Updated: March 9, am. Council Bluffs -- Students in a variety of fine arts programs at Lewis Central High School are singing the praises of the district's new performing arts center. Opened at the beginning of the school year in August, the nearly 34, square foot addition on the southwest corner of the high school offers seating for more than 1, people in the main auditorium and contains a smaller black box theater that seats up to people for more intimate performances.
Makenna Carpenter is a senior at Lewis Central who participates in a number of music and theater programs at the school. Carpenter says the new space has allowed those programs to reach new heights.
It brings a lot of the art to life for performances and stuff like that. Prior to the new facility opening, students from the high school utilized the auditorium at Lewis Central Middle School, which was the old high school.
Senior Eleanor Cooper-Ohm says the new center was badly needed. It's not just about the auditorium. It's about the backstage area that gives kids the availability to practice more efficiently. In addition to the two theaters, the center houses a green room, dressing rooms and storage for scenery, costumes and instruments. Carpenter says the center is in use every day in some form. Our choirs and bands use them several times per year for our huge performances.
The theater department not only uses the theater and the black box, but we also use the new added-on scene shop that was a new addition along with the auditorium. It's been pretty nice. In addition to the new space for music and theater, the center includes additional square footage for career and technical education classrooms.
