Principal of Wakefield High Shares her Gratitude for New Performing Arts Center

[Note: The following was submitted by Wakefield High School Principal Dr. Kimberly Smith.]

opens to the public, the word perseverance lingers in my mind.  I hit the dictionary tab on my computer this morning and contemplate its meaning: steady and continued action or belief over a long period of time despite difficulties or setbacks.  Right, exactly.

Since 1986 I have sat in the old WHS lecture hall watching the drama club stage remarkable performances that rival anything you could see on a professional level:  Brighton Beach Memoirs, Children of a Lesser God, Shadowbox, Elephant Man, The Crucible, The Diary of Anne Frank are ones that immediately come to mind.  Under the direction of Ron Chibaro, Chris Charig, and Emily Holmes, theater has thrived at WHS for more than two decades.  Yet the excellence of these performances was a disparate experience from that of the setting:  the audience tucked behind long, chipped tables in orange plastic swivel chairs; a school corridor crowded with actors and props; the make-shift lights and sound handled by a dedicated stage manager and crew. 

It was a dream for those who love the performing arts to have something better for .  We have one of the best reputations in performing arts education in the state, but no venue at our school in which to perform.  It is a rarity in eastern Massachusetts for a high school not to have its own auditorium.

A group of dedicated members of our community – people like Peter Scott, Phil McCarty, Dr. Stephen Maio, Barney Hoop, Diane Lind – began the dream years ago, with a mission to build a performance venue for our community.  I can remember meetings as early as 1989 and initiatives throughout the 1990’s; by 2000, the CPA was founded.  Committed citizens like Christine Bridges, Tom Merchant, Gayle Wettach, Pat Hardacker, and Sue Majeski were among those who worked for the realization of a dream.  John Encarnacao, Ellie Freedman, and members of the Alumni Foundation brought renewed energy in partnership with the CPA.  Community leaders Steve Maio, Joan Landers, and the devoted members of our School Committee stood behind the project while generous donors in the community ensured its success.  Richard Tisei, Katherine Clark, Tim Cahill, and Katherine Craven played pivotal roles in the final steps of making our dream come true.  The gratitude that so many of us feel is beyond adequate expression.

Our new theater will have a deep impact on education and the arts in Wakefield.  Our drama students will have the full experience of set design, stage management, and light/sound technology.  The music department will have a venue in which to practice and, for the very first time, the students will be able to perform on stage for their families, classmates, and teachers in their own school.  We will be able to host film and art festivals to highlight the immense talent of our student artists.  The full student body will have access to an auditorium setting for class meetings, guest speakers, debates, and educational programs.  We will have a facility at WHS in which to host district and regional music festivals, community concerts, lectures, and programs for all to enjoy.

It takes my breath away to think of it.  That a dedicated group of Wakefield citizens came together and pursued this dream until it came true.  They decided that waiting for the economy to get better or waiting until the time was just right might mean waiting forever, so they forged on, no matter how many obstacles were in the way.  A testament to perseverance, to be sure.