The Gamm Honors 40 Seasons With Celebration Of Providence Years

The Gamm continued to celebrate its 40th anniversary season on Monday, April 14 with a deeply nostalgic evening in its original home city of Providence. 

Gathering at the Providence Athenaeum, the non-profit Gamm honored the people, productions and events comprising a through line of great art and steadfast community from the organization's founding in 1984 to its current position as a leader among the region's theaters. Guests included longtime Gamm patrons, city officials, artists, staff, and many others who supported The Gamm from its nascent days in Providence to its current home in Warwick.

Gamm Executive Director Jason Cabral shared his thoughts on the significance of the evening.

“As we return to the places that shaped our history, we're reminded that The Gamm has never been defined by walls or buildings. It's the people onstage, backstage, in the audience, and throughout the community who have made this theater an artistic home,” he said. “Last night's event in Providence was a powerful reminder of where we began, why we do what we do, and what continues to ground our vision for the future.”

Providence Mayor Brett Smiley, whose advocacy for the arts encompasses more than the capital city, noted that The Gamm's reach extends beyond Warwick to include all of Rhode Island and the Southern New England region. He further emphasized the importance of the arts to our lives, our community, and the local economy. Smiley noted that individual philanthropy is not only important but critical at this time when funding for arts and culture institutions is being significantly curtailed by the federal government.

Also in attendance were Dan Welch and Lucinda Dohanian, two of the small group of Trinity Rep Conservatory graduates who founded the theater as Alias Stage while performing out of abandoned mill spaces in Providence's Olneyville neighborhood. Other guests included set designer and Gamm Technical Director Michael McGarty and actors Richard Donelly and Kate Leach-Viveiros who shared heartwarming and amusing reminiscences about those early days.

Gamm Artistic Director Tony Estrella further reflected on the theater's years on Elbow Street in Providence's Jewelry District, where the organization established a board of directors and was renamed The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre in 1998. It was there, he noted, that the company's reputation for quality acting and challenging productions grew, and where its longtime commitment to producing works by Shakespeare took hold.

“It's been an incredible 40 years and it was a privilege to celebrate its evolution with so many supporters and artists, both old and new, who have allowed this theater to reach middle age with a limitless future,” Estrella said.