Theater Groundbreaking Ceremony Marks Beginning of Construction

Faculty, students, donors and members of the community gathered on Gilman Street to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new performing arts center on Thursday, April 21. In addition to Principal Lisa MacFarlane’s opening and faculty addresses, the ceremony featured student speeches and performances.

The center of the new performing arts building will hold a large main stage with an orchestra pit and an apron stage. In addition, the Academy plans to include several teaching, rehearsal and exploration spaces to be used by classes and independent students throughout the year. There will also be areas for technical design, craft and storage and a lobby capable of hosting events.

MacFarlane described the ceremony as a “remarkable day for the Academy.” As a parent of children who performed at Exeter, she said she understands the dedication and passion that the students in the theater and dance programs possess. “This new center for theater and dance allows us to have a new space that is commensurate with the work that the students and faculty have done for so many years,” she said.

A selection committee consisting of theater faculty, facilities workers and around half-a-dozen trustees selected the firm of architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien to design and plan the building. The Academy looked for a firm capable of creating a center that would stand out, but also reflect the atmosphere of buildings on campus.

Theater instructor Sarah Ream Myhill spoke about the architects and their unique vision for the new center. Myhill recalled that in their PowerPoint presentation, Williams and Tsien’s firm displayed an amethyst geode. Tsien explained, “This is what we do. Our buildings are still on the inside, quiet, giving very little away, but, we hope it’s filled with life and activity and surprise within, just like the psyche of an adolescent.” After careful deliberation, the committee took a vote and unanimously decided to hire Williams and Tsien.

“I genuinely think that the new theater will help revamp the attitude towards the performing arts and encourage more Exonians to try out theater.”

Senior Ariel Kim spoke at the groundbreaking about her four years of experience in the dance program. When she was younger, Kim felt discouraged in her classes and quit dance. At Exeter, she joined intermediate dance with doubt, but soon grew to love the people and, eventually, dance. In her speech, Kim explained, “Our little studio in Davis is full of memories of laughter and growth and community, experiences that I will sorely miss as my time at Exeter comes to a close and the seniors prepare for our last spring concert.”

Prep Anna Clark believed that the new theater will “definitely be an improvement” due to issues she believes Fisher Theater has in terms of layout, facilities and space. “It will give all students an ability to express themselves through the art of theater and dance, which is an important opportunity to have. I think that it’s cool that I get to see the groundbreaking and I get to be at Exeter when it will be built,” Clark said.

Several donors visited rehearsal for the Dance Company’s upcoming spring concert on Wednesday, April 20. Following the showing of three student-choreographed dances, the company engaged in a Q&A session. Prep Katrina Schmitt rehearsed her piece and enjoyed hearing what interested the donors about the dance program. “Talking about my inspiration for the piece and performing it for the first time was a great learning experience for me,” she said.

Dance instructor Amberlee Darling said that talking to the donors about the new center created excitement between the dancers and the faculty. “There was excitement and hope. It’s just going be a beautiful space, not just for dance and theater kids, but also for everyone to go and congregate,” she said.

The Q&A session gave the dancers an opportunity to share their artistic process with people not familiar with the performing arts. “A lot of the donors wanted to know about [the dancers]—what they’re doing, how they’re doing it. Most of [the donors] were really thrilled to be a part of it in their own way,” Darling said.

Members of the dance program expressed hope and enthusiasm for what the new center will provide in the future. Lower Elianne Lee explained that the program “has been needing an upgrade for a while.”

“I genuinely think that the new theater will help revamp the attitude towards the performing arts and encourage more Exonians to try out theater,” she said.

Lower Rachel Moberg, who has been a member of the dance program since her prep fall, hoped that the location of the center will create a larger presence on campus. “It won’t be behind the science building, and since faculty and students will have to walk by it, it will be a reminder that the theater and dance programs do exist,” she said.

Upper and current Dance Company co-captain Jaden Wood agree with Lee and Moberg. “In recent years, there’s been a lot of anger and ignorant sore eyes towards the dance program, and maybe the new studio will help that.”

In addition, Wood hoped that the new space will encourage students to come to performances. “Last term, we had a full house for the first time since I’ve come to Exeter, which is great, but also a little sad. People hate on the dance program so much, but many of those people don’t come to our shows to see how hard we’ve been working,” she said.

Rebecca and Mark Byrne ‘81, two of the donors, agreed. “It’s important Exeter takes into account that there are many kinds of intelligence. Some students who are less vocal in a Harkness environment may make great contributions in Theatre and Dance.”

The theater is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2018. Although Lee will not get a chance to dance in the new theater herself, she expressed her excitement towards other classes in the future and the opportunity for future performers “to get to experience our great dance program, but in a new and incredible facility.”

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