Performing arts in North County Partnership in the works
ADAMS — North County has more performing arts in its future now that Topia Arts and North Adams’ Main Street Stage are working on a partnership that could give the theater company another place to perform.
Topia co-founder Nana Simopoulos said the two organizations are in the beginning stages of forming a legal partnership which could take effect by next spring.
“We are a theater with no resident company and they are a company looking for more space to perform,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity to work together.”
Alexia Trainor, executive director of Main Street Stage, said that while nothing is official yet, she sees a lot of advantages to partnering the company with Topia. She said Main Street would be able to provide a constant stream of theater to Topia while Topia’s out of town connections could bring new opportunities.
“Having a bigger space to work with along with their contacts is great,” Trainor said. “Any time two companies can work together with the same goal is a plus. They bring in a lot of outside, one-night gigs and we would be something more permanent so you’d have a little of everything for the town.”
Main Street Stage has been around for 10 years and stages full theatrical productions, short plays, hosts an improvisation troop, performs children’s theater and also teaches drama workshops.
Trainor said that for the time being, Main Street Stage will remain in North Adams, but she said she is looking forward to doing projects at Topia. One of the events planned is a 24 hour theater project set for the spring. Trainor said theater companies from all over the country will be invited to participate. Writers will meet one Saturday evening and write short plays all night that will be handed off to directors the following morning. They will then rehearse actors all day and that evening all the shows will be performed.
“It all happens in 24 hours,” Trainor said. “Writers write the plays. They pass them on to the directors and then we’ll try putting up the shows that Sunday night.”
This Friday starting at 6 p.m., Topia will host a fundraiser with Main Street Stage providing the entertainment for the night. Trainor said the company will perform its locally written and directed Red Room Cabaret series of sketches and skits. Trainor said it is a good opportunity to introduce the two entities to each other and get a feel for how they will work together.
There will also be a silent auction with items including quilts, gift certificates, paintings, drawings, jewelry, services, facials, pedicures, massages, sculptures and homemade crafts. All the proceeds will go toward the installation of a sprinkler system at the Topia Theater so the capacity can be increased from 100 seats to 500. Simopoulos said Topia has hired a firefighter to monitor the event on Friday night so they can temporarily increase the capacity for the event. Concluding the fundraiser will be a 3D presentation on green building projected on the theater’s projection screen.
Simopoulos said she is thrilled for both the fundraiser and the partnership with Main Street Stage, adding that it was the most exciting thing to happen to Topia Arts in a long time.
“They’re going to be bringing their 10 years of experience and their theater going community,” she said. “They’re going to be using our space and they’ll be helping with improvements to the theater. We’re going to be pooling our resources so that everything we’ve done and they’ve done will create more hands-on activities and use of the theater.”
