Visitor Testimonials

Fort Point Theatre Channel Workshop at the GAR

Last October 2021, about 12–15 Co-Artistic Directors of Fort Point Theatre Channel attended a workshop at the GAR. We found the place very intriguing! The location was ideal for both North Shore and Boston residents.

Most of the day was spent in the library (is that the name of the room?), but we adjourned to the auditorium for a series of acting warmups and exercises. Wendy generously gave us a tour of the rest of the building. The retreat was mostly in-person, but we used the internet to bring in (virtually) a colleague based in North Carolina.

The late 19th century Civil War atmosphere and artefacts: books, portraits and ephemera – was a particularly provocative environment for our reflection about FPTC’s present-day activities and plans for the future.

Thank you Wendy and GAR staff for providing us with a facility that ensured a productive day for FPTC. The GAR is a treasure and we look forward to returning sometime in the future.

— Amy Merrill, Artistic Director Member of Fort Point Theatre Channel

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Hi Mitch — sorry for doing this so late — but this has been in the back of my mind so I wanted to send some thoughts anyway (as unpolished as they are) because GAR Hall really was fascinating and a great place to meet.

GAR Hall provided a comfortable place to meet, but more importantly it engendered new ideas because we couldn’t help but think about our work in relationship to history, and in particular to the ideas embedded in civil war memory, and in the intentions held by the designers of the hall. It was a crucible for an alchemy of ideas that energized our meeting.

— Ann Loyer
Co-Artistic Director at the Fort Point Theatre Channel

Extraordinary! A true diamond in the rough.

I was familiar with the GAR as ancestors had been active in it, but this museum was a surprise. The artifacts are truly extraordinary. It must be the most impressive collection of civil war artifacts in the state. And the facility is like a time capsule. It’s so unassuming that you feel like you’re discovering something utterly unique. Might as well be Indiana Jones in the jungles of Peru. If you care about history it’s a must see.