Archive: Around Town

Most high schools are lucky to have an auditorium that serves multiple purposes with limited off stage facilities double for multiple functions.  Ithaca school officials celebrated quite a different kind of facility Sunday when they hosted an open house to dedicate the new Ithaca High School Performing Arts Center.  The 40,000 square foot facility is certainly something to celebrate.  It adds a black box theater, rehearsal spaces, classrooms, and a scene shop and costume shop to create a facility that most colleges would be proud to have.

"We're really excited because this performance center is now almost double what it was before," says Ithaca City School Superintendent Judith Pastel.  "It's not just for children in the year 2010, but will be for generations.  20 years from now, 30 or 40 years from now many children will go through this facility and have an outstanding opportunity around the performing arts."

The Ithaca City School District has contracted with the Hangar Theatre to manage the facility, and to expand its educational initiatives in the space.  With the Hangar Theatre itself newly renovated and now able to handle year' round operations, Artistic Director Peter Flynn sees the theater's expanded collaboration with the city school system as an opportunity to expand the theater's educational programs year 'round.  The Hangar's Production Manager Adam Zonder will manage the IHS complex with his staff to make sure it is well maintained, open to the public, and provide opportunities for outside groups to rent it.  Students will also have more opportunities to not only use the facility, but to learn how professional theater is created.


"Over the next few years we'll offer several program opportunities," Flynn says.  "Students will be able to see performances here at Kulp as well as at the Hangar, school-district-wide.  We'll also be offering performance classes, and classes in direction and playwriting.  We'll bring professionals from the nation-wide performing arts community  into the school room.  We're hoping to build opportunities for students to appear in a new play that was written by one of his or her peers, and maybe directed by one of them as well, mentored by a professional playwright, by myself as a director, or by one of the actors appearing on our main stage."

"We also have teachers that are coming over and talking to people from the Hangar about helping youngsters in the classrooms with public speaking," Pastel adds.  "It really will hit all areas."


The project brings new equipment and seating to a the Kulp Auditorium, which first opened in 1960.  The theater now seats 915, slightly down from the original number to facilitate handicapped seating areas.  It also boasts improved acoustics, substantially increased back stage storage, new dressing rooms, enlarged aisles, a sound booth, and a catwalk that allows safer access to stage lights above.  Spacious practice rooms, a box office, and shops for constructing costumes and scenery have also been added.

The Ithaca Board Of Education approved the $13,200,000 in February of 2007, and voters approved it that March.  School Board member and Facilities Committee Chair Brad Granger says that the project cost is currently at $12,030,548, a good $1.1 million under budget.


"It came in under budget, which is amazing in this day and age," he says.  "We're pretty excited.  We know we're cutting edge. We want to have more performance opportunities for as many children as possible."

With the Hangar managing the facility school officials say that it will be a safer facility because it will be maintained by professionals.  Pastel says that it will protect the district's assets, as well as providing safe, qualified instruction in tools and equipment.  It will also provide professional training in theater arts and crafts, expanded performance opportunities, and creative opportunities in playwriting, acting, directing, and stage management.

"We have a career responsibility," Pastel says.  "Now youngsters will be able to get in there with the scenery, the lighting, costumes, and technical theater.  Professionals are teaching our children all about the theater, whether it's lighting or sound or costumes.  They can go on to two year or four year colleges, or right out of our high school they will have skills that most young people will not have."


The Sunday open house featured performances by the Woodwind Ensemble, Jazzmanian Devils, and The Swing Set, plus a brief recognition ceremony to dedicate the new facility.  Walking tours of the facility were punctuated by signs that explained the facility and green construction features including automatic lighting, domes and windows that enhance natural lighting, zoned heating and cooling, a white roof, and updated insulation.

"It's just great for the kids," Grainger says.  "They're excited about it.  For them it's new, it's exciting... it's a place to perform that they haven't had before.  The practice spaces are marvelous.  I just talked to one young man who plays flute who comes here now for study hall."

"It's like the Field of Dreams - build it and they will come," Pastel said.  "We believe that wholeheartedly.  This is about young people exploring areas that some of them, perhaps, never had an interest in.  But with this center many will become interested.  It's really been a labor of love to put this tother.  This is an exciting day for me to be sharing with everybody."

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