Stage 33 Live is an independent, unaffiliated, unfunded, local nonprofit powered by the best parts of post-industrial small-town rural New England come-together and can-do Yankee bootstrap ingenuity and hard work. We provide entertainment, education, and inspiration to both live and downstream audiences, and a foot in the door to new performers and a big fuzzy welcome mat to established ones. We boost local pride by doing what we do, and show an ever-wider audience that Bellows Falls and its general vicinity is an embracing and engaging destination for art and intellect.
It’s a listening room. It’s not a coffeehouse, bar, club, restaurant, or gallery. We record and film the original work of creatives and academics in front of an audience. We intend to produce radio- and television-ready content.
More bite-sized details at this bloggy Yawp Yarp, A behind-the-scenes reintroduction, posted Oct 23 2023.
When we first started, we could afford two $50 no-name kiddie-videocameras to get the wheels turning. We used borrowed microphones. Our first mixing console came from an auction for $40 (it later self-destructed dramatically). Tech advances have since been made by leaps and bounds, and nearly all critical needs have now been met to reasonably semi-pro standards. Mostly.
If you haven’t been here before, 33 Bridge Street is a couple blocks toward the river from the only intersection in downtown Bellows Falls… which is a T so there’s no way to take a wrong turn. Brick building on the right after the post office and over the short bridge. Look for the giant sheep-head logos in the corner windows; that’s the community radio station, WOOL-FM. We’ll also have a sign out front. The most reliable parking is in the free lot on the left — across the street from us, next to the canal.
The building also has a couple glassblowers, a couple painters, a photographer, a soapmaker, and other fine artists and craftspeople.
While Bellows Falls is rich in culture and nature, it has the lowest per capita and median household income of any incorporated village in southern Vermont. The poverty rate tops 25%. But these same local people have rallied to support the project with time and muscle, experience, small donations of money and materials, and more. We hope to eventually be able to provide at least one paid position in our community.
For the time being we rely entirely on donations to cover the costs of existing and improving. We don’t want to be one of those organizations that relies forever and entirely on largesse and philanthropy, but for now that’s how it is.
We believe that what we’re doing is important and worthy. If you think what we’re doing is important and worthy too, we’ll be so grateful for your support.
Freewill donations can be made online:
Or cash or checks payable to “Stage 33 Live” can be dropped off at any Stage 33 Live event, or checks mailed to our administrative address: Stage 33 Live (admin); 8-A Atkinson St; Bellows Falls VT 05101.
Stage 33 Live is a 501(c)3 so donations are deductible to the fullest extent. For tax records, our EIN is 82-2349941.
