Robert Natti Fund
Strategic Investment Fund for Gloucester StageIn his many roles as teacher, guidance counselor, and principal in the Gloucester school system, Robert was a man with warm wisdom that provided a positive influence on many in the Cape Ann community.
The Robert Natti Fund is intended to be a continuing resource to invest in the strategic future of Gloucester Stage and unlock the full potential of the Company’s mission across Cape Ann and the broader performing arts community.
Robert Natti in The Gloucester Story, circa 1953
Theater Building Preservation Project
267 East Main Street, now the theater under the care of Gloucester Stage Company, was designed by Ezra Phillips for John F. Perkins and Fred A. Corliss for their newly converted automobile rental business, Twin Lights Garage. It was used to store visitors’ cars and chauffeur summer tourists around Cape Ann. Gloucester Stage purchased the building in 2004. Before the sale, the theatre company had been a tenant of Gorton’s Seafood, who provided the upper floor at no charge.
To preserve and restore this significant building in East Gloucester, Gloucester Stage Company seeks funds to protect its historic building by accomplishing the following critical improvements:
- replace the entire roof of the theater, which currently leaks in several key places throughout the building;
- restore the brick and mortar around the building, which has been eaten away by the salt water over the decades; and
- replace the HVAC units, which are failing and no longer able to maintain adequate temperature control of the building.
This $190,000 effort will allow Gloucester Stage to continue its educational and cultural contributions to the Gloucester community, bringing theatre-goers into a fortified, functional, and historic structure that is a gateway to the Rocky Neck Cultural District. $100,000 has been awarded by the City of Gloucester’s Committee Preservation Committee and $50,000 has been committed from the Robert Natti Fund.
Right now, Your Donation is matched by a gift from Susanna Natti & Alan Willsky up to $100,000:
Gloucester Stage Marina Project
In 2024 Gloucester Stage built and installed a public dock as a gateway for audiences traveling from downtown Gloucester to the theater. After achieving appropriate permitting from Conversation and Waterways Committee, we have been able to activate an unused portion of Smith Cove to provide transportation access and leisure boat parking space.
This $120,000 project was made possible by the Robert Natti Fund and a generous gift from Mollie Byrnes. We are seeking final funding to complete this public infrastructure project that supports the role of cultural experiences in the health and well-being of our community.
Additionally, the dock space will be leased to leisure marine craft each season, driving enough revenue to cover the cost of Gloucester Stage’s mortgage on the entire theater building!
Right now, Your Donation is matched by a gift from Susanna Natti & Alan Willsky up to $100,000:
Facilities Feasibility Planning
As it looks to the future, Gloucester Stage seeks to remove any hurdles that keep guests from accessing performances in our East Gloucester home and expand the economic impact visitors to the venue make on the surrounding community. Gloucester Stage Company is seeking funding to conduct a feasibility study to assess its plans with our constituents.
Nestled in the scenic Rocky Neck Cultural District, Gloucester Stage has become a beacon for theater enthusiasts, drawing 55% of audiences from over 50 miles away and from every one of the 50 states. As the community’s need for a dedicated arts space continues to grow, Gloucester Stage recognizes the evolving landscape and aims to expand accordingly.
Conducting a facilities feasibility study is the appropriate next step in the process for several crucial reasons:
- Assess building needs and opportunities within the waterfront building
- Gain feedback from stakeholders on key building improvements
- Engage an architect in planning and design
Grant funding has been awarded by the Mass Cultural Council Facilities Fund which requires a dollar for dollar match.
Robert’s Impact on Cape Ann
Creating a welcoming home on Blood Ledge Quarry with his wife Lee Kingman Natti, acclaimed children’s book author and Folly Cove Designer, Robert left a quarry-sized impact on the culture of Cape Ann. Besides spending a lifetime as a beloved educator, he was a rollicking storyteller and a keen actor. He took great joy in reading to enthralled school children, performing on stage, and, for one season of local Hollywood stardust, appearing in the TV series Harbormaster filmed on Cape Ann.
He loved Cape Ann, on land and on the water, and for many summers he would chug out of Lane’s Cove in his boat, Pikku Kala, “Little Fish” in Finnish (which he spoke fluently). His boat may have been little, but, as with its owner, it punched well above its weight, providing hours of joy for those who accompanied Robert.
Principal Robert Natti as Ghost of Hamlet’s Father, High School Production of Hamlet, 1972
Robert Natti in May Blossom with Dave Murray & Janet Norton, 1951
Catalyst for Strategic Growth
In many ways, Gloucester Stage is also a small fish punching well above its weight. With the pandemic in full fury, the Company brought professional plays outdoors at Windhover Performing Arts Center – transforming the historic grounds into an exceptional venue for live theater, in person.
The response to that herculean effort has been tremendous, and it is with that creative spirit that Susanna Natti and Alan Willsky have made this $500,000 commitment to Gloucester Stage to help achieve the next phase of the organization’s growth. This gift and this fund are intended to be a catalyst for growth in the capital resources and artistic potential of Gloucester Stage.
“We envision this Fund providing long-term resources that reflect Robert’s dedication as an educator and inspiration to generations of young people in Gloucester, as well as his love of performing.
We hope that you will join us – and honor the memory of the exceptional Robert Natti – in supporting this Fund both this year and into the future.”
Restricted Gifts to the Robert Natti Memorial Fund
Gloucester Stage operations require significant support on an annual basis from generous contributors – with income from ticket sales covering only 50% of programming costs. This fund, led by Susanna Natti and Alan Willsky, children’s book illustrator and Massachusetts Institute of Technology Edwin Sibley Webster Professor of Electrical Engineering (Retired) respectively, is restricted to strategic projects.
This lead gift to the Robert Natti Memorial Fund will allow Gloucester Stage to begin the planning phase on significant enhancements to artist and audience experiences.
Every contribution, no matter the size, is a meaningful investment in our physical building improvement plans, increased artistic programming in addition to the summer season, the post-graduate professional apprenticeship program, and capital projects that increase the sustainability of the organization.