Staging a Comeback

by Glenn C. Koenig, Webmaster at Town Wide Mall

Maynard, MA - It's a 200 mile trip to see a Broadway show in New York City, but why bother traveling all that way when you can see a fully staged musical, complete with live orchestra, right here in Maynard?  And, compared to New York, ticket prices here are a real bargain!
This weekend Maynard High School is hosting the musical "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," a production the town has been waiting five years to see.  Back in the spring of 2020, the entire show was ready to go on, when it had to be postponed indefinitely, only 36 hours before curtain time.  The pandemic had suddenly hit and gathering an audience was just too risky.

Finally, this weekend, after all that time, the show will go on.  Performances are on Friday, March 7th and Saturday, March 8th, at 7:00 PM, and on Sunday, at 2:00 PM, all at Maynard High School, located at 1 Tiger Drive in Maynard.  Tickets are $15.00 per seat for adults and $8.00 per seat for students and seniors.

Tickets can be purchased online at a dedicated web site for the show, here:
https://cur8.com/40268/project/129267 or at the door.  Those familiar with the production recommend reserving seats as soon as possible, as previous shows at MHS have tended to sell out. Maynard's town government web site has a page that displays the flyer for the show:  https://tinyurl.com/TWMLink09
(Parents should note that the production may not be suitable for young children.  The 1988 film on which the musical is based was rated PG-13.  Although there is no formal rating system for live musical shows, think of the upcoming performance as if it was also rated PG-13 as it contains some adult language and situations.)

For those wishing for more live stage entertainment, you won't have to wait long.  The Fowler Middle School's spring musical, "Mean Girls, Jr. - Let's Do This Thing!" is planned to go on stage two weeks later.  Shows are scheduled for Friday, March 21st, at 7 PM, and Saturday, March 22nd, at both 1 PM and 6 PM.  According to Michelle Travers, the faculty member who is overseeing the production, tickets will be available at the door: $5.00 for adults and $3.00 students and seniors. "We can accept cash or check made out to Fowler School," she told me.  The show will be presented in the Fowler School Auditorium, located at 3 Tiger Drive.

Bringing Theater Back

This resurgence in live performance is partly thanks to a newly formed non-profit group in town, The Maynard Theater Association.  The organization was founded in the Fall of 2024 by a group of residents who wanted to support and grow theater arts in Maynard, in both the high school and the middle school, as well as in the town at large. 
The group hopes to provide educational opportunities in theater arts, such as workshops on technique, vocal quality, and theater expression, as well as stagecraft skills such as scenery design and construction, managing props, lighting, and sound operations.
The basic costs of mounting a show are still borne by the school department, including theater upkeep, lighting and sound infrastructure, costumes and scenery, as well as licensing agreements for the scripts and music scores.

Background

For many years, live performances in the schools were complemented by the Acme Theater, which staged shows in the old Fowler School building at 61 - 63 Summer street, (known as the ArtSpace building).  The group was housed there for 23 years, according to David Sheppard, Acme's director.  In 2023, when the building was condemned, Acme had to close and search for a new location.

By early January 2024, they had not yet found a new place to go, but they could no longer stay in the building so they moved what they could into storage. They gave away anything that was left over.*
They have since settled in Weston and continue to operate there (See their web site https://www.acmetheater.com for more information)
(*Note: Full disclosure, I was able to obtain some leftover lumber at the time.)

Years ago, there was a large theater program in the schools, according to Laurel Mauroy, one of the Founding Members of the new organization.  She remembers that Bonnie Wilson was a very active parent volunteer back then.  Bonnie's husband, Glen, was also involved, focusing on building stage scenery and fundraising.
Back in 2020, Ariane Mauroy (Laurel's daughter) was a senior at MHS and was cast as one of the lead actors in the show at that time.  She told me how sad everyone was to have to cancel the production that year.  After graduating from MHS, she spent some time away at college, but has now returned in a new role, that of director for the current show.  Kevin Murphy, who was originally music director for the show back in 2020, has also returned in his same role, for the current run.

It's More than Money, but ...

The Maynard Theater Association was able to get started with a grant from the Maynard Cultural Council.  Now, the group is hoping to raise funds from donations from businesses, families, and others who wish to support the theater arts.  Anyone wishing to contribute can go to their donation web site, https://app.teamfi.works/donate/b22a38f282a5 or send a check made out to "Maynard Theater Association" c/o MHS, 1 Tiger Drive, Maynard, MA 01754. As the founders have registered the group as a 501 (c) (3) organization, contributions are tax deductible.
In addition, the Assabet Co-op Market has a option where customers can contribute by rounding up to the next dollar when paying at the register, with proceeds to benefit the organization.  That will run through until the end of March.

Commentary

It's true that this news story is largely promotional, not just a report.  Chalk that up to my love of dramatic arts as well as my growing sense of connection to this town, even though I've only lived here since the Fall of 2019.
One of the things that makes Maynard a great place to live is the spirit of the people who live here.  See something that's needed?  Well, then people pitch in and get to work answering that need.  It doesn't always work out, of course, but I'm continually amazed by the amount of volunteer work that people put in to make Maynard the special place it is.
In today's world, we are flooded with entertainment from far away, be it from traditional media, such as magazines, radio, and TV, to today's online streaming and gaming options.  When big organizations create the entertainment that we "consume" then they reap the funds we pay for it.  The money leaves town and seldom returns.
So, how refreshing it is to see that we can get together to support and enjoy our own home grown entertainment, right here in town.

As a person who has been largely self taught throughout life, I'm always heartened to see opportunities for learning that extend beyond traditional classroom instruction.
When you think about it, putting on a musical involves learning a great variety of skills, gaining knowledge, and finding some wisdom in the enterprise as a whole.  People of all ages can participate in making group decisions, managing finances, along with learning set and costume design, construction, painting, makeup, props, lighting and sound technology, interacting with the public through publicity, ticket sales, ushering and seating, and public speaking, all along with the essential elements of the main event, including directing, acting, singing, and dancing.  There are even themes of literature and history related to most of the stories told through theater performances.  All of this is part of an integrated experience, rather than separated out into individual academic disciplines, and that is just the way I like it.
When the curtain closes after the last scene, and then opens again for everyone involved to take their bows, there is that special feeling one gets, standing there to receive the enthusiastic applause.

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