What an incredible run!
Over the past two weekends, A Midsummer Night’s Dream brought laughter, magic, and a little mischief to our stage, and we couldn’t be more proud of the cast, crew, and community that made it happen. With seven performances and nearly 800 seats filled, the show was a beautiful reminder of the power of live, local theater.
These productions don’t just entertain. They build friendships, spark creativity, and remind us why a place like The Matthews exists in the first place.
Why We Do This
As a nonprofit arts center, we’re able to produce work like this thanks to the generosity of our donors, grant funders, and volunteers. Every costume, every light cue, every laugh from the audience is the result of countless hours of passion, often donated, often subsidized, always fueled by heart.
Producing a show of this scale is a huge undertaking. It takes weeks of preparation, days of tech, and the full support of our space, staff, and volunteers. That’s why, after every major production, we take a moment not just to celebrate, but to reflect.
Building a Future for the Arts in Our Region
We want to make sure that the art we create today helps lay the foundation for tomorrow. That’s why we’re beginning to look at all of our programming, not just theater, but concerts, exhibits, and rentals, through a lens of sustainability.
It’s not just about ticket sales. It’s about making sure that each event we host helps us grow stronger, reach farther, and remain flexible enough to keep saying “yes” to bold ideas.
Community theater will always be part of who we are. The question we’re asking now is: how do we support it in ways that allow it to thrive and strenghten the whole of our mission while sustaining the broader ecosystem of arts and culture we support? It’s a conversation we’re beginning internally, and we wanted to bring you, our community, into that reflection too.
Because you’re part of this story.
Thank You
To everyone who came to see A Midsummer Night’s Dream, thank you. Your presence matters. Your ticket helped support this show, and your applause helped lift it off the ground. We hope you’ll keep walking with us as we continue building something special here at The Matthews.
Here’s to the next act.
Photos by Joanna Mechaley and Tia Erin
