It was a normal day at Ja’Duke. Classes had begun, and our first musical of the season was in rehearsal when I received a phone call from Michael Glazier. He told me that he had to cancel his first rehearsal because he was not feeling well and needed to go to the emergency room. Tragically, Michael passed away later that same day.
His passing marked the end of a friendship and artistic partnership that had lasted more than 30 years.
My first experience working with Michael was in the early 1990s. I was president of the Shea Theater Board, and Michael was producing, directing, and acting in plays at the Shea. Even then, his passion for the arts was evident in everything he did.
Michael understood that creating art required two equally important commitments: producing the finest work of art possible and paying the bills necessary to bring that work to life. He was as passionate about financial responsibility as he was about artistic excellence because he understood that art could not continue if it constantly failed because of money.
For the next 10 years, we worked together to bring theater to Franklin County using local talent. Michael’s passion for the arts was equaled only by his desire to give local performers the opportunity to experience the joy and satisfaction of working together as a community to create something of which everyone could be proud.
Ten years later, our positions were completely reversed. Michael became president of the Shea Theater Board, while I became the producer and director of many musicals and plays presented at the Shea.
I can truly say that Michael was one of the few people who completely understood the tightrope of the arts — the need to balance artistic passion with the ability to fund it. Without this yin and yang, neither could exist. Because of this understanding, Michael became one of the Shea Theater’s most successful presidents.
By the conclusion of his tenure, the Shea was presenting more than 40 weeks of programming each year. He helped fulfill the theater’s charter by making the Shea a true community theater. Its schedule included approximately 18 weeks of Broadway-style musicals and plays presented by three local community theater companies, along with children’s programming, special theatrical events, and concerts. It was one of the most diverse and community-driven periods the Shea Theater had ever experienced, filled with local actors, musicians, artists, and audiences.
Fast-forward another 10 years to the opening of Ja’Duke Theater. As a good friend, colleague, and actor, Michael was the person I asked to direct the very first play ever presented on the Ja’Duke stage, “To Kill a Mockingbird.” To this day, it remains the most successful play ever presented at Ja’Duke, both in ticket sales and artistic achievement.
Michael made countless contributions to the arts in Franklin County. I will deeply miss his friendship, his support, and his extraordinary passion for the arts.
My hope is that I can follow Michael’s example by empowering many more artists to step onto a stage and experience one of the most truly human and humbling gifts we can share: Art.
Nick Waynelovich is the owner of Ja’Duke Theater in Turners Falls.