NANTUCKET, MASS.: The Nantucket Performing Arts Center (NPAC) has announced its opening next month. The new nonprofit organization, which will host theatre, music, dance, comedy and other performing arts, hopes to enrich the cultural life of Nantucket by providing a dedicated venue for live performances, creative expression, and educational programming. Their programming will include the work of its resident professional troupe, ACK Theatre Company, which will produce theatre by world-class artists under Actor’s Equity contracts.
“Nantucket has a long-storied tradition of the arts on the island,” NPAC founder and trustee president Chris Bierly said in a statement. “We’re excited to open and share the creativity, the beauty, and the exchange of artistic expression that has the power to inspire and unite our community.”
Led by the founders and board of trustees—Chris Bierly, Bob Doran and James Malone—NPAC assembled Tony-winning actors, directors, designers and other specialties to serve as the NPAC artistic board, including Celia Keenan-Bolger, Carolyn Cantor, Amanda Charlton, Eliud Garcia, Nina Hellman, Nicholas Hussong, Judith Ivey, Keira Naughton, Mary Seidel, Jeremy Shamos, Louisa Thompson, and Mark Shanahan. As NPAC executive director, Drew Kowalkowski will lead both the Nantucket Performing Arts Center and its resident professional theatre company, ACK Theatre Company.
The inaugural season begins on July 3-17 with a two-week run of What the Constitution Means to Me by Heidi Schreck, directed by Amanda Charlton and starring Nina Hellman and Jeremy Shamos. Next is Paul Slade Smith’s comedy Theatre People, Or the Angel Next Door, Aug. 1-15, directed by Mark Shanahan and starring Joe Delafield, John Rapson, and Richard Henry. Additional programming will be announced soon.
Located on North Water Street, NPAC’s campus includes the 150-seat theatre with balcony seating, plus a bar and courtyard in the tradition of British theatre pubs. The site also features a 1,315-square-foot residence for staff and visiting artists. The residence is now the focus of a fundraising effort for renovation.
Intended to be a resource for all, NPAC is partnering with other local arts organizations, including The Dreamland (film and cultural center), Kevin Flynn’s Stand Up and Learn, Nantucket Film Festival, Nantucket Music School, Nantucket Historical Association, and other organizations.
