Dear Friends!

Here we are! The Refettorio turns ONE today!
Just last night, I was in the space after the sold out Peter Pan performance, for a late night rehearsal of Every Brilliant Thing in the cool summer evening air. The giant moon shining down, the twinkling lights hanging above. Before I started the run through of the play, I was telling my director Jeannette and Stage Manager Morgan various jokes to kill time… Jeannette then said, warmly “you just want to be here for the atmosphere!”.
Indeed I did. I love that theatre so much. It has been the most remarkable year seeing so much incredible work take the stage. From Romeo and Juliet to Shania to the Beatles to Peter Pan and a big Christmas Tree and youth classes and community events; the REF is exactly what we dreamed. This very beautiful, warm place for community connection.

The idea of building a theatre during a time when theatres all across the globe were closing due to the pandemic was not lost of me during our fundraising process. It was rather daunting. But the success is completely because of the remarkable people who have bolstered our vision of making Sudbury a world class cultural destination.
For those that don’t know, our Stage at the Ref is named in loving Memory of Samantha McLelland, a YES Theatre founding company member. Sam passed away on Oct 28, 2022 after a heartbreaking battle with brain cancer. The space is very much a manifestation of her beautiful, loving “let’s all be together” spirit. She was a beloved friend and I often say that her energy was the original pulse and heartbeat of the organization; where she set a culture of support, of big risks and big dreams.

Perhaps the most dreamy part of this first year of the Ref has been seeing people see it.
There is a quote from I book I love called A Little Life. “He experienced the singular pleasure of watching people he loved fall in love with other people he loved”.
When I see people from our community, artists and citizens, walk into that space for the first time with absolute shock, joy, and excitement, it is the most thrilling feeling.
The Refettorio is a communal dining hall for our spirit, and now a pillar of our cultural community.
Thank you, Sudbury, for believing in the vision, and for the wild support you’ve shown us.
We’re just beginning. See you at my solo show starting in SEPT!

With Love and Thanks,

Alessandro