Fort Salem Theater

08/31/2026

BREAKING NEWS: On Saturday, Sept 26 at 8PM, we invite you to join us on the FST MainStage for Farewell Fort Salem, a one-night-only concert starring WICKED’s Taylor Quick, alongside beloved FST guest artists Rebecca Paige, Janelle Farias Sando, and Dan Galliher.

Click to learn more: https://mailchi.mp/fortsalem/farewell-fort-salem-one-more-night-together

08/28/2026

Are YOU the next arts leader to usher Fort Salem Theater into it's incredible 55th anniversary year?!

Fort Salem Theater is officially for sale and, more than anything, I cannot wait to find (and support) the right person to take care of this beloved place and imagine what comes next.

For over 5 decades, this little corner in Salem has been a home to a lot of people. Four families: the Drohans, Beavers, Kerrs, and Wests, have each had the privilege of carrying it for a chapter. Are you next?

If you’re local and want to see this theater continue, please help us spread the word. And if you’re somewhere across the country (like I was) dreaming about what it might be like to have a theater of your own…well, maybe this video finds you for a reason!

Please watch, like, share, and help us find the next people to turn on the lights.

Thank you,
Kyle West

Full listing, hosted by PennyDot Realty:

https://www.pennydot.com/property/155-202622726-11-e-broadway-salem-NY-12865

08/25/2026

Our hearts are heavy as we share that we recently lost a dear member of our Fort Salem Theater family, Rachael Armstrong.

Many in our FST community first came to know Rachael as the incredibly proud mom of two talented kids who appeared on our stage in The Wizard of Oz, The Little Mermaid, Newsies, and The SpongeBob Musical. But in 2023, we were lucky enough to get Rachael herself out of the audience and onto the stage as Tom Snout in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, her first theatrical role since proudly starring as Toto in her high school production of The Wizard of Oz in 2001. ❤️

Rachael was an absolute joy, both onstage and off. She was funny, warm, kind, and a fierce supporter of her friends, her family, her students, and her community. She brought the same spirit to our theater that she brought everywhere else, and we were so lucky to have her as part of our family.

In her Midsummer bio, Rachael thanked her husband Charlie with a line from Shakespeare:

“I can no other answer make, but thanks, and thanks, and ever thanks.” Those words feel especially meaningful right now.

Just two weeks ago, Rachael was back at FST for not one, but TWO performances of The SpongeBob Musical, making sure she caught the show from both sides of the audience, and cracking jokes as she made her way in through our “VIP entrance” backstage.

Please join us in surrounding the Armstrong family with the same love and support that Rachael so freely gave to everyone around her. A GoFundMe has been established to support the family, and we encourage anyone who is able to donate or share it at the link below:

https://gofund.me/186471f0b

08/15/2026

IT’S THE DAY OF THE SHOW, Y’ALL. 😉

There’s something very special about seeing a group of storytellers, playwrights, and artists circled up together on the Fort Salem stage, getting ready to share something new, personal, brave, funny, moving, and entirely their own (tonight in the Cabaret Room!)

We’re incredibly proud to welcome Life Jacket Theatre Company (Life Jacket Theatre Co.) in partnership with Lower Adirondack Pride (Lower Adirondack Pride), for NEW WORKS / NEW VOICES - celebrating bold new LGBTQ+ stories in development and the diverse, lovely people bringing them to life.

A huge celebration of tonight’s storytellers: Chuck Copenspire, Jay Culkin, Jess Epstein, Jules Gordon, Sean Palladino, and Mel Stark, the playwrights in residence, and leaders (shout out to Nick Flatto | Velvet Stage) who have helped shape and champion their stories.

Very limited seating remains, but all seating is Pay What You Wish! Book a seat online at FortSalem.com (or just show up a few minutes early and make sure to squeeze everyone in)!

Thanks so much for your support, FST community!

08/12/2026

🏳️‍🌈 NEW WORKS / NEW VOICES
Saturday, August 15 at 7PM
Pay What You Wish| Reservations encouraged!

For one special evening, local LGBTQ+ voices take center stage at Fort Salem Theater, sharing bold new stories about identity, survival, loss, joy, community, and living authentically.

Presented by Life Jacket Theatre Co. in partnership with Lower Adirondack Pride, and hosted by Nick Flatto | Velvet Stage, meet our storytellers:

Chuck Copenspire | Poet, parent, and “possibilitarian” who helps people discover what makes them special and share their gifts with the world.

Jay Culkin (he/him) | A certified peer specialist, survivor, advocate, educator, drag performer, and writer who uses his lived experience to create change on personal and systemic levels.

Jess Epstein | Master artist, LGBTQ+ activist and teacher for 35 years, and recent cancer survivor whose work explores identity through symbols including rainbows, windows, ladders, and wings.

Jules Gordon | Upstate NY caregiver, mindfulness teacher, land steward, and spoken-word poet who stepped out of a lifetime of hiding to live and create out loud as his true self.

Sean Palladino (he/him) | Glens Falls freelance writer, local elected official, volunteer, runner, and cyclist who uses his writing to spotlight the people and organizations making his community better.

Mel Stark | Arts and operations leader, lifelong storyteller, and recovering overachiever learning, after some unexpected plot twists, to build a life she actually wants — with her wife and two extremely opinionated Persian cats along for the adventure.

❤️ This evening also gives us the chance to come together and say goodbye to this beautiful era of Fort Salem Theater. We can’t imagine a more meaningful final gathering than opening our stage to authentic voices and stories that deserve to be heard.

🎟️ All tickets are Pay What You Wish. Reserve your seats now and join us August 15 at 7PM.

🌈 FortSalem.com

Event link: New Works / New Voices

08/09/2026

⏰ LAST CALL: We only have a few seats left for our final performance of The SpongeBob Musical | Youth Edition, today at 2PM.

🙌🏽 We could also use some helping hands following the show, as we dismantle the set, and clean up from our youth program. Please joins us at 3:30PM if you can assist!

🎟️ For tickets, visit www.FortSalem.com any time, or call us (starting a noon) at 518-854-9200

To RSVP to help, sign up at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094CA4AC2FA4F4C70-65007329-spongebob #/

08/09/2026

Can you help us take down our SpongeBob scenery today at 3:30? All helping hands we welcome.

Please sign up below:

Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. Thank you!

08/07/2026

LIKE this post to wish our SpongeBob cast and creative team a happy opening night tonight! It's gonna be the Best Day Ever!

We could use some helping hands this Sunday as we wrap up our youth program. Sign up at this link:

Tonight, we open The SpongeBob Musical: Youth Edition, and I can’t wait for you to see what these talented young performers have created!