In the words of Margaret Anne Butterfield, the creation of the new theater is ‘‘like we were riding a bicycle before, and now we are driving a ferrari.” Every Friends student has heard the story; a fire broke out on a normal school day in the spring of 2012.The rebuilding process,has finally reached completion, and the new and improved theater can now be used. Some of its new features include a higher seating capacity, a new balcony, greater handicap accessibility, greater wingspace, and better light and sound capabilities. Arguably the most important addition to the new space is the bridge that connects the theater to the band room. This new feature enables performers to move their equipment more effectively, making these movements much more efficient. These new features will open up many new opportunities to students interested in the performing arts. “We’re still learning how to drive this new ferrari; we’ve just barely gotten our license!” says Butterfield, although she already has some ideas planned.
The interior of the house provides possibilities for creativity during concerts, such as small groups singing on the balcony or different levels of the room. There is also the possibility of a more interactive performance, with the flexibility of getting on and off stage. As time goes on, the performing arts community at Friends will become more adept at the possibilities of this new facility. Most importantly, all should expect to see some major improvements in the way that concerts, musicals, and plays will come together upon our new and improved theater.
On October 17th, the commencement of the new theater will occur, with a concert from all Middle and Upper School chorale students. Wilmington Friends School has commissioned a piece from internationally known composer, Jim Papoulis, to be performed at the commencement. Sara Gaines, middle school music teacher said, “We chose Jim Papoulis not only because he is internationally known, but because many of his compositions include lyrics that are compatible with our Quaker testimonies – particularly community and peace, which he helps to spread through his music.” The new piece is called ‘Music Can Change Me’ and concerns the ability of music to strengthen a community and help others find peace within themselves. Part of the fee paid to Mr. Papoulis for the piece will go to the Foundation for Small Voices, a nonprofit organization that ‘encourages the use of music as a means to build self-esteem, self-reliance, and sense of community.’
The consensus of the Friends student body seems to be that this theater is a huge improvement from the last one. Despite what happened, the Friends school could come together and make an improved facility in lieu of the old one, while strengthening our community along the way. We are hoping to see many faces at the commencement ceremony on October 17th.