After nearly a year and a half of work, construction of the new Performing Arts Center at San Lorenzo Valley High School is nearing completion.
Intended to serve as a performance venue for the students of the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District and the extended community, the 11,000-square-foot theater is the newest addition to the revamped Felton campus that is only two years removed from the opening of a new, modern library facility.
According to SLVUSD Superintendent Laurie Bruton, the $5.8 million facility is the last major campus project that will be funded by monies raised by Measure O — an $18.9 million bond measure intended for campus improvements that was approved by SLV voters in 2008.
“We’re so excited to be able to offer that to our kids and our community,” Bruton said. “It really sets the tone for the whole district and we’re really proud of that.”
Erik Slaughter, SLVUSD construction manager, said that the flooring of the main stage was put into place Tuesday morning and most of the theater’s 200 seats were also very recently installed.
The curtain, Bruton said, arrived Wednesday.
In addition to the large, raised stage, the facility boasts numerous amenities and features that were simply not possible in the former theater building — which Slaughter described as the union of “two large, funky classrooms.”
The goal, Slaughter said, was to create as professional a venue as possible.
“This is the real deal,” he said. “It’s just a little bit smaller.”
Many of the new features will make performances far easier from a technical standpoint, as a fully integrated overhead catwalk system means quicker and safer access for those mounting, adjusting, and maintaining the stage lights and sound equipment.
All of that equipment — including approximately $65,000 worth of new stage lights and a large projector — will be controlled from the tech booth, which is at least double the size of the previous one.
Adjacent to the stage is a large indoor set-and-prop-construction room with an attached cement patio outside. Large set pieces and props built outside or in the construction room will be able to be moved onto the stage by way of a pair of oversized doorways.
The audience area is a far cry from the temporary risers and plastic chairs of yore.
Audience members now have 200 cushioned, permanent seats — as well as an entire row of handicapped-accessible seats — to choose from. All of which are set between walls architecturally designed to appear as a clearing in a redwood forest.
“It is respectful to the environment,” SLVHS Principal Karen van Putten said. “In keeping with the redwoods, we thought we’d bring the redwoods inside.”
The exterior of the building features a programmable electronic message board, as well as a large sign to mark the entrance to the school.
“When the (sign) letters went up, we had a new look — an updated look,” van Putten said. “It’s modern, but it’s really thoughtfully done.”
As of yet, there is still no set date for the project to be completed, Bruton said.
But, she added that she is hopeful that the SLVHS production of “Thoroughly Modern Millie” — set to premiere in February — will do so as the facility’s inaugural show.
“A lot depends on when we get the final notice of completion (from construction crews),” Bruton said. “It’s coming soon, so that’s exciting.”
The facility’s official opening date will also depend on how quickly SLV staff can become familiarized with the new equipment.
“It’s all state-of-the-art so we really don’t know how to use it,” Bruton said, adding that a professional theater production company will be helping with the training.
Once the building is completed, she said, there will be an open-house-style community event to celebrate.
Bruton described the new theater as the crown jewel in the flagship school of the district.
“It’s going to be beautiful in there and I think we’re going to enjoy it a hundredfold,” she said.
