WDBJ7 Roanoke News and Weather NRV Lynchburg Danville | The show must go on for students at Hollins University
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The main theatre at Hollins University was built in 1928. Right now it's being renovated.
Hollins University's Theatre Department is getting ready to stage 'Dead Man's Cell Phone', but this year's fall production had to be moved to a new location.Several million dollars is also being spent to renovate one of the area's oldest theaters.
That's created some obstacles behind the scenes at Hollins University.
Hollins University's Theatre Department is getting ready to stage 'Dead Man's Cell Phone', but this year's fall production had to be moved to a new location.
The main theatre which was built in 1928 is being renovated.
The students say it's desperately needed.
"I can see this building is very old. All John could talk about is any moment the sky could fall, not really, but you know," says junior Lianne Jackson.
Consider this, the grid system which helps move sets, was more than 80 years old.
The theater still uses a boiler to heat the place and some of the seats are crammed for space.
"Those seats were created for very petite, young co-eds of 1928, so contemporary folk don't fit into them too well," says Hollins Theater Department Chairman Ernie Zulia.
The renovations of his theater will take three years and cost $3 million and the facelift which essentially be top to bottom, but the school points out the original architecture of this theater will remain the same.
"It's critical that we maintain the charm of the space, along with the rest of the beautiful architecture here at Hollins," says Zulia.
During the first phase of construction, the school had to move this show into a small converted space upstairs.
There are just one hundred seats but the students are trying to use it to their advantage.
"I hope it's more intimate and also I hope it shows Hollins can do post-modern theater which is really new and experimental," says senior Susie Young.
But make no mistake the students are looking forward to the renovated space.
"I think Ernie's magic will be unlimited when they renovate it, because he can just go wild," says Jackson.
Until then the show must go on and it will for two weeks beginning Wednesday night.
