Show The he Grand Theatre sends students back in j 1 firne time t and creates learning opportunities St St Stephen hen Walker Contributing Cat Writer TO Th South uth High School open opened d in the fall of 1931 J graduating over students over that tha JO year period and was was- retired in Not too long after SL F. F bought the abandoned aban aban- d high school with witha a of turning it int into a a satellite campus J r J tute Things that you L environment environment ih that t t cannot ot be found anywhere any any- w where ere else on campus t o When one walks into Tji Tie G Grand and Theater it itIS itis IS liRe like walking through The Veil into the past I bUS busy hectic city life is left far behind and as you you enter a majestic hish his- his h f theater you would expect to find Abe Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln Lin Lin- coln or George Washington Washington Washington Wash Wash- ington in the audience One thing that is re really really really re- re ally interesting about the building is all of the special moldings details marble floors tiles brick brickwork brickwork brickwork work and stained glass windows says Terri McGhee Community Outreach Coordinator for forthe forthe forthe the Grand Theatre Community Com- Com tv t t ra 42 1 J mus' mus WINNING THE 1 J 1 r r Th The t acquisition of the thene new n South City CaID campus us provided 1 st students students' tS and community with ith a new cultural gent The Grand Theatre I theat theater the the- What a grand at ater 1 said Veteran Dir Director Director Di Di- r rector rector Pat Davis and past employee and f r r Promised Valley I Playhouse p hi house Executive Dite Di- Di te t Ihus new theater became known as The Grand Theater Tl Ire e Grand Grandi i The tf provi provides pro pro- provide vi vides vide el students with many opportunities ties ies to JO e explore and nd enrich r in the fhe thwarts arts The Grand r rand nd Thee Theater The The- I I ater e te creates creates 1 learning e wouldn't expect to have at a regular college college college col col- lege campus unless it was Harvard of course The theaters theater's architectural architectural architectural tural influences range all the way back to the Italian Italian Italian Ital Ital- ian Renaissance This is a regular theater that was built in the and is reminiscent of theaters of that age Its It's just like the vaudevillian kind of roadhouse that they would have built back then says Mc Mc- Ghee If you look close enough you can see the cherubs there all around the top of the moldings Gazing out from the stage a person cannot help looking in in awe at the vast amount of seats in the audience The theater has both a main seating level leveland leveland leveland and a balcony level It Itis Itis Itis is big It seats over 1110 people So its it's huge For what 0 we do here it itis itis itis is really big says McGhee The Grand Theatre is put in place by for the community but even more importantly for college students There are many ways students can get involved either by participating participating participating par par- in or orby orby orby by viewing the productions There are opportunities opportunities opportunities op op- for both Wp We are rp auditioning ana and III invite vm all members of the community community community com com- whether they are a student professional professional professional or semiprofessional semi says McGhee A student or community ty member doesn't have to be Brad Pitt or Julia Roberts to participate in productions A passion for theater hard work ethic dedication and a willingness to learn are the only requirements I Most of the time it is just regular people that fit the role that the di directors director's directors director's directors director's di- di rectors rector's looking for and so its it's open to anyone to audition says McGhee What about the majority majori majori- ty who would like to view the productions and not participate Performances es at The Grand Theatre could be a cheap date night opportunity For students we offer 14 o ii I M i ir r 0 i r Y wI w I i r. r I fj I It ti t t s I o I 1 I i J a community theater so we take anyone anyone anyone any any- one that is interested in inI in I all kinds of discounts We have free nights any t 1 h O n O r C d student wit wim a a acan 1 uLU lI ne ar can come to any show we present for free says McGhee They just need t t n o show their O n eCard a and n d dw w e give Jive them tickets tickets tick tick- ets in int inthe t the h e upper balcony balcony balco balco- ny for free They c can cana a n a also Iso g e t d di dis- dis i s counts on the main floor if they choose to The 2010 2009 season is speedily approaching approach approach- ing and includes three productions that have never been produced in Utah Usually each show runs for two weeks We open on a Monday and we run through a Sat Sat- We have a matinee matinee matinee mati mati- nee and evening mance says McGhee The Grand Theatre Community Institute also offers a series of events to reach out to the students and community These events are throughout the season and include lectures symposiums grand conversations and the Community Partnership Partnership Partnership Part Part- Program In addition addition addition ad ad- throughout the season The Grand Theatre Theatre Theatre The The- atre sponsors sponsors- the the- Excellence Excel Excellence lence in the Community Concert Series and other other other oth oth- er special productions According to McGhee productions at the Grand Theater are lucky if they completely fill the main seating level The main floor seats about people people people peo peo- and so when youre you're on stage or in the audience audience audience audi audi- ence and the main floor is full you feel like youre you're having an experience says McGhee If you come and there is quite not as many people in the theT th theater M r T I think it isn't int fl as 5 u. u u n fulfilling for a performer or an audience member member member mem mem- ber because you dont don't r get that shared energy Students who have never never never nev nev- er been to a production at atThe atThe atThe The Grand Theater may soon see that change Professors are encouraged encouraged encouraged aged to promote integration integration integration inte inte- gration of productions into their classes Have someone see the show write a paper about it and do some critical thinking about the kinds of themes r that take place says Mc Mc- Ghee Anything we can cando cando cando do to integrate the students students students stu stu- dents into either acting or coming to see the shows making that partnership stronger in the college The Grand Theatre is isa isa isa a profit non-profit arts organization organization organization that h happens to tobe tobe tobe be a part of the campus In fact they are not in charge of the acting acting acting act act- ing classes at the college Those who are interested in taking classes can do doso doso so SQ through Frank Gerrish Gerrish Gerrish Ger- Ger rish a time full-time faculty member in the Department Department Department Depart Depart- ment of Performing Arts There is a separate theater for student pro pro- We also have havethe havethe the Black Box Theater It is located on the third floor of this building and seats about 75 people says McGhee That is where all of the students do their productions They typically do two shows a season or school year Year vear one in the fall 7 and one one in the spring For more information and tickets call visit w www the or become The Grand Theatres Theatre's friend on I I |