Starting with demolition in the summer of 2023, the Chevron Theater, now being renamed the ISB Theater has been in construction for over a year. While originally slated to be finished in the summer, with a soft opening last August, delays have pushed project completion back to be period over the coming winter break.
The original idea behind replacing the theater was increasing seating capacity, with the theater planning to have 800-plus seats. In addition to this, the new spacer will possess a fresh look and an improved audio experience.
When it comes to rebuilding the performance space, Deputy Head of School Marc De Vries explains that there are four phases. The first phase is demolishing the original structure, while the second is the completion of the structural work. “Because we’re increasing the [number of] seats, we needed to add additional beams,” Mr. De Vries says. This is where the delays with the theater began.
“There were some structural issues that we had to address,” he says. These issues included having to remove structural beams that were hidden in the original structure. “That means they had to make a new one and replace it. That took a lot of time because you have to make sure that it’s big enough to support the entire seating structure.”
Following that phase was mechanical engineering. This means adding air conditioning and ducting. The final phase, which is the stage the theater is currently undergoing, is working on adding the interior design. However, Mr. De Vries emphasizes that the phases are not always sequential and tend to “blend together” on a project of this size. “It’s very difficult to do with a lot of metal work and a lot of welding…that’s taking quite a bit of time…and they still have scaffolding to work on [for] the ceiling.”
Ultimately, the new deadline for completion is over the winter break, which Mr. De Vries is confident will be met “Hopefully, we will be done before the second semester.” As for the official opening, Arts & Activities Director Anthony Giles, is looking forward to January “to try some assemblies and meetings.”
Mr. Giles also believes that the theater will be fully operational before the IASAS Cultural Convention (March 6-8), for which ISB is hosting music. But if the theater is not ready by then, he believes ISB could still host the event successfully. “It would be challenging to only use the CC theater, but it would be doable,” he says “The complexities would be the rehearsing time.” In that case, he suggests that the choir room would become an extra rehearsal space for delegates.
The complicated delays of the theater have also meant certain events have had to change in some shape or form. For instance, assemblies have had to move to the Rajendra gym during the rebuilding process. Other events like band concerts have also had to move to the gym. “We’ve had to learn patience in the process because we thought we’d be back in… everybody gets that we have to share this one space,” Mr. Giles says.
In the end, the ISB theater will be an improvement over the Chevron, with an 800-plus seat capacity and a sleek new modern design. “Once it’s done, we’ll have many years of usage from the theater,” says Mr. De Vries. “It’s going to be well worth it.”
