Firehouse Center For The Arts Launches 'Pay What You Can Saturday Nights'

The Firehouse Center for the Arts has announced a new partnership with Matter Communications. Building upon a pilot program the Firehouse launched in June of 2023, Matter Communications is sponsoring "Pay What You Can Saturday Nights" for the entirety of the 2023-24 Theatrical Season which includes Million Dollar Quartet, Eurydice, In The Heights, and Into the Woods.

With the "Pay What You Can Saturday Nights" program, the barrier to experiencing world-class theater is lowered, allowing individuals to determine their own ticket price based on their means and appreciation for the performing arts.

"This program honors the mission of the Firehouse by providing unrestricted access to high-quality performing arts experiences," says John Moynihan, Executive Director of the Firehouse Center for the Arts. "We are incredibly grateful to Scott Signore and his entire team at Matter Communications for helping us remove financial barriers and making the arts accessible to all."

The idea for this initiative came from Moynihan's past experience with producing free arts events during his previous tenure at Prescott Park Arts Festival along with the successful "Summer Outdoor Series" the Firehouse produced in the summers following the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022 and 2023, the Firehouse Center for the Arts produced four outdoor shows that were made available to the public with only a suggested donation. With the focus returning to producing work indoors on the Institution for Savings Mainstage at the Arakelian Theater, the belief that the arts should be accessible remained prevalent which led to the creation of this program. When Matter Communications was approached to sponsor the program moving into the 2023-24 season, they jumped at the opportunity.

"Contributing to the culture of our very special community has always been a priority of our agency," said Scott Signore, Principal & CEO of Matter. "The Firehouse Theater's 'Pay What You Can' program is an inspiring initiative that will allow an even greater number of attendees to appreciate and enjoy this season's exciting, dynamic and super creative performances and productions. We're proud to sponsor this program and the many others that make the greater Newburyport area such a special place," he added.

There is no special code or access required to benefit from this program. Audience members will purchase tickets in the usual way from the Firehouse website (www.firehouse.org). When choosing their tickets for Saturday night, they will be able to select the "Pay What You Can" option and decide an amount that is meaningful to them - with no minimum donation required.

Moynihan sums it up saying, "If we're able to provide one person with an opportunity they wouldn't otherwise have, I would consider this initiative a success."

Firehouse Center for the Arts is a member-based non-profit organization located on the waterfront at Market Square in Newburyport, MA, home to the Institution for Savings Mainstage in the 191 seat Arakelian Theater and Institution for Savings Art Gallery. The Firehouse offers live theater, film, dance, music, children's programming, arts education for youth and adults, our acclaimed New Works Festival, and a rotating art gallery that exhibits works by local and International Artists. The Firehouse is handicapped accessible.

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