Act 2

Dear Friends,

It is with very mixed emotions that I write my final piece for the Trumpet, as I have made the difficult decision to move on to another venture. My three+ years here at the helm have been incredible, and while I may no longer be at my desk, my heart and soul will always remain with TriArts.

I am proud of the accomplishments we celebrated during my tenure at our wonderful theatre-in-a-barn, here in the northwest corner. Chief among them are the elevated status of TriArts’ level of professionalism and our enhanced outreach, with which we have been embracing our community in a big way.  I am delighted to have revamped the Youtheatre program, to have initiated the Playhouse Stomp, and to have created the TriArts Trumpet, where we get to toot our horn, show you fabulous photos, tell you behind the scenes stories, and bring you the excellent reviews we have received over the past three years.

My many fond memories include escorting Joan Rivers (and entourage) backstage to meet the cast of Forum. To be honest I was a little disappointed that she chose not to utter one of her famous, quotable snarky comments...she loved the show that much! I remember being moved as I watched the residents from a nearby assisted living facility arrive for a dress rehearsal at my invitation; one gentleman in his 90s told me it was the first show he had been to in 60 years! I had a blast bringing our dancers from High School Musical 2 to Lime Rock Park, where 50,000+ people got to watch them perform on a makeshift stage that stretched across the racetrack! (see photo). I was humbled to be asked to give a talk on the importance of the arts, while introducing Congressman Chris Murphy. I will miss yakking it up with Marshall Miles on his radio show. I will never forget the fabulous cocktail reception at Kenneth and Marabeth Tyler’s art-filled home. And I always deeply enjoyed greeting you, dear fans of TriArts, from the stage before the curtain, and thanking our sponsors for their support, which I do again now.

As I mentioned in my New Year’s letter, theatre is about people, not about buildings, and I would like to thank all of you for your love of TriArts. Thank you to all the actors and musicians who graced our stage and allowed us to escape the real world for a little while. Thanks to our wonderful directors, choreographers, and designers for sharing your incredible talent with us. Thanks to our production staff, who unhesitatingly pulled all-nighters so the stage would be ready when the curtain rose on opening night. Special thanks go to our Board of Directors for their unflagging support; to Audrey Brooks for her loyalty, commitment and hard work, to Erik Diaz for his genius at bringing out the best in his production staff and his beautiful designs, and to Michael Berkeley for his wonderful Diva shows.

My final message to all of us, as the curtain drops on this act for me, is this bit of timeless show business advice: Don’t die with your music still in you—whatever song that may be.

Long live the arts. Long live TriArts,
With love, Alice Bemand

(photo credit: Graham Stone)