Theatre By the Sea & special guests return for one night to celebrate Portsmouth NH 400
PORTSMOUTH – Seacoast theatre legend Michael J. Tobin will relive the origin story of Theatre By the Sea on Thursday, Aug. 24 with "Theatre by the Sea: A Red-Carpet Gala Honoring Portsmouth's Theatrical Past" as part of the Portsmouth NH 400 celebration. The event takes place in the historic St. John’s Masonic Lodge, 351 Middle St., in Portsmouth at 6 p.m.
This one-night-only event created by Tobin, who is now the founding executive artistic director of Footlights Theatre in Falmouth, Maine begins with a “meet, greet and reminisce” beverage bar. The two-hour show starting at 7 p.m. is designed to be a journey through the iconic theater's history and features multi-media and live performances, with special guests who created and worked at Theatre by the Sea.
Jon Kimball, who joined the company in 1968 and was its artistic director from 1974 to 1983, will be the gala’s guest of honor. Joining Kimball will be cherished, formally local performers including Scott Weintraub and Ginny Russell. There will also be tributes to longtime Theatre by the Sea favorite, Tom Celli, Prescott Park/NHAA icon, Grace Casey, and other faces familiar to theater goers during that critical time in the evolution of Portsmouth’s arts scene.
In keeping with the evening’s theatrics, dress for the event has been billed as “informally formal, fashionably fun.” Tickets for the evening are $20 and are available by phone at 207-400-7153 or email to tbsevent@aol.com
Born and raised in Portsmouth, Tobin was part of the staff at Theatre by the Sea and Prescott Park Arts Festival, performing and directing on their stages. He was working at Theatre by the Sea the day the theater closed. Though he now works in Maine, Tobin says his roots in Portsmouth remain strong, especially within the theater and arts community.
“Theatre by the Sea and Prescott Park Arts Festival were a masterclass in the Arts,” said Tobin. “How blessed I was to be a small part of their history and to now share their legacy at this special gala, in this historic venue.”
This event will bring back memories of what was once the oldest year-round non-profit professional theater company in New England – a venue nationally recognized as an arts destination that helped Portsmouth earn that mantle. “From 1965 to 1987, Theatre by the Sea was the only year-round Equity repertory theater in Northern New England,” said Tobin. “It was a 93-seat theater at 93 Market St., beside what is now Macro Polo, but the lobby had a Ceres Street entrance.”
From 1975 to 1983, the company produced shows at Prescott Park. It relocated in 1979 to 125 Bow St., now home to the Seacoast Repertory Theatre. Having presented hundreds of shows, seen by thousands of patrons, Theatre by the Sea and the Prescott Park Arts Festival were a financial anchor for the city - their patrons spending money not only at the theater, but at restaurants and other businesses on the Seacoast as well.
"Even those who are new to Portsmouth, who have never heard of Theatre by the Sea, will be captivated by the stories and amused by the anecdotes," Tobin said. "The special celebratory evening has something for everyone."
"Theatre by the Sea: A Red-Carpet Gala Honoring Portsmouth's Theatrical Past” captures the magic of a vitally important and vibrant era in Portsmouth that is part of the tapestry being woven to celebrate the Portsmouth NH 400.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Theatre By the Sea stars return Aug. 24 to celebrate Portsmouth NH 400
