2008 Woodie Awards
Success conceals departments' needs
James Spung, Managing Editor
Issue date: 12/5/06
Last Updated: 12/29/07
Keberle, who served on the Facility Planning Committee from the mid-1990s until 2005, noted that the music department does not have as many problems with the building as theatre, and sections of the music department, like the jazz program, even enjoy playing in the auditorium.
"I know professional jazz musicians that have said the auditorium is the best jazz venue in the city," Keberle said.
Perhaps the greatest difficulty that both departments face is sharing space and time for rehearsal in the auditorium.
"All kinds of events happen in the auditorium, and we're always competing for time. We can't run a performance for more than two weekends," Hornor said. He added that music and theatre are the only departments at Whitworth that have to share space.
The music department is also forced to vie for rehearsal time on the stage, which has been a source of "great frustration" to the various music programs, Keberle said.
"Most of the time, [theatre is] in there with sets on the stage or they're blocking or rehearsing, so we can't go in there and rehearse," Keberle said. "There's a significant amount of weeks in the semester that they just say 'no music' and we can't go in."
The ideal improvement for both departments would be two separate performance halls, each smaller in capacity than the auditorium, Hornor said.
"If we had a theater, we could run a show for three, four, five weeks, which is what most shows do. We could still handle the same crowds and same number, but we could space it out," Hornor said.
A plan for two performance halls, however, is not necessarily practical in terms of finances for facility improvement, Keberle said.
There have been several plans to create more space for performing arts in the past. The music building was originally built in 1977 as the first phase of a larger music complex that would have included a concert venue and practice rooms, which is why the northeast corner lacks windows and doors.
"I know professional jazz musicians that have said the auditorium is the best jazz venue in the city," Keberle said.
Perhaps the greatest difficulty that both departments face is sharing space and time for rehearsal in the auditorium.
"All kinds of events happen in the auditorium, and we're always competing for time. We can't run a performance for more than two weekends," Hornor said. He added that music and theatre are the only departments at Whitworth that have to share space.
The music department is also forced to vie for rehearsal time on the stage, which has been a source of "great frustration" to the various music programs, Keberle said.
"Most of the time, [theatre is] in there with sets on the stage or they're blocking or rehearsing, so we can't go in there and rehearse," Keberle said. "There's a significant amount of weeks in the semester that they just say 'no music' and we can't go in."
The ideal improvement for both departments would be two separate performance halls, each smaller in capacity than the auditorium, Hornor said.
"If we had a theater, we could run a show for three, four, five weeks, which is what most shows do. We could still handle the same crowds and same number, but we could space it out," Hornor said.
A plan for two performance halls, however, is not necessarily practical in terms of finances for facility improvement, Keberle said.
There have been several plans to create more space for performing arts in the past. The music building was originally built in 1977 as the first phase of a larger music complex that would have included a concert venue and practice rooms, which is why the northeast corner lacks windows and doors.
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