Local theater deserves a full house

Dear Editor,

There is something special about live theater that simply cannot be replicated on a screen.

It brings people together, tells stories that make us laugh, think, remember and sometimes see the world a little differently. Here in North Salem, we are fortunate to have that experience right in our own community through The Schoolhouse Theater.

I am proud to serve as a member of the board of The Schoolhouse Theater, but my love of theater began long before that. Growing up, I remember going to the theater with my parents nearly every week. Those experiences became some of my most treasured childhood memories, and that love of live performance has remained with me throughout my life.

The arts have an extraordinary ability to transport us to another place, another time and into the lives and experiences of people we otherwise might never encounter. A local theater makes that experience accessible while also bringing actors, directors, artists and audiences together and adding immeasurably to the cultural life of our community.

This month, The Schoolhouse Theater will present Noël Coward’s classic comedy “Private Lives” at the North Salem Community Center in Croton Falls. Coward’s witty story of a divorced couple who unexpectedly encounter one another while honeymooning with their new spouses has entertained audiences for generations.

I also hope our community will remember the remarkable legacy of the late Lee Pope, whose vision and dedication helped make The Schoolhouse Theater an important part of the cultural landscape of Northern Westchester for decades. One of the most meaningful ways we can honor that legacy is to make certain live theater continues to be performed here for the next generation.

Local arts organizations cannot thrive without local audiences. Buying a ticket is more than purchasing an evening’s entertainment; it is a vote of confidence in the arts and in the kind of community we want North Salem and our surrounding area to remain.

I hope residents will come see “Private Lives,” bring a friend, enjoy an evening of live theater and help fill the seats. My hope is that decades from now, another child will be able to look back on evenings spent at the theater with his or her parents and remember them as fondly as I remember mine.

Please support local theater. The curtain can only keep rising if there is a community in the audience.

-Nzingha Milanes, North Salem