by Anne Sears
The Playhouse has been a rehearsal space for some of the world’s great conductors, including Leonard Bernstein, Simon Rattle and Yannick Nézet-Séguin. It is also the site for many classes, opera and theatre performances and rehearsals of Westminster’s community ensembles.
As construction of the Marion Buckelew Cullen Center comes to a close, plans have been developed to renovate Westminster’s historic Playhouse. Two leadership gifts have brought the Choir College closer to turning those plans into a reality.
In January, philanthropist Betty Wold Johnson made a challenge gift of $250,000 to support the renovation in honor of former Westminster Choir College board chair William H. Scheide, as part of “Ode to Joy,” a concert celebrating Dr. Scheide’s 100th birthday. All gifts to that event were matched dollar-for-dollar, which secured $500,000 for the renovation project, making the concert the most successful fundraising event in Westminster’s history. Johnson also made one of the first leadership gifts to the Cullen Center, which will be connected to the Playhouse after construction.
In April, The Presser Foundation awarded a $250,000 grant to the Playhouse renovation project. In recognition of the foundation’s generous support, The Playhouse stage will be named The Presser Stage.
The renovation will preserve and expand the Playhouse to maximize students’ academic experiences and provide quality music education and performances to the greater community. Enhancements will include a 2,950 square foot addition to the Playhouse with an expanded stage and backstage, two dressing rooms, two restrooms, storage space, and improvements to make the facility handicapped accessible.
The renovated Playhouse will provide Westminster’s faculty and visiting artists an enhanced space for music education and performance instruction. It will also continue to be used for classes, rehearsals, recitals and semi-professional staged opera productions, and a convening area for various student activities.
To learn more about the Playhouse renovation and how you can help reach the fundraising goals, contact Kate Wadley ’02 at (609)-921-7100 (ext. 8213), or [email protected].
