Old School: Screening and Director Commentary

If you grew up in Beverly, you probably still call it Briscoe.

The building on Sohier Road opened in the 1920s and served generations of students as a high school, then a junior high, then a middle school. It closed in 2018 and sat empty for years, with one surprise cameo as Gloucester High in the Oscar-winning film CODA.

Then the city did something different. Instead of tearing it down, Beverly sold Briscoe on the condition it be saved. Today it holds 85 affordable homes for people over 55, artist studios carved out of the old locker rooms, and the same auditorium where kids sat through assemblies and pep rallies for decades. Some classrooms still have their original blackboards. At least one resident now lives in the building where he once took algebra.

Old School tells that story through the people who lived it: former students, current residents, artists, city leaders, and the folks who figured out how to turn an empty school into a home.

Join us for a laid-back night at the BevCam. We’ll screen the film, then the director will walk through how it came together, what didn’t make the cut, and the stories behind the interviews. Snacks are on us. Bring your own Briscoe memories, because we want to hear them.