With this year marking its 20th anniversary, the Esplanade Association recently debuted “Hatched: Breaking through the Silence” – an ongoing visual and audio experience at the DCR Hatch Shell – while also looking forward to resuming other activities in the park as soon as safely possible.
Michael Nichols, executive director of the nonprofit that works in partnership with the Department of Conservation and Recreation to maintain the Esplanade, described “Hatched,” an original 15-minute visual performance led by Boston-based creative Maria Finkelmeier of MF Dynamics and specifically designed for the 80-year-old Hatch Shell, as the Esplanade Association’s “marquee item” for 2021.
“We has to tinker with the light a little, but now, it’s awesome,” Nichols said of the free program, which opened on Jan. 22 and runs through Feb. 22, beginning nightly at 5 p.m., and restarting every 20 minutes until 9 p.m.
“Hatched” also allows viewers to watch the illuminations at the Hatch Shell in a physically safe manner while tuning in to an original synchronized soundtrack on their personal devices to create a multi-sensory experience.
In anticipation of a return to normalcy, Nichols looks forward to the return of the Esplanade Association’s regular programming, including fitness classes, concerts, tours and its volunteer program. “We hope to have all of those back in a COVID-safe fashion with smaller gatherings,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Esplanade Association will be taking a look back at its major accomplishments over the last two decades, Nichols said, on social media and in its newsletter throughout 2021.