New and improved: WVHS’s new performing arts center
The drama club board explores the new theater in construction! Pictured left to right: President Xander Povey, Publicist Kiera Kerner, Vice President Penelope Burian, Student Outreach Coordinator Leslee Milburn, and Archivist Jadyn Platt.
If you have a real eye for detail, then you may have noticed the little construction project that’s been in process in front of our school. This “little project,” also known as our new performing arts center, is nearing completion. It will likely be finished around December- January; just in time for Puffs, our winter show.
There’s a lot to be excited about. For one, this is a major upgrade in terms of size. The theater will seat roughly 600 people, which is about double our current capacity. Also, thanks in part to the professional knowledge of John Fitzgerald, the lighting and sound equipment are state-of-the-art. This means the shows will be an elevated experience for the creators and performers, as well as the audience.
Teddy Skyler, a senior, shared his perspective as an actor, “I am very excited for the new performing arts center! I’m looking forward to a more professional feel—obviously it will be much larger, meaning better acoustics, which I’m additionally excited for.”
Backstage, there will be a shop for set construction, which will allow for much more equipment and space to expand beyond what we can currently design and build. There will also be a designated space for costume design and construction.
Currently the music for our theater is performed in a separate room during the show. This theater includes an orchestra pit, which means Mr. Davies and his band can perform in the same room as the actors and the stage. Wilsonville has never had an orchestra pit, so it’ll be exciting to see how this enhances the performances!
Our existing theater will still be in use. Ryan Hendricks, the project manager, explained that it will be the new “black box.” For those of you that don’t know, the Black Box is an intimate performance space. It seats far fewer people than the actual theater, and the setting and seating can be moved freely as per the vision of the director.
Whether you live in the theater, or have never even been interested in stepping foot into one, you will be absolutely awestruck by this new performing arts center. It will give the audience an upgraded experience, and the performers something so new and special to work with!