"We are immensely proud, however, that the spirit of The REP's work will likely live on." That line came from The REP Theatre's own Q&A in August 2025, written as the company said goodbye to its 25-year home in Seaside.
Fourteen months later, the prediction holds up in a way that is easy to miss if you were looking for a new building. This year Seaside hosted three separate runs of professional theater, all free. Each one was staged on the Seaside Amphitheater lawn in Central Square, where locals already lay out blankets for Friday movies and walk through on Saturday mornings for the farmers market. The last performance of the fall run is Saturday, October 17, at 5 PM.
A 75-Seat Room on Quincy Circle
The REP was founded in 2000 by Craige Hoover and Jennifer Steele. According to 30A.com's farewell piece, its home base for 25 years was a 75-seat black box space in Seaside. The address was 216 Quincy Circle.
In July 2025 the company said it would stop operating, citing the departure of key artistic leadership and rising expenses. As WJHG reported, it also pointed to "the non-renewal of the lease for our theatrical home of 25 years due to planned renovations by Seaside." Its last performances ran through August 8, and the company ended all public operations on August 15, 2025.
What happens to the room itself is still an open question. In The REP's published Q&A on SoWal, the company said "the future of the space is in the hands of the building's owners." We haven't found any public announcement of a new use, a renovation scope or a reopening date. Seaside's official directory still has a listing for The Repertory Theatre, so treat that page as out of date.
The REP also performed outdoors. 30A.com lists whimsical outdoor children's productions such as Charlotte's Web, Snow White and Rumpelstiltskin among its work, next to holiday shows and the Live@TheREP concert series. The outdoor family show is the part of The REP's repertoire that carried forward. The black box season ended.
Three Runs on One Lawn in 2026
Emerald Coast Theatre Company, or ECTC, has taken on that outdoor role, and its 2026 calendar in Seaside has grown with each run.
| Run | Production | Schedule | Admission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | A Midsummer Night's Dream, family adaptation by Gillette Elvgren, directed by Bruce Collier | Mondays, March 16 to April 20, 6 PM | Free |
| Summer | The Great Seaside Treasure Hunt, an original by ECTC founders Anna and Nathanael Fisher | Mondays at 6 PM through August 3 | Free |
| Fall | Dragons Love Tacos, seven ECTC performers | Saturdays, Sept. 19 to Oct. 17, 5 PM | Complimentary |
The summer show was written specifically for Seaside. South Walton Life's coverage described a cast of dogs, including Lucca Bucalo as Bud, "Seaside's earnest dachshund ambassador and self-appointed tour guide." The plot took audiences through the people, places and stories that shaped the town. A show about Seaside, performed in the middle of Seaside, for free, is something a 75-seat ticketed room down the street would have had a hard time pulling off.
The wording in the announcements changed over the year. In March, ECTC Producing Artistic Director Nathanael Fisher said in a 30A-TV report that the company was excited "to continue such a great partnership with SEASIDE®." By July, he described it as being excited "to expand our great partnership." We can't confirm whether the spring run was ECTC's first show in Seaside. It is the earliest 2026 announcement we found.
Who Pays for a Free Show
The fall listing on Seaside's calendar says how the shows are funded. Dragons Love Tacos is "a complimentary event made possible by the Arts & Entertainment fee collected by the Merchants of Seaside."
That changes who the audience can be. A ticketed black box is limited by seats and tickets. A free show on the Amphitheater lawn reaches anyone who happens to be in Central Square at 5 PM on a Saturday, including families who came for dinner and never planned on seeing a play.
Seaside Community Development Corporation General Manager Kevin Boyle has described the shows as part of the town's mission. In March he said the theatrical experiences supported the town's mission while championing the arts. In July he said the summer production was meant to give children and families a way "to experience the story of Seaside and the principles of New Urbanism through the imagination and wonder of live theater."
The Amphitheater's October Week
Once theater moved outdoors, it became one more item on a lawn that was already busy. Seaside's October 2026 calendar shows most of the town's recurring programming happening in the same spot.
- Every morning: Vinyasa Yoga at 8:30 AM, held daily through October 31, weather permitting. Bring your own mat or towel.
- Wednesdays: Sounds of Seaside, 5 to 7 PM in the Amphitheater, with local musicians. The October lineup opened with Roman Street on the 7th, and Max McCann plays on the 14th.
- Fridays: Central Square Cinema, a family movie at the Amphitheater starting at 7 PM, weather permitting.
- Saturdays: the Seaside Farmers Market, held in the Amphitheater from 9 AM to 1 PM, then Dragons Love Tacos at 5 PM through October 17.
Friday movies now start an hour earlier than the 8 PM summer start many people remember, which suits the earlier sunsets. Seaside's fall events guide confirms Central Square Cinema "continues on Fridays at 7:00 PM" this season.
Here is what the final theater Saturday, October 17, looks like using the official schedule:
- 8:30 AM yoga.
- Farmers Market at the Amphitheater from 9 AM to 1 PM.
- Lunch on Airstream Row. Wild Nectar, the juice bar and coastal kitchen owned by Kolbi Amos and Hayden Shaw, opened there this spring and serves fresh-pressed juices, açaí bowls, salads and sandwiches. Seaside describes it as walkable from the Amphitheater.
- Dragons Love Tacos at 5 PM on the same lawn where the market was that morning.
Colombia and Company also has a date this month. Its first-anniversary event in the Seaside Pop-Up District is Monday, October 12, from 10 AM to noon.
After the Curtain on October 17
The Amphitheater stays busy after the fall show closes. On October 24, the Annual Halloweener Derby holds its dog costume contest first and then the dachshund race. The town's two listings disagree on the hours. The fall guide says 10 AM to 2 PM, and the event calendar says 9 AM to 1 PM, so check the event page before you go.
October 31 is the fullest day of the month. The Saturday market runs 9 to 1, Halloween in Seaside runs from 4 to 7 PM with a theme the town hasn't announced yet, and Central Square Cinema is still listed at 7 PM. It is also the last scheduled day of morning yoga.
The 34th Seeing Red Wine Festival runs November 5 through 8. According to the festival's FAQ, Friday's Al Fresco Reserve Wine Tasting is on the Lyceum Lawn at 42 Smolian Circle. Saturday's Battle of the Somms is at The Daytrader Tiki Bar & Restaurant, 2236 E County Hwy 30A, Ste 4, and the Grand Tasting fills Central Square, with the VIP tent at the west entrance.
Seaside has the Holiday Parade & Turn on the Town on its calendar for November 28, from 3 to 8 PM, with more details still to come. As of today, no winter theater run is listed. Until ECTC and Seaside announce one, Dragons Love Tacos at 5 PM on October 17 is the last scheduled theater on the Amphitheater lawn this year.
Programming like this affects what day-to-day life near Central Square feels like. That makes it worth knowing before you buy or sell a home within walking distance of the Amphitheater. If you'd like to talk through what living a few blocks from that lawn looks like across a full year, Live Love 30A is happy to walk Seaside with you. Work With Us.
