Copeland Donahue Theater Project
One of latest projects that RCS has been involved with is the Copeland Donahue Theater, a black-box theater, for The Webb Schools. This was the first academic building that Webb had built in over 20 years and part of their current strategic plan.
The concept behind the building was to provide a space for students to explore a progressive performing arts curriculum, acquire technical theater skills, and develop skills in numerous digital mediums. The building is home to the drama and digital media classes. In addition, the space has been used for a number of performances and events.
RCS currently team teaches the digital media class with Webb faculty. The class started the year by looking at Futurist artists that challenged artistic tradition during the early 20th century. This invites students to explore and create with technology and digital media in a way that is unique to any graphic design, sonic art, or music composition course on any high school or university campus. Through technology students are able to learn techniques developed two, three, and four generations ago and then apply those same concepts to today's technology with amazing results. Students are learning how to create with digital processors, video production software, graphic design software, and music sampling and composition software in a space that allows them to present their work with great flexibility. When the building was dedicated, two months into the class, the students had put together numerous images, videos, and sonic art pieces that were displayed with projectors and playing through numerous speakers in the space.
This is not the typical purposing of a black box theater that you find in universities and arts high schools. A black box theater is typically a smaller more intimate rehearsal and performing space painted black with a flat floor. This utilitarian space provides flexible staging and seating arrangements that is designed to emphasize the skills of the performers. The Copeland Donahue Theater building is unique in that it incorporates the extensive use of technology that provides for the presentation of digital mediums throughout the space. Technical theater is also a critical component of the space that had to compliment the purposes of a traditional black box theater and the digital mediums. The space was modified to include a state-of-the-art control booth on the second floor. The booth was then expanded beyond the required dimensions of a control booth and all of the hardware needed to include a digital media classroom that seats twelve students and all the equipment to support the curriculum.
Throughout the entire planning and building process RCS:
- participated in the very first charette to brainstorm the space with all the fine and performing arts user groups
- worked with the architect and general contractor to layout the space and technical requirements
- developed an interactive 3D model to evaluate the space and was eventually used with donors to explore the space
- worked with the various vendors involved with the project
- wired the space for data and connected it to the campus infrastructure
- recommended and acquired audio and video equipment
- recommended, acquired, and installed hardware and software for the 12 digital arts computer systems
- worked with students in preparing audio and video pieces for the building dedication
- consulted throughout the process to ensure the space was being designed and built to support the school’s vision for the fine and performing arts’ curriculum
In it's first year of use the space has transformed the fine and performing arts' curriculum.
For more information and some videos produced by RCS you can visit Webb’s web page about the Copeland Donahue Theater.
