The Theater’s Renaissance

After a pandemic pause, live theater makes a roaring comeback

It was mid-week on the Haverhill Campus. While students, professors, and staff toiled away inside the buildings surrounding the quad, music wafted in through open windows. Below, a figure danced uninhibitedly between rows of golden chairs in front of an outdoor stage.

To the casual observer, it might have appeared that theater professor Brianne Beatrice was enjoying a moment in the September sun. But the next day was the opening of the first NECC Theater show of the season, “Love/Sick,” and Beatrice was, in fact, all business.

“You have to commit! Commit!” she exclaimed to her actors watching from the metaphorical wings, demonstrating how to interact with the crowd while hitting musical cues. And when the show opened the next day, the commitment of the cast, the crew, and director Beatrice was evident. Actors moved adeptly from character to character in the nine-vignette play, immersing the audiences in narratives that explored “new love, old love, tired love, exciting love,” as described by Beatrice.

Also evident throughout the show’s weekend run was the power of the theater to bring a community together. Students, staff, community leaders, and area residents packed the house for each performance of “Love/ Sick.” The success of this and other recent productions is a credit to the entire Liberal Arts faculty and staff's hard work to overcome the pandemic's challenges and emerge more robust than ever.

“In the past year, theater at NECC has rapidly grown. We’ve maintained sold-out performances and fully enrolled theater courses,” said Beatrice. “The students have come together to create an academic home where they can make art. The classes and productions serve to help the students explore, engage, and create.”

Dr. Paul Beaudin shares that sentiment. On the opening night of “Love/Sick,” he told the audience, “Please take a moment to look up! This place, our college, has lots of sky, vastness which allows us to dream, imagine, create, and feed the soul. I am grateful to Professor Beatrice, Dean Callahan, and the faculty within the Liberal Arts for doing just that day after day, year after year.”

“Love/Sick” was the start of a busy year for NECC Theater. A reading was performed in October, and production just wrapped on a second fall show, “Proof” by David Auburn, which was guest directed by NECC alumnus Matthew Lundergan ‘13. Two more shows are planned for the spring, and Beatrice has guest artist talks lined up monthly.

“The students spend a considerable amount of time on campus working on the productions,” remarked Beatrice. “The recent theatrical surge at NECC has brought hope, creativity, and a sense of belonging back to the community.”

Performances have included alumni and friends of the college. To learn how you can play a role in NECC’s theatrical renaissance, contact Professor Brianne Beatrice at bbeatrice@necc.mass.edu. For updates on performances, casting calls, and ticketing, follow @necctheater on Instagram and subscribe to receive NECC’s bi-weekly newsletter at necc.mass.edu/newsroom.