New theatre opens at Lillian Osborne High School

Students danced across a brand new stage Monday night one they can now call their own.

Over 300 people came out to celebrate the grand opening of the MaclabTheatre at Lillian Osborne High School in southwest Edmonton on Monday.

Students and staff have been waiting a long time for the theatre.

For years, theatre productions were put onin the school gym. Othertimes,students and school staffhad todrive more than 20 minutes awayto rehearse inthe nearest available theatre.

After a long discussion, the Edmonton Public School Board approved theproposal to build a stage in the school.

The South Edmonton Arts and Theatre Society (SEATS) group wascreated to raise money for the project.

After four years of fundraising,SEATS, school staff and the community raised the$1.6 million dollars needed for the show to go on.

Corporate donations and provincial grant dollars primarily funded the theatre's development and as such, different parts of the building are named after major donors, includingMaclabEnterprises,Melcor, andChristensonDevelopments.

Students and the arts

The theatre is equipped with practice rooms, high-tech sound and lighting systems, WiFi hotspots, and retractable seats.

Students are welcoming the school's newest feature with open arms.

Grade 11 student McKennaMerciersaid the new stage gives them more space to dance, and more room to grow.

"It means we're less limited in being able to pursue our passions of the arts and that more of us are able to do it at the same time, which allows the different arts to come together for a performance," she said.

Others say the theatre's constructionunderscores that the arts are, indeed, appreciated.

"We've had a lot of struggle with the gym which was our semi-theatre for awhile," Grade 12 student Alexis Money said.

"We got another gym before we got a theatre," Money added. "We're really excited because we just get to express more in the theatre."

It's a whole new vibe for performers, plus a fun way to watch too, she added.

SueBlocksidge, president of SEATS, saidartistic programscan now thrive with investments like this.

The two-storey building also allows forpeople outside of the school community to use the theatre, she said.

"During the day, it belongs to the school, and after school hours, it belongs to the community," Blocksidge said.

She added that schools "used to be the centre of a neighbourhood."

With this development, they've got that feeling back.

"Already we've got some kids talking about holding a movie night for some of the seniors in the neighbourhood," Blocksidge added.

A tremendous difference

Principal Janet Hancock said this new building adds a lot of value to the school.

Almost half of of the high school's 1,400 students are involved in some aspect of the arts so the impact is palpable, both Hancock and Blocksidge said.

"I know firsthand how important it is for the arts, how it gives a kid who gets bullied or is a little bit differenta place to come and be somebody different," Blocksidge said. "And they then are able to grow, and they find their voice, they also find the confidence."

Brooke Hodgson graduated from Lillian Osborne High School in 2012. Now she teaches drama, musical theatre and English there.

"It's always been a dream for us as the first graduating class to have a theatre," she said.

Hodgson is especially thankful for all the support and donations.

"It's an absolute blessing to have this theatre and I think it's really going to inspire our students to really flourish in the creative arts at this school."