Mark’s Score 9.4
When we were choosing a retirement location I had a number of criteria, the very first criterium was locating in a college town. Mind you my mental image of a “college town” was Williamstown, MA, not Salisbury, MD. But for a number of different reasons, we ended up here in Salisbury. Salisbury is the home of Salisbury University. The main reasons I wanted to live in a college town were the opportunities for intellectual stimulation, and the possibility of a vibrant visual and performing arts community. Salisbury University (SU) offers many intellectual stimulation opportunities, more on that another time, the real surprise in moving here was SU’s robust and world-class performing arts program. The SU performing arts calendar is extensive and, for the most part, free.
There are two reasons why SU offers world-class performances. SU has established a reputation in the University of Maryland system as offering one of the best arts programs in Maryland. Consequently, it draws excellent talent from high schools throughout the Mid-Atlantic states. Many of SU arts graduates go on to perform on Broadway and in Hollywood. Last year one of SU’s graduates performed on American Idol.
The second reason that the performing arts are so excellent here is that the Maryland State Arts Council has a program that encourages big name acts to travel to more rural parts of the state. Consequently, acts such as the Moscow Ballet and the Vienna Boys Choir have performed at SU.
The Eastern Shore is not just beach and parks. There is a lively cultural scene here and one of the best cultural venues on the Delmarva is the SU preforming arts program. The program is both broad and deep, meaning there are varied performing acts, from tango dancing, to jazz, to a full orchestra, musical and dramatic theater, and performing arts competitions. There is so much going on, it is impossible to attend every event.
The only down side to the SU program is that its two main event halls are just too small. This is particularly true of the Black Box Theater. However, there are preliminary plans to build a $100 million state of the art theater in downtown Salisbury. Salisbury is called the “capital” of the Eastern Shore. Dover Delaware may disagree with that claim, as Dover is actually a capital, but nevertheless Salisbury is very much the cultural capital of the Eastern Shore. Salisbury’s art scene is more diverse than almost any other city of its size. Most tourist pass right bye Salisbury on the way to the beach. That is a shame because Salisbury has much to offer.
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