Black Box Theatreã¢â•wirtz Center for the Performing Arts 1949 Sheridan Road Evanston

Marilyn & Rocky Wirtz Photography courtesy of Northwestern University

In the 1970s, Northwestern University alumna and supporter Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz '24, a champion of the arts, helped her alma mater enhance the funds needed to build what was then the Theatre and Interpretation Center. Today, her retentiveness lives on in the newly renovated Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts.

A gift from her grandson, Chicago Blackhawks chairman William Rockwell "Rocky" Wirtz '75, and his wife, Marilyn, enabled Northwestern to rename the middle in Virginia'south honor in 2014. University leaders honored the Wirtz family and other pb benefactors of the School of Advice at a June xiii ribbon-cutting ceremony marker the official reopening of the fully renovated center.

"Northwestern and the Wirtz family take been connected for many decades," Northwestern President Morton Schapiro told an audition of more 70 Academy supporters, trustees, administrators and others in the Wirtz Middle'south stunning new blackbox theater.

The edifice was renovated to improve the accessibility and function of existing spaces and to create new classroom, rehearsal and functioning spaces.

The Wirtz Center addition includes three studio theaters, instructional spaces used for theatre, functioning studies and trip the light fantastic programs: The Apr McClain-Delaney and John Delaney Studio Theater, named in recognition of a gift from April McClain-Delaney '86, '15 P, 'eighteen P and Congressman John Delaney '15 P, 'xviii P; the Spohler Family Studio Theater, named in recognition of a gift from Bruce '86 MBA, '17 P and Melissa Spohler '17 P and family unit; and the Barbara and Garry Marshall Studio Theater, named in recognition of a souvenir from Barbara and the late Garry Marshall '56, '86 P, 'xc P, '91 P, '18 GP.

Each studio theater is equipped with a jump floor, curtains, full-length mirrors, acting cubes, floor mats and loose seating, every bit well as country-of-the-art technology. Exterior of classes, students use these spaces to rehearse for upcoming projects or performances. The rooms are also used for student auditions and independent study projects.

Since the Barbara and Garry Marshall Studio Theater is often utilized by those studying screen acting, it besides includes 3 curtain tracks with black, white and Blush key dark-green layers; an LCD screen (rather than a projector), so students may better perform in forepart of an image; more film-style than theatrical-style lighting in the grid; and dedicated camera equipment for recording performances.

The Judith and Philip Block III Seminar Room — named in recognition of a gift from Judith Southward. Block '63, trustee, and the late Philip D. Block Iii '93 P, '02 P, '03 P — is used as an instruction space for diverse courses related to the theatre programme. It has audio-visual capabilities and modular movable furniture for flexible use. Exterior of classes, students use this space to rehearse for upcoming projects or performances.

The Whitman Music Studio — named in recognition of a gift from the Purple Plume Foundation in honor of Barbara Whitman '11 P, '13 P — and the Maxine Hupy '11 and King Hupy '13 Performing Arts Practice Room — named in recognition of a gift from Suzanne and Michael Hupy 'xi P, '13 P — are designed for instructional apply, specifically vocal coaching, for upward to eight students. Each space is equipped with a whiteboard surface, a flat-screen monitor and a hybrid infant 1000 piano. The rooms also characteristic a full-length wall mirror and so students tin monitor their posture while singing.

The Ruth and Todd Warren Computer Lab — named in recognition of a gift from Ruth and Todd Warren '87 — accommodates an instructor and up to eleven students. Education is given using computer graphic software for scenic, costume and lighting design. Each of the lab's 12 computers is equipped with software for 3-D modeling, low-cal-filigree planning, 2-D and 3-D animation and architectural rendering. When not scheduled for coursework, the infinite is used as a general reckoner lab. The room also features a wide-format scanner/copier/plotter.

Serving every bit the entry point for the Wirtz Center complex and a welcoming venue for gatherings, the Secunda Family Foundation Entrance hall is named in recognition of a gift from the Secunda Family unit Foundation in award of Cindy and Thomas Secunda '13 P and Amy Secunda '13.

In addition to the to a higher place named spaces, the Wirtz Centre features a blackbox theater — used for theatre, performance studies and trip the light fantastic programs — with a 24-human foot-high ceiling with a structural grid to support aeriform performance work. The blackbox theater offers tiered seating for seventy people and loose seating for up to 100. The Wirtz Centre also includes an additional seminar room for education and rehearsal, additional coaching rooms for vocal students, and dry and wet design studios for theatre students to learn and develop set and phase design.

Senior theatre major Jessie Jennison '17 — who performed at the ceremony with fellow students Charlotte Morris '17, Eric Peters '17, Justin Tepper '17 and Noah Teplin '17 — said the center'southward expansion is providing students with much-needed spaces for practice and learning and something else:

"There'southward community around this physical edifice," Jennison said. "Students can hang out here, and information technology's bringing united states together."

The funds raised through We Will. The Campaign for Northwestern are helping realize the transformational vision set forth in Northwestern'southward strategic programme and solidify the University'due south position amid the world's leading inquiry universities. wewill.northwestern.edu

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Source: https://jwcdaily.com/evanstonmagazine/2017/07/16/northwestern-honors-blackhawks-chairman-and-supporters-at-wirtz-center-dedication/

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