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Arts On The Plateau
Written By: Donna Rhodes | Issue: 2018/06 - June
Mary Adair Trumbly, the Executive Director of the Martin Lipscomb Performing Arts Center (PAC) in Highlands, thinks The Plateau is blessed with an outstanding amount of artistic talent.
She believes, “The arts here are amazing. Creative types are drawn to the special energy on The Plateau and it’s awesome to be in a town our size and have what we do.” It’s for this reason that the PAC hopes to be breaking ground on its long-awaited expansion this September, with a completion date goal of June, 2020.
The PAC concerts routinely sell out and the center is home to two resident companies as well, the Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival and the Highlands- Cashiers Community Players, both of which also draw large audiences.
Trumbly is delighted that The Highlands Playhouse, which is celebrating its 80th season this year, will utilize the expanded PAC.
“Our expansion will keep the existing Concert Hall and then we’ll be adding a Black Box Theater, which is a smaller theater where the Highlands Playhouse will be showing their movies,” she says. “It’s also used as a rehearsal space and for more intimate, avant garde theater. The Playhouse, along with the PAC, will use the Main Auditorium, too, which is growing to 350 seats. Currently there are 216.”
It’s not just the performing arts that Trumbly praises. The visual arts and culinary arts are included in her accolades.
“We have The Bascom: A Center for the Visual Arts, and the Carolina Gallery of Fine Art, plus we have so many Wine Spectator Award-winning restaurants here, more than any town in North Carolina.”
For theater-goers, she suggests letting your server know you are going to the theater after dinner so they can get you out in plenty of time.
“All the restaurants in town totally understand and are more than willing to help.” She takes a great deal of pride in what she does and has a sense of responsibility to the talent that performs at PAC, as well as the facility itself.
“The PAC is my responsibility. I like to be here while performers are here, and sometimes that means a long day.”
When asked what she does after such an evening, Mary Adair often finds herself at the Ugly Dog Pub. Now, that sounds like a great way to end the day.
