We Need to Ramp Up Our Support for Local Arts Organizations

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When we moved to Newburyport in 2001, I noticed that the community’s interest in the arts, like Boston’s, was centered on performance: theater, dance, and music. I had come here from Philadelphia, whose public murals, fantastic art museums, and galleries made it predominantly a visual art city. I thought, okay, why not? I expected mediocre community theater, but, boy, was I wrong. 

We explored what The Firehouse, Theater in the Open, The Actor’s Studio, Anna Smulowitz’s productions, Acting Out, Exit Dance Theater and others had to offer, impressed that community-based theater could be this good. For years, my family would relish Theater in the Open’s Shakespeare productions on warm summer days in Maudslay State park, productions that I once heard a visiting European say rivaled London’s. All the free concerts on the waterfront, plays and films at The Firehouse, Moth-style storytelling at Marc Clopton’s Actor’s Studio black box theater in the Tannery (now located in Salisbury), and avant-garde dance performances by Exit Dance, forged many more incredible memories. I even acted in a few productions – willing to make a complete fool of myself – and had the honor of directing a short theater piece written by a local playwright. 

Then Covid happened. I can’t pinpoint exactly why my support for the arts dropped off, but I’m now making my way back to supporting our local arts scene. Not only am I seeing more shows and supporting local groups to replenish myself through other people’s creative work, the arts are necessary to a society because they imagine what’s possible – while using fiction to tell the truth. We need this very badly these days. 

When I started thinking about writing this piece, I reached out to some local theater folks to get their perspective on the state of the arts: Theater in the Open’s Teddy Speck, Deidre Budzyna from Acting Out Studio, Marc Clopton, and Fontaine Dubus from The Dance Place and Exit Dance Theater. 

These tireless creators spoke positively and hopefully about their work, but confirmed that I was not the only one to have retreated from the arts since Covid. Audience numbers are substantially down in some cases, while funding sources are getting less plentiful. Some families that used to pay full freight for camps and art programs are now needing assistance for their children to attend. Acting Out Studio, which has a children’s performance of The Lion King on stage at the high school this month in partnership with a dance group from Lawrence, now offers a family ticket to make it easier for families with multiple children to be able to attend performances. While Newburyport is in many ways becoming a wealthier community than it was when these creative pioneers entered the scene in the 1970s and 80s, some families are struggling to keep themselves in culture.

We should support our local arts scene because it’s ours. But we should also support it because we are fortunate to have extremely high quality art right here in our community.  Anna Smulowitz’s play Terezin, which generations of Newburyport youth and teens have acted in locally and around the world, has taught generations in our community to bear witness to atrocity. Theater in the Open’s Summer Arts Workshop for children and teens was the perfect camp for one of my kids. He came home each afternoon covered in paint, dirt, mosquito bites –able to identify a bird his counselor pointed out– all while sporting his ubiquitous TITO tie-dyed shirt. He loved this place so much, he wanted more. 

When we inquired about signing him up for a subsequent camp session that first summer, we learned the rest of the sessions were sold out. My son stated emphatically that he was going back anyway; he said he would get up at 5am and walk the two miles to the Maudslay Gate House before we could stop him. I admired his passion and determination so I called Teddy Speck and told him he had a fan. Teddy found a spot for my son to help keep the kid off the streets. My early-rising son eventually performed in Smulowitz’s Terezin in Cuba under Anna’s remarkable mentorship, an experience he found life changing. I know many parents share my sentiment that the mentorship these artists gave, and continue to give, to our children has made all the difference.

Our arts organizations have long been giving back to the community, even when times are tough. We can support them to keep these inspiring offerings plentiful, while helping families afford the culture they enjoy. If you aren’t attending shows, sending your kids to camp, or donating to keep these organizations flush, I hope you will join me in doing so. You can donate to all these organizations in one donation here. I just did. 

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