LYNN — Saturday was the perfect day for beverages in the courtyard of the Lynn Museum.
The sun was shining, the sound of live music filled the air thanks to cover band The Condescendants, and guests were able to purchase food from the Melt food truck.
Arts After Hours Artistic Director Sam Gambaccini said the community theater was excited to have the opportunity to hold this event. She also was grateful that the Lynn Museum allowed the organization to use the outdoor space.
“They have this amazing courtyard, and as you can see everyone is having a great time,” Gambaccini said. “It’s a beautiful day. We’ve got some inclement weather tomorrow, so I’m hoping that people just want to come, have a good time and enjoy one of the beautiful days of summer. We don’t get to do a lot of outdoor events, so we’re thrilled.”
Arts After Hours had to scrap their 2020 schedule due to COVID-19, and Jessica Cushman, the president of the board for Arts After Hours, echoed Gambaccini’s excitement for the event.
Whether it’s putting on an event like the backyard bash or putting on a theatrical show, Cushman believes it’s important to provide entertainment for the community, especially after the pandemic.
“I think it was really important for us to brand ourselves as Lynn’s community theater, and that’s really our main mission: to provide that type of theatrical entertainment for the Lynn community and for the Greater Boston community as well,” Cushman said. “We get people in from all over the North Shore — actually globally for our Halloween shows. It’s such an important outlet for people, especially in downtown through the pandemic you’ve seen so many of these condo buildings come up, so we really want to be a part of welcoming in our new neighbors, some of the new restaurants that are here. So I think it’s a hugely important part of the downtown Lynn community right now to have something that brings everybody together.”
While Gambaccini didn’t want to reveal the schedule for this upcoming season, she did give some hints as to what Arts After Hours might have up its sleeve.
“Like I said there’s so much unknown,” said Gambaccini. “I used to be such a planner. I’d have seasons planned out three years in advance, and I think the pandemic changed that for me and a lot of people. We definitely got plans for a fall something, and it’s definitely going to be spooky. I know our audiences love the spooky shows, so we are coming back with something, but keeping in mind all of the guidelines and making sure that we’re just able to provide a safe experience first so that people can really enjoy themselves.”
