Alex Ewing Performance Place slated to open this September
A newly renovated Alex Ewing Performance Place is set to be back online just in time for the 2021-22 performance season.
“We’re on track to open the space for students, faculty and staff toward the end of September,” said Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Michael Smith.
Renovations to the facility’s Gerald Freedman and the Catawba theaters began in May 2020. These critical upgrades will put cutting-edge technology into the hands of our students and include state-of-the-art lighting and audio systems, advanced technology for scene automation and expanded capacity for more extensive and elaborate scenery in Freedman. This project will elevate our design and production standards to prepare students for the professional industry.
“We have a better lighting system, a better audio system than some of the Broadway shows that are out there. So we've really taken a major leap in terms of technicality, and our production standards are likely going to change because of that,” said Lighting Technology faculty Josh Selander.
The audience experience was also upgraded with new seats, carpeting, paint and refreshed finishes throughout Performance Place.
Additionally, building maintenance items, such as repairs to the roof and the HVAC, were made over the summer.
The project was funded in part by a $5 million gift from beloved late Chancellor Emeritus Alex C. Ewing, for whom the facility is named. Other funds came from the Connect NC Bond Act of 2016 for a total project cost of $8.8 million.
The Performance Place project was delayed from its original completion date of spring of 2021 due to an accidental sprinkler discharge from the fire suppression system over the Freedman Theatre stage near the end of the project. Associate Vice Chancellor for Facilities Management Steve Martin and the project team took prompt action to extract the water, dry the affected area, conduct environmental tests and mitigate potential long-term problems. Reconstruction of the stage and replacing carpeting and front-row seats cost an additional $400,000, which the UNC Board of Governors authorized UNCSA to use from its existing budget.
Contact: Claire Machamer
Aug. 13, 2021