You want to break new ground. You want to do something different. You want to build a following for your theater, made up of people who are interested and look forward to the work your theater presents, much in the same way that people anticipate a movie by their favorite director, or a book by their favorite author. And that desire takes up a large portion of the worrying that you do as you build a new theater, trying to figure out how you do it, because in theater, the old try and true methods don't seem to be working anymore.
And then, on a cold, wintry day after Christmas, when you and your wife are out trying to find that place where you can rent kayaks in the summer on the estuary that leads out onto the bay, you stumble upon an unkempt amphitheater, something that looks like something out of ancient Greece. And you suddenly remember that play your friend has that would be perfect for this setting, and you think of the short play that you have, and maybe some of your friends have other short plays you can present (and you think, of course they have short plays I can present; the problem I'll have is having too many short plays) and imagine the stone steps filled with people, and lights coming on on a summer night, and microphones--will they need microphones, or will the actors project?. And the next day you look at the pictures, and the theater looks definitely like a fixer-upper, the kind of place where you fall in love, and only you can see the beauty and possibility. If anyone who's reading this knows how I can get this done in Quincy, Massachusetts, please message me. Let's put on plays in the park in the summer, giving people a chance to put down their phones and sit together on a balmy summer night and listen to stories and laugh and cry a bit, and go home, maybe changed just a little bit.
7 Comments
Linda Goetz
3/16/2017 12:07:35 pm
this is a beautiful space...
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William Martin
7/1/2018 04:20:53 pm
I visited this place today ,Two of my friends and I.It was beautiful and someone should be doing something there.When are they going to?
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Fay Strigler
3/7/2023 12:14:49 am
I live in Quincy. Would love to hear music and see plays here, once the city fixed it up a little. Can we screen movies here in warm weather?
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2/10/2020 10:29:04 pm
For this reason we will give you a series of tips so that you can make the right decision .
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Hi. i live in Quincy, MA. Just Read your note about the Ruth Gordon Amphitheatre in Quincy. NOW is the time to write to the city and say "Please save this awesome spot, and then please fix it up." Just yesterday we got wind that the city plans to take down the Ruth Gordon Amphitheatre to possibly build a park--but there is one a few hundred yards away, at the end of the driveway! This event space is underused because the city hasn't bothered to keep it up. But the potential! Write to the Quincy Sun, or the Patriot Ledger, or Mayor Koch's office: https://www.quincyma.gov/contact_us/mayors_office.php
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john foley
3/4/2023 04:30:13 pm
Looks like Quincy is going to "repurpose" it and fill it in. https://cms7files1.revize.com/quincyma/Agendas%20&%20Minutes/Park/Minutes/NOV%203%20%202022%20minutes.pdf A lot of talk on Nextdoor dot com about it. https://nextdoor.com/p/MjryTyS5GS_B/c/908421353?post=259791642&comment=908421353&ct=x9g5HLasKvILhFsQgO5dKcDYQ2mFMWMl1PfMi7BJhHkaEHP4ARNWlORF-7DqY2kP&ec=OsTQaK5EfsnyavzwbSdG6xCsaFBVDChIdtlFdebAXMw%3D
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Kathy Nason
3/23/2023 12:54:43 pm
We are having a stand out on March 30th, from 4 to 6pm in front of the Quincy City Hall. We would loveto have the support of your group. Please come and maybe have a bit of a show. If you would like to say a few words in support of the amphitheater -that would be great.
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Alley Cat TheaterAlley Cat Theater produces new work that is intelligent, compelling, and thoughtful, telling stories by pushing the boundaries of the theater. Archives
December 2017
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Alley Cat Theater has been funded by The Boston Foundation as part of the Live Arts Boston initiative, Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation, and the Bob Jolly Charitable Trust.
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