Powerhouse Theater
 The Powerhouse in 2014 | |
 | |
| Full name | Hallie Flanagan Davis Powerhouse Theater |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°41′12″N 73°53′37″W / 41.6866752°N 73.893679°W |
| Owner | Vassar College |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1912 |
| Renovated | 1973 |
| Architect |
|
The Powerhouse Theater (officially the Hallie Flanagan Davis Powerhouse Theater)[a] is a theater building on the campus of Vassar College in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, US. Originally built as a power station in 1912, it was renovated and repurposed as a theater in 1973. Each summer it hosts student productions as well as professional workshops and readings as part of the Vassar–New York Stage and Film Powerhouse Theater program.
History
Vassar College, the first degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, was founded in 1861 in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York. The campus transitioned to electrical lights from gas lighting in 1912, which necessitated the construction of a power station.[2] The building was designed by Lord & Co. and constructed adjacent to the school's Main Building, where it ran until 1954.[2][3] Thereafter, the college began buying its power from a nearby utility company.[4]
The old power house was retrofitted as the Powerhouse Theater in 1973 by Chicago architect Robertson Ward Jr.[3][4][5] A black box theater space, the Powerhouse was designed to allow the audience to occupy a third of the floor space, while the remaining two thirds were to be used as performance space. The building is officially named the Hallie Flanagan Davis Powerhouse Theater, in honor of Hallie Flanagan, founder of the Vassar Experimental Theater program. At the Powerhouse's opening, theater critic Brooks Atkinson spoke and several scenes from Flanagan's works from 1926 were performed.[4] After its renovation, the Powerhouse stood as the only significant construction among the nearby cluster of former service buildings, known collectively as the "backyard" until the 1990s, when the adjacent structures received their own renovations.[6]
Productions and programs
During the academic year, student-led productions presented by the Experimental Theater are presented in the Powerhouse.
Notes
References
- ^ Dobbins, Mark (October 12, 1973). "Powerhouse Revived". The Miscellany News. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
- ^ a b Bruno & Daniels 2001, p. 118.
- ^ a b Daniels 1987, p. 71.
- ^ a b c Daniels 1996, p. 74.
- ISSN 0020-1472.
- ^ Van Lengen & Reilly 2004, p. 118.
- ^ "The Hallie Flanagan Davis Powerhouse Theater". Drama Department at Vassar College. Vassar College. Archived from the original on January 18, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
- ^ McGee, Celia (July 22, 2009). "On Campus, an Incubator for New Plays". The New York Times. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
- ^ "Hamilton". Tony Award Productions. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
- ^ "The Humans". Tony Award Productions. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
- ^ Gordon, David (May 9, 2016). "Cynthia Erivo, Danny Burstein, Steve Martin, and More Win 2016 Outer Critics Circle Awards". TheaterMania. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
- ^ Barry, John W. (June 13, 2016). "Vassar, Powerhouse Theater bask in glow of Tony Awards". Poughkeepsie Journal. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
Cited
- Bruno, Maryann; Daniels, Elizabeth A. (2001). Vassar College. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-0454-4.
- Daniels, Elizabeth A. (1987). Main to Mudd: An Informal History of Vassar College Buildings. Poughkeepsie, NY: Vassar College. ISBN 0-916663-01-9.
- Daniels, Elizabeth A. (1996). Main to Mudd, and More: An Informal History of Vassar College Buildings. Poughkeepsie, NY: Vassar College. ISBN 0-916663-04-3.
- Van Lengen, Karen; Reilly, Lisa (2004). The Campus Guide: Vassar College. New York City: Princeton Architectural Press. ISBN 1-56898-349-2.