performances of Fun Home
• Partnering with Buffalo Street Books and Odyssey Bookstore to cross promote purchasing tickets to Fun Home the musical and the graphic novel
• Inviting members of four local mental health organizations to participate in a talkback after a performance of Dear Evan Hansen
• Collaborating with Scouting American and Ring of Steel: Ithaca to offer free community activities before a performance of Robin Hood

Below, check out more photos from our KIDDSTUFF, Next Gen, rental, and community partnership programming.