The curtain rises on a new generation of performance art at Pius XI High School.
It still smells like fresh paint inside the Fr. Robert Carney Performing Arts Center, which now houses two art galleries and state-of-the-art, single-level theater. The space was once home to the boy's gymnasium, but walking into it now, you'd never know.
The 500-seat sloped theater boasts professional acoustics and is able to replicate various virtual spaces, from a cathedral to a small hall. An all digital lighting array adds to the top-notch theater experience.
Two glass encased galleries flank the entrance of the new theater, displaying artwork of Pius alumni who have gone on to work in the professional world.
Here's the before and after:
But the new PAC isn't just for students. Local theater companies or performing artists will be able to rent the space, providing another creative outlet in the west metro.
Right now, student players are rehearsing the spring musical, Legally Blonde. Click the podcast player to go inside rehearsal and hear an interview with Michael Kirkpatrick, managing director of the new PAC.
