Repairs to the broken auditorium are nearly complete after $550,000 in funds were administered in October 2023 to restore the space. Since then, the repair process has been extended several times and an official timeline was never announced.
At a public hearing for DCPS in 2023, Jackson-Reed graduate and theater participant Luther Hoy testified that the Department of General Services (DGS) promised the JR theater program that construction would start in October 2023. However, construction was delayed until this past fall.
Ineffective audio equipment, lighting systems, broken chairs and curtains, and a leaking roof pushed the theater community out of the auditorium and into the 180-seat black box for over two years.
Completed repairs include a new sound system controlled by the sound booth or an app, two computerized lighting racks, and fixed seating. Library technician and data coordinator Camille Ross explained that the old sound system was “really cumbersome and blown out, a lot of our speakers had a really grainy quality to the sound because they’d been overused and not maintained properly.”
Testing the lighting fixtures during repairs also revealed that every single lightbulb was broken. “That was an unexpected cost. I think right now [the contractors] are trying to balance what they can afford,” said Daniel Iwaniec, a Performing Arts Teacher and director of the Theater Department.
The added cost caused the contractors to determine priority repairs that still need to be completed, including installing spotlights, blackout shades, and fixing broken doors. Iwaniec added that they have a new curtain, but worries that the still leaking roof has halted the installation. A DCPS spokesperson said to The Beacon that “once the roof repairs are complete, they will install the new stage curtains.”
Because the $550,000 budget was spent on the repair work, the spokesperson added that if other issues arise after the inspection by DGS/DCPS that need repairs, JR is “encouraged to submit work orders for them to ensure their timely attention.”
Although the installation of the curtains is tentative, Iwaniec is positive that the spring musical will be performed in the auditorium. The theater department has had to enforce a tight budget due to the lack of funding from smaller shows in the black box. This prompted Iwaniec to choose the Addams Family for the spring musical as he “was looking at popular, money-making musicals that people are already familiar with.”
Senior and member of the theater community Auletta Schwab stated that while “being forced to work in a black box space has really pushed us to be more creative during shows, this year has been really hard on the JR theater community both actor and tech-wise.” Schwab hoped that “the excitement of working in an auditorium again will bring back some life to the JR theater community.”
Sophomore theater member Reagan Dwyer added that as an actor, it has been harder in the black box to develop acting skills such as projecting to larger groups. “I feel that I have missed out on the ability to experience being on a real stage,” said Dwyer. She also agreed with Schwab that it has been difficult to promote theater to other students due to the limited black box space that forces smaller casts.
Principal Sah Brown emphasized that with the broken auditorium, “there’s been this unsettled feeling because we cannot host and have programming like we want to.” Now, however, he is looking forward to bringing the community together through the renovated space. “Given the fact that it’s citywide dollars that went into this to help complete the project, I think it would only be right for us to open our door to different city-wide programs that we could bring to Jackson-Reed,” said Brown.
Last week, the Winter Concert was the first major event that was successfully held in the auditorium with choir, orchestra, and jazz band performances.
