Summer Events Celebrate Guild Hall's Theater Reopening

Guild Hall is nearing completion of its two-year capital improvements project and is expecting to reopen the final phase of the project — the theater — in July. A collaboration with Peter Pennoyer Architects and theatrical consultants Apeiro Design, the space, which throughout its life has been known as the John Drew Theater, will reopen with enhancements, upgrades and a new name — Hilarie and Mitchell Morgan Theater.

“Guild Hall announces the new Hilarie and Mitchell Morgan Theater in honor of a landmark gift from the Morgan family that has enabled this complete transformation,” reads a page in the organization’s recently published summer program guide. “Our beautiful performance space now operates at the highest level of technology and comfort, providing exceptional experiences for artists and audiences.”

According to Guild Hall, those enhancements include wider, more comfortable seating with greater row-to-row depth, a steeper rake for improved sightlines a new flexible social space at the rear of the theater, an audio lift system for improved sound for all sorts of art forms, advanced lighting and video systems, a remote-controlled camera system for live streaming and recording, a relocated control booth and new lighting positions in the balcony.

In a statement, Hilarie Morgan, a Guild Hall trustee, and her husband Mitchell said, “We’ve had meaningful and inspiring experiences in this theater, and we hope this gift will ensure it remains a special place for future generations.”

When Guild Hall was built in 1931, the John Drew Theater served as a memorial tribute to a well-known 19th and early 20th century stage actor who spent his summers in East Hampton. Guild Hall has said that it will acknowledge Drew with tribute signage and will name the senior staff position in the theater the John Drew Director of Performing Arts in honor of this history.

To celebrate the reopening of the theater, Guild Hall will host a benefit concert with Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor and singer Billy Porter, on Friday, July 12, at 8 p.m. Guests are encouraged to dress up in their most festive attire and walk the red carpet. Benefit-level tickets include a post-concert cocktail reception where Porter will be in attendance.

Here’s what else Guild Hall has coming up in this summer in terms of exhibitions, talks, performances and more:

Exhibitions:

“First Literature Project” - May 19 to July 14

“Spin a Yarn” - May 19 to July 14

“Ted Carey: Queer as Folk” - May 19 to July 14

“Eric Fishl: A Day at the Beach” - July 17 to September 1

“Julian Schnabel” - August 3 to October 28

Literary:

“GATHER: Robin Wall Kimmerer” - Sunday, June 16, at 2 p.m.

“Modern Friendship” with Anna Goldfarb and special guest Katie Horwitch - Sunday, June 30, at 1 p.m.

“Inside the Situation Room” with George Stephanopoulos - Sunday, July 21, at 5 p.m.

“An Evening With David Sedaris,” - Saturday, October 5, at 7 p.m.

Talks:

“In Conversation: Ann Buckwalter & Mathew Nichols” - Sunday, June 23, at 2 p.m.

“Conversations Across Time: Fiber Arts Then and Now” with Estrellita Brodsky and Joanne Pillsbury - Sunday, July 14, at 2 p.m.

“Stirring the Pot Series” Florence Fabricant in conversation with: Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park on Sunday, July 28, at 11 a.m.; Giada de Laurentiis on Sunday, August 4, at 11 a.m.; Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald of Levain Bakery on Sunday, August 18, at 11 a.m.; Marcus Samuelsson on Sunday, August 25 at 11 a.m.

“Equality Matters in the Hamptons” with Bryan Stevenson - Friday, August 9, at 5:30 p.m.

“A Conversation With Julian Schnabel” - Saturday, August 3, at 6 p.m.

“StarTalk Live!” with Neil deGrasse Tyson - Sunday, August 18, at 7 p.m.

“Dilla Time: The Dilla Experience” with Dan Charnas, Jeff Peretz and Special Guest Nate Smith - Thursday, August 22, at 7 p.m.

“Unscripted: An Evening of Authentic Tales With The Moth” - Friday, September 13, at 7:30 p.m.

Music:

Student Body in Concert - Saturday, July 6, at 7 p.m.

“An Evening With Billy Porter” theater grand reopening benefit concert - Friday, July 12, at 8 p.m.

Branford Marsalis Quartet - Wednesday, July 17, at 7:30 p.m.

“G.E. Smith’s Portraits” featuring Yola - Thursday, July 18, at 7 p.m.

Robert Glasper in concert - Monday, July 29, at 7 p.m.

“Sam Green’s 32 Sounds” – Thursday, August 1, at 7 p.m.

“G.E. Smith’s Portraits” featuring Valerie June and Lola Kirke - Thursday, August 15, at 7 p.m.

Rufus Wainwright in concert - Sunday, September 1, at 7 p.m.

“The Bell Études,” an evening of solo piano performed by Conor Hanick composed by Nico Muhly and commissioned by Guild Hall - Saturday, September 7, at 7 p.m.

Arturo O’Farrill and the Latin Jazz Ensemble - Saturday, September 14, at 7 p.m.

Taylor Mac in concert, an “Evening of Songs” - Friday, September 27, at 7 p.m.

Film:

HamptonsFilm Summer Docs: “Skywalkers: A Love Story” - Friday, July 5, at 7 p.m.; “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” - Wednesday, August 14, at 7 p.m.;

“Academy Icons: Susan Lacy Film Series” - “August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand” with Susan Lacy and Sam Pollard, Sunday, July 7 at 7 p.m.; “Leonard Bernstein: Reaching for the Note” with Susan Lacy and Jamie Bernstein, Sunday, August 25, at 7 p.m.; “Paul Simon: Born at the Right Time” with Susan Lacy, Monday, September 9, at 7 p.m.; “Lou Reed: Rock and Roll Heart” with Susan Lacy, Laurie Anderson and Timothy Greenfield Sanders, Sunday, September 15, at 7 p.m.;

OLA Latino Film Festival Screening of “Blue Beetle” - Friday, September 20, at 7 p.m.

Dance:

“New York City Ballet: On and Offstage” - Saturday, July 20, at 7 p.m.

“Hamptons Dance Project VI” - Friday, August 9, Saturday, August 10, and Sunday, August 11, at 6 p.m. Offsite

Theater:

“An Evening of Short Plays” directed by Bob Balaban - Saturday, July 27 and Sunday, July 28, at 7 p.m.

Comedy:

Zainab Johnson - Wednesday, July 31, at 7 p.m.

Dulcé Sloan - Saturday, September 21, at 7 p.m.

Kidfest:

Bubblemania - Wednesday, August 21, at 5 p.m.

Sunrise Circus with Parallel Exit - Wednesday, August 28, at 5 p.m.

Benefit Events:

Clothesline Art Sale - Saturday, June 22, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (rain date June 23)

Summer Gala - Friday, August 2, 6 p.m. to midnight

Garden as Art - Sunday, September 8, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The 2024 George D. Yates Golf Outing at the Maidstone Club - Monday, September 30, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Full program details can be found at guildhall.org. Guild Hall’s galleries and Louise & Howie’s Coffee Bar in the lobby are open Wednesday to Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. and Friday, noon to 7 p.m., including a happy hour from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Fridays. Museum admission is free. Guild Hall is at 158 Main Street in East Hampton. For details, call 631-324-0806.