We Survived, Now It’s Time to Thrive!
Preliminary renderings by Beta Group include a pedestrian plaza and an outdoor stage in front of the theatre. The project supports the vision of a growing cultural center downtown, adding to the vibrancy of the area and giving visitors another reason to make the city a vibrant cultural destination.
Last June, The Hanover Theatre’s chairman of the board, Steve Joseph, talked about his vision for the organization’s future during our weekly Behind the Scenes radio program. His term began just a few months before the pandemic hit. At that time, Main Street - Streetscape Improvements his vision was to continue expanding our offerings Octoberof2019 and to increase the diversity our staff, our shows and our audience. He maintained that the more people we involved from the community, the better our organization would be able to fulfill its mission and vision. He also wanted to make sure that we stabilized the theatre’s finances in an extraordinarily challenging situation to ensure our reopening once the pandemic passed. “From my perspective, the board chairs, members of the board who have served, did a tremendous job of building the theatre to one of the premiere theatres in the country. To me, my legacy is asking how do I maintain that? How do we expand that? How do we make it stronger? And I think the other piece that’s important is to expand the support of the theatre to maintain its long-term viability,” said Steve Joseph, Board of Directors Chairman. A year ago, we had no idea how an extended shutdown would affect Worcester’s vibrant cultural scene. Around the world, the creative sector has been devastated by the pandemic, with many organizations forced to close their doors and countless artists unable to work. We were equally mindful of the toll on our audiences at a time when, more than ever, we needed the sense of connection and community that the arts provide. But as artists always do, we found a way, with your help. page 16
The last year provided an opportunity for our organization to take a step back and restructure so that we could position ourselves for the future. Chris Marrion joined our strategy and leadership team earlier this year as vice president of advancement. Worcester, MA With over 20 years of experience working in the arts, Marrion has an impressive record working in development for Boston Lyric Opera and YoYo Ma’s Silk Road. Most recently, he served as assistant dean at his alma mater, Boston University’s College of Fine Arts. In a recent interview, he shared some of the things that inspire him in his new role including, “Sometimes extraordinary opportunities come along, totally unexpected, and that was the opportunity to come and join the team at The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory. I am excited to be able to work in a place where I can help dig into those bigger questions as well as contribute to the success of the organization.” Theatre Creates Community The questions that Marrion especially enjoys discussing include how the arts transform a community and change the way we can envision our future. It was exciting for him to see how The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory transformed the landscape in Worcester while connecting people who otherwise might not seem to have anything in common. Thanks to the hundreds of generous individuals and institutions who supported our Resiliency Fund, we were able to offer virtual and hybrid conservatory classes so that our students could continue to experience the transformative power of the arts. We redesigned our partnerships with Worcester Public Schools so that students could attend performances
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