February 5, 2026
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Chester, Deep River, & Essex Vol. XXVI Iss. 6
Goodspeed Pauses Terris Shows to Chart New Path By Kristina Dorsey Special to The Courier
Goodspeed Musicals will not be producing any shows at its Terris Theatre in Chester this year, as it tries to develop a financially viable plan for the venue. Since 1985, the Terris has typically presented two or three new musicals a year.
Each show has a three-and-a-half-week run. That is simply not sustainable, Goodspeed Artistic Director Donna Lynn Hilton said last month. Goodspeed spends money on developmental productions that only run for those short spans, and that is not a model that can meet expenses. Hilton said that operating the Terris The-
atre is akin to investing $500,000 in new work development a year with no assurance that money is ever going to be recouped. Meanwhile, Goodspeed Musicals’ mainstage, the Opera House in East Haddam, will continue operating as it has been, including presenting the already announced 2026
Poet Juliana Harris has found a sense of community......................2
See Goodspeed page 11
Frozen Fun in Winter Three-year-old Isla Comerford of Ivoryton learns to ice skate with help from her father, Jon Comerford, on Saturday, Jan. 31, at Sunset Pond in Essex. It was Isla's second time on skates as 16-degree temperatures continued a stretch of frigid weather that has gripped the area for days.
Photo by Laura Matesky/ Valley Courier
Falling Short Westbrook girls’ basketball stifled VRHS’ offense in a key game heading toward the postseason..........12
Celebrating the Creative Spirit The Lyme Art Association is presenting An Exhibition in Five Acts......................................19
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