The House that Mac Built -Fall 2016
Remembering the early years of the Theatre Workshop
by: Marianne R. Stanton
photography by: John W. McCalley and Frederick G.S. Clow
Try to imagine the small community of Nantucket Island 60 years ago.
In 1956 the year-round population of 2,500 souls was largely concentrated within a mile of Main Street, which was the center of commerce for the island. Two grocery stores, a hardware store, barber shop, dress shop and men’s clothing store, insurance company and two pharmacies with soda fountains provided everything residents of Nantucket needed. Good thing. It was a rare occurrence for islanders to leave Nantucket – maybe once a year, if they were lucky.
Joseph M. “Mac” Dixon, founder of Theatre Workshop of Nantucket, in 1964.
The Nantucket of 60 years ago was a tight community with little influence from the outside world. TV reception was fuzzy with only two channels. The movie theater was only open in the summer. Social life revolved around family, church and community.
But down on Straight Wharf, there was a steady hum of activity inside an old shingled building that was Straight Wharf Theatre. This building was the incubator, and home in the early years, of Theatre Workshop of Nantucket.
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