A theater holds memories; it holds tears, laughter, joy and so much more. The musicals and plays it houses provide the atmosphere that audience members look forward to. Those feelings never go away, even as changes are made. That is how the new auditorium at LHS will be: full of memories.
When the auditorium was originally built in 1965, no one could have imagined how much wonder and belonging it would bring to the students. Now, as the remodel takes place, everyone waits in anticipation for the new memories bound to be made.
New curtains, seats, lighting and sound are the main details being added to the auditorium. Minor updates like these have been done over the past 60 years, but it has never been done all at once. Construction began on May 22, 2025, and is scheduled to finish Nov. 1, 2025, just in time for the fall play. Most days, the construction workers start at 6 a.m. and end around 4:30 p.m.. These long hours allow them to make the most of their day and accomplish everything they want to get done. LHS Principal, Dr. Laura Raeder, has been helping to oversee the project and ensure that the auditorium will be ready on time. Some of the biggest updates will be happening on and around the stage, such as better acoustics and a larger stage. The new pit, when not in use, will have a cover, allowing the actors on stage to be closer to the audience.
“[The wall by the stage] was curved, which was impacting our sound, so now they have made it straight…so that the sound will come off the stage more accurately,” said Dr. Raeder.
All of these major updates will debut when the theater department holds its annual fall play. This year’s production will be “Our Town,” written in 1938 by Thornton Wilder. This story explains the many complexities of life, including change, love, birth and death. This play is often performed with a simple set, like a few chairs and tables, allowing audiences to further immerse themselves in the words of the script. Brian Hardie, LHS’ creative writing and play production teacher, plans to maintain such a tradition in this year’s performance.
“[Performing ‘Our Town’ again] is a beautiful way to honor the past, while still pushing into the future,” said Hardie.
The first year LHS opened, “Our Town” was also the fall play that was chosen. Hardie believes that performing this play as the first production in the new auditorium is the perfect tribute to the past. Performing a play such as this one, at a time when something entirely new is taking shape, offers a chance for audiences to step into the world forming before them. Change and new beginnings are some of the main themes of “Our Town,” making it the perfect play for a first performance. The original performance of “Our Town” was meaningful to those who attended or acted in it. Now that this classic is being introduced to a new generation, they can find their own meaning in the story.
Performing the same first play in the new auditorium as the original auditorium is a meaningful experience for Hardie. Every piece of art he chooses is important. There is always a connection to what is happening around the community.
Along with the fall performance of “Our Town,” there will also be a cabaret: a theatrical performance involving song and dance skits. This year’s cabaret will feature songs that have been performed at LHS throughout the past 60 years, another way to rededicate the space. There will be songs from musicals, one-acts and previous cabarets. The memories behind each piece that gets chosen will give the new auditorium an older, performed-in feel. This collection will take audiences through the history that has shaped the LHS Theater Department. And as the curtain rises this fall, so too will a new chapter of LHS. Though the space is changing, tears, laughter and joy from before will remain.
