Showcasing the Arts

Showcasing the Arts

Mark Cole isn’t a man easily upstaged, though that happens to be the name of his arts-supportive restaurant—The Upstage. He quietly goes about running the place, making the century-old brick building available to a variety of local organizations that need a venue to hold benefit concerts.

Cole, 52, also provides a stage for local performers—young people in and around Port Townsend, Wash. (pop. 8,334)—making their public debut, as well as professionals who donate their time and talent for good causes.

“My idea from the moment I bought the place in 1998 was to have a casual place where the pressure would be off of young performers,” Cole says.

Born and raised in upstate New York, Cole comes from a long line of vaudeville magic performers who had access to the professional stage as young men. “The idea has stuck with me—that if children can perform very early in their life in front of a friendly audience, they’ll be set with a life-long level of confidence. That’s why I love offering my establishment to the community.”

One of the many organizations Cole hosts at his 100-seat venue is the non-profit Youth Music Fund. “Mark saved our lives,” says Harvey Putterman, who works with the fund. “The organization was without an appropriate place for both student and professional performances when Mark stepped right up.”

The music fund, through fund-raising concerts and donations, assists aspiring young musicians with tuition to further their studies and pays for lessons and special training fees.

“The Upstage reflects Mark’s personal philosophy—support of the arts and respect for the artists,” Putterman says. “A small example is how he forgoes his business needs and stops serving food during performances. There’s no pressure on anyone to buy a drink or stay for a meal. Most people leave a donation when we pass the hat, but Mark doesn’t ask for anything in return.”

Cole has always enjoyed an eclectic approach to entertainment in which people are given a chance to watch a live performance. “Anything that gets people out and away from the TV makes me very happy. I’m always amazed at how Port Townsend has drawn so many talented people to its shores. So why not come out and partake of live, affordable entertainment and support worthy, struggling organizations at the same time?”

Cole has made The Upstage, which hosts everything from Shakespearean plays to poetry readings, an appropriate setting for children as well as adults. “Kids are always welcome here,” he says. “Recently we had a local teacher and his students in here playing the blues and rock ’n’ roll.

“I see The Upstage as a place where people can view all of the beautiful colors of the arts kaleidoscope,” Cole says. “Often we have musical performances, but at other times we book a storyteller, a mime, a comedy act or a small theatrical production. This is probably true for many small towns—if they had a casual place to perform and raise a little money, the town would be so much more vibrant.”

Over the last six years, Cole has been able to realize his vision for The Upstage. “The restaurant reflects my philosophy: to provide a place that’s dedicated to terrific food and live performances by generous professionals, emerging artists, and children just learning. You can have a place that generates income as a business, reflects your ideals and supports community causes.”

With no small amount of effort, Cole has been able to bring it all together and come up with something that enriches everyone. “It might be easier to sell hot dogs and put in a TV,” he says, “but once I made my decision to put my ideals into my business—to create something special and different—it all came together.”

For more information, log on to www.upstagerestaurant.com.

Barbara Clarke is a freelance writer from Port Townsend, Wash.

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