Representative John Keenan Offers Remarks at Salem
SALEM – Representative John Keenan (D-Salem) offered the following remarks at the opening night reception for “The Best Man,” the final play of the second full season of the Salem Theatre Company. Representative Keenan serves on the group’s Board of Advisors and was a co-host of the reception along with Salem Mayor Stanley Usovicz. Remarks by Representative Keenan at Salem Theatre Company
Reception Thank you, Mary Usovicz, Jim Haskell, and Caroline Watson-Felt for helping set up this lovely reception. And thank you to the Salem Theatre Company Board of Directors and my colleagues on the Board of Advisors for all of your help with the reception, the production, and with the triumphant 2nd Season. Over the last three years, the STC has made meaningful partnerships with the Salem Public Schools, the Salem YMCA, the Salem Fire Department, and, of course, the people of Salem and the region. They have received funding from private corporations, grants, the city of Salem and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and, of course, the people of Salem and region. Over 12,000 people have attended a play, workshop, open-mike night, or other STC function in the last three years. So what does this mean for our city? The Theatre Communications Group has determined that between 70 and 80 percent of theater-goers dine out before or after a play within one square mile of the theater. That means almost 10,000 meals have been purchased in the Salem downtown in the last three years as a direct result of the Salem Theatre Company. The Arts Action Research Group has calculated that for every dollar that is spent on a theater ticket, four dollars are spent on other non-theater items by that same consumer within a half-mile of the theater. The STC has raised $140,000 in ticket revenue since their founding. That’s $560,000 in ancillary direct spending, right here, within these few blocks of downtown Salem, that wouldn’t have come in without the STC. The STC is clearly good for the economy of Salem. But it is also good for our cultural character and quality of life. The constructive power of the arts, their ability to inspire confidence and creativity, is undeniable. I’ve seen it in the eyes of my own son and daughter, when they take the stage in a school play, or paint a picture all on their own. We have all seen it in our own children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, neighbors, and colleagues. We have seen it in the students here in Salem thanks to the school programs the STC has run here in our community. The arts are not a luxury. They are a necessity. And we are grateful to groups like the STC and to people like Matteo Pangallo for bringing them to our community. So it gives me great pleasure to present Matteo with this congratulatory resolution, adopted by the House of Representatives. Congratulations, Matteo! Salem’s loss is London’s gain – at least for a year! Thank you for giving Salem the gift of the Salem Theatre Company.
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