After a year and a half delay due to COVID, the annual Arrowstreet Associates’ Social Event took place in September 2021. This year, the Associates joined historian Scott Towers for a history and architecture tour of one of Boston’s revered institutions: The Boch Center’s Wang Theater. Our tour included areas well-traveled by the general public, like the ornate lobby and theater house, as well as areas usually reserved for performers, like dressing rooms, backstage, and center stage. In addition, our tour included a trivia challenge as Scott asked questions about the Wang Theater’s history, awarding prizes to the Associates who answered the most questions (congratulations to Elizabeth Sinclair and Andrea Brue, our first and second place winners).
We also learned the significance of the Ghost Light, the bare light bulb glowing on top of a pole standing on the empty stage. A tradition in all theaters, the Ghost Light is placed on the edge of the stage after every performance and is removed only at the start of the following performance, protecting people working in the dark of the unused theater. Due to COVID, the last performance on the Wang Theater stage was in March 2020, which means the light has been glowing continuously for 19 months (and counting). Now seen as a sign of hope, the light will continue to stand guard until the start of the next performance, when it will be turned off and moved off stage once again.
For more information about private tours of the Boch Center’s Wang Theater, contact Scott Towers at stowers@bochcenter.org.
Topics: Culture, Associates, News