This Monday, November 13, Wilsonville High School celebrated the completion of a new performing arts center with a meaningful ribbon-cutting ceremony. This ceremony and the brand-new theater are tremendously impactful to many students in our performing arts departments.

Mainly, this event served as an expression of gratitude to our community members who worked tirelessly to accomplish it for our school. This includes construction workers, teachers, students, and sound tech engineers.

Max Werner, a drama department board member and the current Vice President, shares his views on the exciting new building: “On Monday, there was a dedication to the new theater. It was a community event, and a thank you to everyone who participated in building the new theater.”

The event held multiple diverse activities, including Werner taking on the role of host and sharing sentiments on how the students have been enjoying the space in comparison to the old theater. In addition, performing arts groups, including Jazz Band and Soul’d Out, displayed their talents to the guests. Kate Thomas, Drama Club Publicist, mentions, “Soul’d Out performed in the lobby, then Jazz Band performed on stage.”

The event also featured a video with interviews with students who described what made them excited about the new space.  Band and choir students, actors, and theatre technicians expressed their views.  Common favorites included the state-of-the-art technology and the opportunity to perform in a professional space.

Lastly, the event ended with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring Wilsonville High School’s principal, Mrs. Schmidt, and the Mayor of Wilsonville, Julie Fitzgerald. Werner adds, “After the ribbon cutting, there was a tour so that the community could explore the space and have any possible questions answered.”

To conclude, the new theater has proven to be a beneficial addition to Wilsonville High School, as it has allowed our performing arts department to perform their talents in a cutting-edge venue. This was not only a milestone for the theater department but also for our school as one union. It displayed collaboration, teamwork, and positivity, a few values that Wilsonville strives for.