JANESVILLE For years, students at Janesville Parker High School have performed on a stage with missing pieces of wood. Theyve dealt with aging sound and lighting equipment. Theyve worried about water leaking into the auditorium during storms.
That is expected to change this fall.
Renovations to Parkers auditorium are underway, with completed expected by the end of September, according to Janesville Parker Arts Academy staff.
The project includes a new stage, LED lighting, new lighting strips, updated sound and lighting control boards, new carpet, upgraded live-streaming equipment and hearing-assistance technology.
A better space
Program director Matt Knutson said the project brings a huge upgrade for students who spend much of their school day in Parkers auditorium. He said the changes are about more than a new look.
It brings a safer and more functional space to learn and perform.
Its just something that is going to help us all, on stage and off stage, Knutson said. Weve had some problems, especially with the old stage. It was torn up, and there were pieces missing, so it was hard. People were tripping on it.
The stage was original to the auditorium, which was built in 1967. It had become increasingly difficult to use.
Annabell Colby, a Parker senior, said the auditorium is used throughout the day and school year for a multitude of activities and events not just for school musicals.
Were using it all day for classes. Were using it after school all year round, Colby said. The improvements that theyre making are going to help us perform better, and help elevate the experience for ourselves and also for the audience.
The auditorium has a bevy of uses besides musicals. Its also home to band, orchestra and choir concerts, school assemblies, classes and other events.
Other problems in the auditorium became glaring during severe weather.
During storms in April, water leaked in, and onto the stage, set pieces and electrical equipment, raising new safety concerns for students and staff.
Colin Swanson, acting director of the Janesville Parker Arts Academy, said referendum-funded work to the auditorium has addressed the water leaks and helped shore up the existing floor.
The new stage will provide another significant improvement.
The earlier leaks had previously created uncertainty for students preparing for performances.
Kaydence Troia, a Parker senior, remembered dealing with water issues during a production.
It was very scary, because we didnt really know what was going to happen, Troia said. We didnt know if wed be able to even perform our show that wed been working so hard on.
Swanson said the auditoriums condition wasnt always visible to audiences because students and staff worked behind the scenes to make productions look polished.
Behind the scenes, theres buckets and tape holding down floors, Swanson said. And us rigging sound systems together to sound good.
Space to grow and learn
The aging technology also had become increasingly difficult to maintain.
Swanson said the auditoriums sound and lighting systems had reached a point at which the school had scant options to repair or replace individual components.
The renovation will replace those aging systems with updated equipment students can learn to operate.
The new equipment brings opportunities for students to learn technical skills, including lighting and sound design.
Swanson and Knutson said they plan to hold lighting- and sound-design workshops with industry professionals to help students learn the new systems.
Bryce Flood, a Parker junior who works on stage production tech, said he looks forward to gaining experience with the new equipment.
Itd be cool to learn to get into that, so Im more well-rounded in terms of the tech lights (and other equipment), Flood said.
Knutson said the upgrades will allow students to spend less time troubleshooting decrepit equipment, and more time learning and creating. Plus, it will allow students to run productions without outside help.
From a design standpoint, the new stage will make it easier for students to move set pieces on and off stage, while upgraded lighting and sound equipment will give students more flexibility in their productions.
Were able to do that in-house now, Knutson said. Our designs are just going to be so much more elevated with the new equipment and the new light board, and then sound.
A better show
The renovations also are intended to improve the audiences experience at Parker performances.
New carpet, sound and lighting systems, live-streaming equipment and hearing assistance will make the auditorium more accessible to audience members, staff said.
The schools livestreams allow family members and others who cannot attend performances in person to watch concerts and productions from elsewhere, including internationally.
The auditorium is expected to host a lineup of productions this school year, including the high school version of Beetlejuice in November and Disneys Frozen in April.
Knutson said the upgrades will allow students to take on increasingly ambitious productions while giving them better tools to bring their designs to life.
Swanson said the renovation comes as Parkers arts programming continues to grow. He said Parker Arts Academy isnt simply an after-school program. Students receive instruction during the school day in areas including theater, dance, playwriting and technical theater.
He said students develop skills that extend well beyond the stage, including communication, time management, public speaking, empathy and teamwork.
Colby said the program can be a major motivator for students to come to school.
I like going to school, but there are some days where what motivates me to get up and be here at 8 a.m. is the fact that I have musical rehearsal after school, she said. I get to be with people who love what theyre doing, teachers who care about us and just getting to put art out there into the world.
Swanson said the improvements are possible because the community supported the school district referendum that funded them.
He said the auditorium improvements arent about creating a luxury space, but addressing needs that had accumulated over years.
Weve been able to function in our dysfunction, Swanson said. So if weve been able to function in our dysfunction, then we can really thrive.
Knutson said the district and communitys investment also will give students access to equipment and experiences that can prepare them for future careers.
The renovation is expected to give students a safer, more functional space while also providing the community with an improved place to experience performances.
Were so thankful for our community investing in education, investing in our students and the arts, but also all of the many other things that it is bringing to the school district, AC in our elementary schools and things like that, he said.
Knutson said that with another referendum coming in November he knows that its a lot to ask the community to give more especially in a time when money is tighter, but this is not just an investment in the schools, its in the teachers and the students futures.
Its whats going to make our world a better place, he said. From a teacher standpoint, when we when we showed these students what already theyre going to be starting to see in this new auditorium renovation, let alone what all the other students in the district are going to experience, I saw a level of excitement that that was really cool to see, and this doesnt happen without our community support.