Payomet: Big Names, Big Tent, Outer Cape Magic.

There is something wonderfully unexpected about arriving at the Payomet Performing Arts Center. Follow Old Dewline Road through North Truro and the landscape of a former Cold War military installation gives way to a large white tent. Inside, Grammy-winning musicians, emerging artists, actors, circus performers, and storytellers have made Payomet one of the Outer Cape’s most distinctive cultural institutions.

Payomet celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2023, tracing its beginnings to 1998. Founded by actor, writer, and Truro resident Guy Strauss, the organization began primarily as a theater company, with a mission that remains at its heart today: bringing high-quality performing arts to everyone. Its philosophy is neatly captured in the phrase “outside the box and inside the community.”

Its unusual home is part of the story. Payomet operates at the Highlands Center at Cape Cod National Seashore, the former North Truro Air Force Station. The National Park Service acquired the property in 1994, envisioning the sprawling site as a center for arts, science, education, and cultural activities. Payomet eventually established its seasonal performance tent there, turning a piece of Cape Cod’s Cold War history into a gathering place for contemporary culture.

When playwright, director, and actor Kevin Rice became managing artistic director in 2008, Payomet began expanding well beyond its theatrical roots. Live music became a major part of the season, bringing nationally recognized performers and rising stars to Truro while theater productions continued to combine local talent with professional actors and directors from around the country.

Then there is the circus. Cirque by the Sea has become a signature Payomet attraction, bringing professional circus performers under the tent each summer. Circus Camp and Circus Arts classes give children the opportunity to move from audience to participant, learning skills while building confidence and creativity. Payomet actively seeks scholarship support so more local children can participate, and its commitment to young people extends into Cape schools through performances and workshops.

Payomet is not privately “owned” in the traditional business sense. It is a nonprofit performing arts organization, supported by ticket sales, memberships, donations, sponsors, grants, volunteers, and community partnerships. Its current tent, purchased in 2019, significantly increased capacity and reinforced Payomet’s ability to attract major performers while preserving the informal atmosphere that audiences love.

The business has also grown beyond summer in Truro. Payomet continues expanding off-season programming at venues across the Outer Cape, including Tilden Arts Center, Eastham Music Hall, Wellfleet Preservation Hall, and Provincetown Town Hall. Its regional connections include arts organizations, chambers of commerce, and business groups from Truro to Provincetown, while support has come from organizations including the Massachusetts Cultural Council and Barr-Klarman Massachusetts Arts Initiative.

After more than a quarter century, Payomet has become far more than a summer tent. It is music, theater, circus, education, and community rolled into one distinctly Cape Cod experience—national talent presented with a decidedly local personality.

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