The Advisory Neighborhood Commission voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve plans for the Georgetown Performing Arts Center. Final approval awaits a hearing before the Board of Zoning Adjustment scheduled for Dec. 5.
The Performing Arts Center, a part of the Georgetown University Campus 2000 Plan, will be the first building in University history dedicated entirely to the performing arts.
The planned center will include a renovation of the Ryan Administrative Building as well as significant new construction that will add approximately 30,000 square feet to the current structure.
University Architect Alan Brangman described the structure of the new arts center.
“It will be sympathetic to the architectural style of the Ryan Building. One of the challenges is to produce an addition that will be attached to Ryan but not overpower its style, and that also fits in with the architecture on campus,” Brangman said.
Though originally planned for music, dance and theater, the Performing Arts Center will focus on theater due to funding constraints, said Professor Jos? Bowen of the Art, Music and Theater Department.
The new center will encompass two primary theaters, a 230-seat main stage with a small orchestra pit and a smaller 100-seat black box theater, as well as classrooms and rehearsal space. Though the facilities are designed primarily for theatrical use, it will be possible for musical groups to perform in the center as well.
According to Professor Robert Baker-White, the Art, Music and Theater Department plans to offer a new theater major that will coincide with the completion of the Performing Arts Center.
“The whole focus is to expand in terms of faculty and facilities. All this is possible because of new facilities designed for undergraduate theater. We want to create a theater major that fits into the liberal arts tradition but will also involve students with other majors,” said Baker-White.
In addition to students and faculty, community groups will have access to the Performing Arts Center. No commercial applications, however, are planned. According to Brangman, more than 25 theater groups and five academic departments have already expressed interest in the new facility.
Tim Bresnahan (SFS ‘03), president of Nomadic Theatre, said that the Performing Arts Center will help students in their search for rehearsal space.
“This is a great step in solidifying our commitment to theater at Georgetown, because currently our space is so limited. This is saying that we’re committed to improving our facilities, which are not up to par,” said Bresnahan.
Professor Ted Parker, technical advisor to the Theater Department, said he also has great anticipations for the Performing Arts Center.
“The Performing Arts Center will be nothing but good. We have no dedicated quality space [for theater] and more is always better,” remarked Parker.
If approval is granted on Dec. 5, construction is scheduled to begin this spring and will hopefully be complete by fall 2004, said Assistant Vice President for Communications Julie Green Bataille.
