In a disappointing turn, the large tree at The Refettorio outdoor theatre site has been chopped down.
An arborist looked at the tree and determined it was already “quite dead” and would pose a potential hazard in the event it were to remain standing, YES Theatre founder Alessandro Costantini told Sudbury.com.
“We really, really wanted to keep it,” he said, adding they didn’t have any other choice but to chop it down.
The tree had been worked into various conceptual drawings for the outdoor theatre project on Durham Street. Now that the tree has come down, it will be replaced by other greenery to ensure there’s still a natural presence.
“The whole wall on the left side, we’re putting a garden wall so there will be greenery growing up the entire left side of the space,” Costantini said. “It’ll take some time, of course, it’s not going to be there the first year, but we’re going to ensure there’s lots of plant life there.”
As for the tree itself, he said they’re currently looking for ways to incorporate the wood into the facility – “use it in some ornaments, use it somehow,” Costantini said.
Site work is expected to begin any day now, Costantini said, adding that although the project had been fully funded, they’ve been left seeking additional grants after learning the project has increased in cost from its original $2.8 million to just shy of $3 million.
The YES Theatre website will soon include formal applications and guidelines on how to use the outdoor theatre space, which Costantini said will become available by next summer, when they plan on hosting their first theatre festival at the site, along with the Sudbury Theatre Centre and Place des Arts buildings.
“We are going to be opening the doors to artists – folks who want to use the space,” he said, adding he’d like to encourage people to “dream away” as it relates to the upcoming space’s potential.
Once open, The Refettorio is anticipated to be used from April to November each year, although there is the potential for it to host things such as Christmas markets in its off-season.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
