Scully Architects/Nextstage Design recently presented new conceptual architectural design ideas to the Fill the Void Board. Architects Dan Scully and Dave Drasba, and theater designer Tony Forman, have assessed the performance needs of students, ConVal High School educators, and local performing arts organizations as determined by Fill the Void’s research.
The new, preliminary design concept accommodates multiple configurations, ranging from intimate, small-scale performances for small audiences to musicals or concerts playing to the 400-seat full house.
The adaptable space, as proposed, can serve many functions:
- Concert Hall
- Proscenium Theater
- Black Box Theater
- Folkway Concert
- Dance
- Thrust Stage Theater
- Theater in the Round
- Alternate Theater configurations
Traditionally, attending the theater has been a passive experience. In this time of cultural change, there is an increasing move toward participation, where attendees are active in the creation of (and reaction to) the event. This shift calls for a space flexible enough to facilitate a variable range of engagement from audiences. At the same time, this flexibility must be not only affordable but also logistically achievable, or the space will not seamlessly adapt from one configuration to another. Departing from traditional designs that are rigidly constructed solely for proscenium arch presentations, the new concept drawings represent a versatile theatre for the future, a gathering place for the community to participate in arts and cultural events. The facility is envisioned as an arts and culture hub, supporting an array of programs that will inspire and educate students and the public, and will help prepare young people for creative work and active engaged lives in the 21st century.
Fill the Void will soon revisit local arts organizations, educators, and the school board to share the preliminary conceptual sketches, to ensure alignment of mutual needs and goals before moving toward more advanced architectural designs.
Link here for more about Scully/Architects and Nextstage Design.