There are plans for Venice High’s auditorium space to reopen this school year.

According to Community of Schools liaison David Lee, the former band director, the historic eligible space has not been in use since 2015 and out of commission for almost 10 years. 

Principal Cynthia Headrick said the original cause of the closure of the auditorium was because the structure of the ceiling was compromised and crumbling. Because the space is older, some of the work inside the auditorium had to be “restructured by hand and hand-painted.”

By the spring, the theater class plans to have their first show in the auditorium. 

English teacher Bianca Andrews, the theater teacher, said that the opening of the auditorium is a huge deal for her and students, who have learned how to work without the space. 

“The opening will bring the school light and more feeling again like it originally used to be,” she said. “Having an auditorium again will definitely change students and have an impact on the school once again.” 

In the new space, there will be all new lights, all new sound, all new electronic equiment and projector screens, according to Andrews.

Her actors are excited to be working in a new actual theater space , having lights and sound to work with. A stage to build on, not just act on but having an actual stage crew.

Andrews states to be so excited for this upcoming opening and how this will change the school and their program for the future years of theater and students. 

Lee said the process of this construction got complicated during the pandemic. 

He said it’s upsetting that other schools were able to build a brand new auditorium in the time it took for this auditorium to even get approved, but is excited for the auditorium to finally open up after all this time and hard work. 

“I’m looking forward to see what they have updated because my major  concern was they were restoring it to what it was , not what it should be.”