Many students are affected by the renovation of the new auditorium whether that be spectator or thespian. The theatre class has been moved upstairs temporarily whilst renovations are taking place. This has caused a lot of confusion on dates of the upcoming play and questions about why it took so long for this much-needed renovation to happen. The renovations are said to improve many things such as lighting, the sound system, seating, and dressing rooms. While some students are disappointed by the temporary loss of shows and rehearsals being moved upstairs, many are excited for the upcoming improvements. Sophomore Brayden Kerchner said that despite having way less space, the members of The Spotlight Players have adjusted easily to their new space.
“Well, since it’s upstairs, we don’t have the auditorium, and it gets very loud in there, and it’s also a very tight space, so moving around is very hard, …moving upstairs in the classroom and not being able to use the dressing room and bathrooms and the classes definitely being different, since, well, we’re not in the classroom anymore, but other than that, it’s not really too hard on me …I definitely think that what shocked me was how easy people moved on and how we were able to think of quick solutions to our problems” said Kerchner.
The auditorium’s renovation was a long time coming. There was talk of some of the safety hazards that the past auditorium had, and how this change will not only improve safety but also the comfort of theatre members and people coming to watch the plays. However, there are some sad feelings about the memories attached to the old theatre and feeling as though these memories are being covered up with a fresh layer of paint. The improvements to the auditorium are set up to create future memories for the students who are in theatre or who come to watch the school’s productions.
“I feel as though removing the old auditorium itself is gonna be sad, since people grew up with that, and that’s all they remember,” Kurchner said. “Like me, I grew up in first grade, doing theater, and it’s gonna definitely be weird and different to see it gone, but it’s definitely going to be something to get used to, and other people will get to experience a new theater and get used to that … I hope they take away that as much as old things are good, new things are even better, you know? And I hope that they learn that we are able to adapt quickly.”
Whilst having class upstairs, theatre has encountered many obstacles. The most obvious being space limitations, and having to prepare for such big plays in such a small setting. Classrooms aren’t typically soundproof, meaning the class has to be mindful of other rooms during the school day where as in the auditorium they could be as loud as they need for one’s best performance. There has also been trouble with finding the theatre class, considering it went from being one of the biggest rooms downstairs to being a normal-sized classroom upstairs in the World Language hallway. Theatre Director Kim Harrison brings up the difficulty in having such a different class.
“Nobody knows where I’m at. Getting up here is very difficult when I come to school with props and everything, and I have lots to carry all the time…The space is kind of constricting,” said Harrison.
Due to the renovations taking place, the school’s first performance had to be moved from what was supposed to be our auditorium to Francis Howell North’s auditorium. This makes it harder for theatre because now they will have to perform at a completely different auditorium, this could potentially affect turnout of the theatre if people don’t know where the play is located. However, theatre has made many positives in a negative situation, overcoming the difficulties presented to them.
“It’s really a different vibe. It’s good in a way that it’s forcing them to be more together because when you have a stage, you can go play on,” said Harrison. “There’s that separation between audience and stage. Here, they’re kind of in each other’s faces, so it makes it a little more intimate-ish. So I think that in and of itself is good. But at the same time, it’s not giving them the experience of being on a stage and what you can do with theater. So there’s some pros, there’s some cons.”
Behind the scenes as well there has been a lot of struggle when dealing with the new renovation and moving to an upstairs classroom. Theatre tech has struggled on what to do, considering they work a lot on set, which has been taken away temporarily. Having to deal with this change has proven to be challenging for tech, considering they have to use North’s auditorium they can’t get prepared for the showcase till much closer to opening night. Tech Crew member Tommy Martin has struggled with the lack of space provided to work.
“Being able to do my job, basically, which is set making, and, like, making lists, is the hardest because I have nowhere to do it,” said Martin.
