OUR MISSION
The mission of the Firehouse Center for the Arts is to enrich and entertain all segments of the Greater Newburyport region by providing high quality visual and performing arts experiences.
Administrative Staff
Kristen Dalton, Director of Operations and Adminstration
Artistic Staff
Justin Knowlton, Artistic Director
David D'Agostino, Production Manager
Sara Martin, Company Manager
Megan Blouin-Little, Education Coordinator
Front of House Staff
Rachel Phillips, House Manager/Box Office Associate
Patty King, House Manager
OUR STORY
Discover the best-kept secret on the North Shore - high-quality performances within an intimate venue.
The Firehouse Center for the Arts is on fire year-round with Boston-quality performances, delivering powerful, professional theatrical productions and world-class concerts by top-tier musicians and performers across the region. The quality combined with the small, intimate venue delivers unexpectedly big experiences.
It’s also an art gallery and incubator for the performing arts, showcasing and cultivating artists and the artistic experience through art exhibits and arts education.
We strongly believe the arts create experiences that are not merely enriching, but integral to our health and well-being. They should be consumed daily, weekly, or monthly - wholeheartedly and continuously. Our ticket prices reflect these values and make it possible. Come and see big-city shows at small-town prices!
The Fiery Heart of the North Shore
The Firehouse has been at the heart of the North Shore community for over 200 years. The historic building housing the Firehouse was a focal point of cultural and intellectual thought in its earliest days as a Lyceum and later served to protect and care for the city’s residents as a firehouse. In 1991, the Firehouse Center for the Arts was born, reinvigorating the site as a cultural and intellectual hub by celebrating the artistic expression and passion found in the performing arts.
The Firehouse is deeply committed to delivering genuine, uplifting experiences that transform audiences and provide an essential sense of community and connectedness. We deliver the best in theatrical and musical performances within a historic and intimate setting, bringing people together to experience powerful stories and music as it was meant to be experienced – in the company of others. Live performances are special experiences, and a shared, collective feeling can be powerful. When we pick up on a potent feeling in a space, we catch fire. We feel alive, inspired, moved, and in touch with our humanity. We leave feeling a greater sense of empathy and connection to our world. That’s catching fire!
Come and catch fire at the Firehouse.
Our Programming
A vibrant and active entertainment destination, we deliver a range of dynamic and diverse programming that provides an abundance of experience and sheer delight.
Theatre: We collaborate with leading theatrical programs and partners to bring the brightest actors, directors, and designers together to create world-class productions on an iconic and historic stage that holds 200 years of stories. Many of the talented artists and creatives participate in the region’s summer stock repertory theaters and the vibrant New York theatre scene.
Music: We get a thrill bringing some of the best regional and national musical talent to our Newburyport stage. Our lineup includes a diverse series of classical, jazz, folk, world, and pop music concerts. Enjoy hot, up-and-coming acts as well as established, legendary artists. There’s always something to discover.
Stand-Up Comedy: Escape the everyday with outstanding comedy shows from top regional acts that tour locally and nationally.
Gallery: We showcase the work of top regional artists in an entry-level gallery that delivers a delightfully atypical art gallery experience. We curate a year of exhibits in advance and display artists’ work each month in our easy-to-access first-floor gallery. Make it a memorable event and attend one of our opening receptions to meet the artists and learn about their inspiration and artistic process.
Arts Education: We are built to make art. The arts are an essential part of learning and growing at any age, enhancing creativity, new ways to express ourselves, and developing lifelong passions and a sense of play. We offer a variety of arts education programming, each rooted in the belief that talent exists at every age, in people from every background, and at all levels of experience.
The Firehouse Center for the Arts is proud to participate in the Card to Culture program, a collaboration between the Mass Cultural Council and the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Nutrition Program, and the Massachusetts Health Connector, by broadening accessibility to cultural programming.
EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare cardholders receive a 50% discount on 4 tickets (to Firehouse-produced theater show) per cardholder. Cardholders can call the Box Office at 978.462.7336 to receive the special promo code to order tickets online or stop by our Box Office to by tickets in person.
See the complete list of participating organizations offering EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare discounts.
