The Tragic Event
On the evening of August 14th, 2023, while on a family vacation in Long Island ME, Alyssa died in a tragic accident.
While the horror of that night will be carried by her loved ones forever, it is being made more bearable by the incredible love and support of those whose life she impacted. The vastness and depth of her reach has been an amazing and comforting.
The sunset moments before the tragedy
The MHS Scholarship
Alyssa as described by Joan Walsh
Alyssa was a tremendous performer and a catalyst in the “early years” of Stage Door 22. Her kindness, humor and never ending passion for life were infectious. Enormously talented, she always remained humble, gracious and welcoming to all who knew her and her natural leadership brought out the best in everyone. It was for this reason that she was elected to serve as the 2019-2020 President of SD22.
Methuen High was fortunate to see the breadth of her talents as she performed in a number of productions including Beauty and the Beast, How to Succeed in Business, Tracks, Little Women (Marmie), and her favorite, starring as Donna in Mamma Mia. She worked tirelessly for the club and for her craft winning an Outstanding Actor award at the 2018 Drama Fest Competition and the Stage Door 22 Excellence in Theatre Award her senior year. After leaving MHS, Alyssa excelled at Salem State University where she starred in a number of productions and won multiple awards including the Irene Ryan Kingsley Colton Scholarship for theatre. She was due to graduate this Spring and was awarded a posthumous BFA in Performance from Salem State University.
There are not enough words to capture all that Alyssa was; a student, a performer, a leader, an optimist, a mentor, a confidante, a friend and a bright, brilliant ball of energy whose flame was extinguished too soon. Our hearts are broken at the loss of her, but we will honor her by doing exactly what she would do; sing, dance, laugh, live with passion, be optimistic and be kind.
The SSU Endowment
While Alyssa can be described in many ways, this description of her that introduces the perpetual endowment setup in her name at Salem State University is perhaps the best:
The Endowment: Alyssa June Fluet (2002 – 2023) was a class of 2024 BFA Performance major at Salem State University who passed following a tragic accident just prior to the start of her senior year. Alyssa hailed from Methuen, Massachusetts, where her love of theatre, dance and music was promoted by her parents and nurtured by the school system.
While at Salem State, Alyssa was awarded the Irene Ryan Kingsley Colton Scholarship and maintained a 4.0 average, despite working three jobs for most of her tenure. Prof. Peter Sampieri, who was Alyssa’s acting coach, director and teacher, described Alyssa as “a powerful actor who demonstrated the values of courage and determination.” Off-stage, she had an unwavering work ethic that drove her to achieve perfection. On-stage, in Prof. Sampieri’s words, Alyssa filled every role with “bold and inventive choices that made her characters dazzle [w]hether performing musicals, classic plays, or new work.” Retired Salem State Professor Celena Sky April, who taught Alyssa for two years, described her as, “[O]ne of the most talented, smart, professional, beautiful, skilled, humble, kind, and courageous students I ever worked with in over 40 years of teaching.”
Her abilities were recognized in 2023 at the Kennedy Center American Theatre Festival where she received the VASTA award for vocal excellence and the Region 1 Classical Acting Award, selected amongst 156 other acting students from schools all over the northeast.
To classmates and friends, Alyssa judged no one and supported everyone. One of her favorite “Alyssisms” was, “Comparison is the thief of joy;” she lived adhering to this belief and urged others to live similarly. She was a “yes,” “I can,” and “I will” person, always enthusiastic and optimistic about the next performance, opportunity and adventure.
Anyone close with Alyssa was never bored; she inspired, challenged and encouraged others to keep up with her energy and wit. During life, and after, her light brought people together. Alyssa was deeply enthralled in her own art, but wanted everyone to have art in their own way.
In a public trail journal in western Massachusetts, Alyssa wrote during a hike in 2023, “Without gratitude, life will never be satisfactory.” Alyssa was always grateful. And, with this endowment, those who love Alyssa hope to show their deep gratitude for her short but precious life, and the positive imprint left on our hearts.
