Last evening, I had the great pleasure to attend “Curtain Up!” in Buffalo, NY – the official opening of the professional theater season. I was invited to attend a gala opening dinner by Alleyway Theatre, which was most enjoyable. The dinner is a major fundraising for the Theatre District Association, a not-for-profit community association “dedicated to the promotion of the health and well-being of Buffalo’s neighborhood known as the Theatre District.”

I’m especially impressed by the vibrant and collaborative theatrical community in Buffalo. The city has over 20 (by some count, 26!) theatrical companies in a city of approximately 250,000, with Alleyway Theatre being one of the oldest continually functioning theaters. The aforementioned downtown theatre district – a block-long stretch of restaurants and theaters – is a wonderful tribute to the arts in Buffalo and, frankly, a phenomenon that every medium-size city should emulate.

Very inspiring experience here in theatrical Buffalo!