Get sun and fun with summer theater that's way off-Broadway

When the going gets hot, actors get going — to the shore, the lakes and the mountains. So why not follow them there? No farther than 3 ¹/₂ hours from the city are some of the best places to see theater this summer: in spectacular settings, with fun dining, lodging and activities to match.

Along the river

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Bucks County Playhouse is just a 90-minute drive from Midtown (without traffic), but this New Hope, Pa., treasure makes you feel light-years away. Set in a 1790 grist mill along the Delaware River, it has played host to many greats — a young Grace Kelly and Angela Lansbury among them — in its 80 years as a theater. This summer’s shows include “Mamma Mia!” and “Always ... Patsy Cline,” starring “All in the Family” alum Sally Struthers; BCPTheater.org

Where to stay: New Hope is chock-full of country inns, some of them even haunted. The Logan Inn reportedly has four different ghosts in room 6 alone; weekends from $300; LoganInn.com. And the ghost of a young escaped slave is said to have been spotted at the Wedgwood Inn, once part of the Underground Railroad; from $165; WedgwoodInn.com

Where to eat: The Deck, the new restaurant right at the playhouse (70 S. Main St.), features new American fare and river views. Just a few minutes walk up the street is the Landing (22 N. Main St.), which serves tasty burgers, tacos, cold beer and lots more at an outdoor dining room that also overlooks the river.

While you’re there: Browse the shelves of Farley’s Bookshop (44 S. Main St.) for new and used books. The people who work at the indie store, which opened in 1967, know their stuff. Hit one of the many ice cream spots in town, such as Moo Hope (22 S. Main St.), which offers lavender coconut ice cream.

In the mountains

Long before Christopher Reeve soared as Superman, he was a 15-year-old apprentice at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, which he returned to and supported throughout his life. Its location is ideal: the beautiful Williams College campus in the hilly corner of western Massachusetts known as the Berkshires, a mecca for music, theater, art and dance. Among WTF’s many boldface alumni are Marisa Tomei, who three summers ago starred in “The Rose Tattoo,” coming to Broadway this fall. Headliners this season include Ellen Barkin, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Uma Thurman. WTFestival.org

Where to stay: Porches Inn, in neighboring North Adams, Mass., has a heated pool, pop-up bar and breakfast, all a stone’s throw from MassMoCA, the area’s hippest museum; rooms from $199; Porches.com. In Williamstown, boutique hotel the Orchards has luxe amenities and suites with fireplaces; from $199; OrchardsHotel.com

Where to eat: The farm-to-table restaurant Mezze Bistro + Bar (777 Cold Spring Road, Williamstown) serves contemporary American fare in a 19th-century house overlooking a former dairy farm. Less pricey and fun is Eat on North (297 North St., Pittsfield), with its oyster bar and easy-to-share charcuterie.

While you’re there: Hike, hit the museums and picnic on the sprawling lawn at Tanglewood, some 45 minutes south in Lenox, Mass., where classical and pop music lives; BSO.org

Down the shore

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Tony-winning actors, directors and designers flock to New Jersey’s Cape May Stage, drawn by its seaside location, Victorian architecture — and Roy Steinberg, its savvy artistic director. A veteran of Broadway and TV, he has spent the last decade programming a mix of beloved revivals and edgier new works. Summer is the time for comedies: This season, there’s “Sylvia,” about the mutt who comes between a New York couple, followed by “Sidekicked,” about the second banana from “I Love Lucy.” CapeMayStage.org

Where to stay: Congress Hall has an oceanfront pool, spa, restaurants and shops; from $249; caperesorts.com/congress-hall/. For a cozier stay, the Mooring B&B offers Victorian charm, contemporary comforts and lavish breakfasts; from $210; TheMooring.com

Where to eat: The $75 theater special at the renowned (and usually pricey) Washington Inn (801 Washington St.) buys one ticket, two glasses of wine and a three-course meal. The Merion Inn (106 Decatur St.) has live music and $22 “express dinners.”

What to do: Hit the beach! Cape May’s sand and surf are pristine ($6 for a daily beach pass). If it rains, head for West End Garage (484 W. Perry St.), with more than 50 shops and a cafe under one roof.

Up in the Valley

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New York’s Hudson Valley has long been home to the fine arts, thanks to the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art at SUNY New Paltz and Dia:Beacon. Now it has the Denizen Theatre, a new, intimate, black-box theater space in New Paltz. Through June 30, producing artistic director and founder Harry Lipstein stars in “Companion Piece,” a comedy about dating in the digital age. Later comes the US premiere of “Meek,” which one British critic described as “‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ with viral videos”; DenizenTheatre.com

Where to stay: Just 15 minutes away is the Mohonk Mountain House, with its famed spa and hiking trails; from $765 for two, with meals and most activities; Mohonk.com. Watergrasshill Bed & Breakfast, set in a charming farmhouse, offers painting and cooking workshops; from $250 on weekends; WatergrasshillNY.com.

Where to eat: The Parish Restaurant (10 Main St.) offers such Big Easy fare as gumbo and po’ boys. And longtime New Paltz favorite P&G’s (91 Main St.) specializes in pub bites like chili and a crab-cake melt on rye.

While you’re there: Minnewaska State Park Preserve has 50 miles of foot paths, one of which leads to the 60-foot high Awosting Falls. And nearby Lake Minnewaska, with its brooding cliffs and clear water, is a dramatic marvel in itself.

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