Our View: A Healthy Cultural Life

Members of The Chronicle staff had a blast last Thursday at Cape Rep Theatre in Brewster. “Chronicle Night” allowed theater patrons to mingle with our staff prior to the show and participate in a question and answer session with playwright Art Devine. His “9-Ball” was on stage that night, celebrating 25 years since it first premiered at Cape Rep. Devine’s observations about the play’s origin and inspiration were insightful and gave context to the powerful Vietnam War-era story.

Meeting our readers is always a pleasure, and the evening proved no exception. Several residents from Brewster, the newest town to be added to our coverage area, expressed their delight in having a source for local news. Comments like that fill us with gratitude for having an engaged readership, and satisfaction in knowing that our efforts are not only appreciated but helpful; by providing information on the local, granular level, we know we are making a difference in people’s lives.

And watching “9-Ball” gave us a renewed appreciation for local theater. Cape Rep is an astounding cultural asset, producing professional theater in a unique space hidden in the Brewster woods. But it’s not the only one in the region. Theater is alive and well on the Lower Cape, with the Academy of Performing Arts in Orleans, the Chatham Drama Guild, the Cape Cod Shakespeare Festival in Chatham, the Cape Cod Theatre Company/Harwich Junior Theater and Eventide Theater all putting on a wide variety of shows, from musicals to kids theater, from classics to original works (like “9-Ball”). As we head into the height of theater season, check out the offerings of our area playhouses; there’s definitely something for everyone. Just as a community newspaper provides an independent voice for our towns, our local theaters are an expression of a healthy cultural life.