Cary-Grove High School theater demolition makes way for new auditorium

CARY – In order to make way for a new auditorium at Cary-Grove High School, the 50-year-old theater had to be torn down. The fenced-off area at the school has piles of old concrete and debris.

In recent weeks, workers removed asbestos, members of the Cary Area Fire Protection District assisted with the teardown by holding a training session in the auditorium, and large equipment was brought in to perform the main part of the demolition.

Crystal Lake-based Community High School District 155 is in the process of building a new 650-seat auditorium for the school, with an accompanying lobby, multipurpose room, restrooms, dressing rooms and scene shop. The yearlong project also will include a reconfigured main entrance for the school to provide enhanced security during school days.

The $8.5 million project has been in the works in recent years.

Because of the yearlong project, the school has relocated and rescheduled several performing arts events throughout the year. Concerts are scheduled to take place in the school's gyms, and the annual spring musical is planned for January at the Crystal Lake South High School auditorium.

The traditional fall follies are scheduled for the spring.

A spring choral concert has been moved to October.

"It was very important ... to preserve the performance opportunities for our students," Choir Director Kristine Hester said. "We didn't want anybody to miss out on anything."

Hester added the change of venue also allows some creative juices to flow as they work out how to set up some of the performances, from seating to lighting.

Just rehearsing for performances will take some adjustment, Hester said. Sometimes performing arts teachers would use the auditorium for practicing choreography for fall follies.

With the ongoing work, which at times can be loud, classes have moved to the lobby of the school or to other band rooms. The gym itself also is available to use, Hester said.

John Jordan, a board member and co-founder of the Cary-Grove Fine Arts Foundation, helped organize the effort to raise money for a new auditorium.

The foundation committed to contributing $1.5 million of the $8.5 million project price tag.

Jordan said the foundation has $250,000 more to raise.

Money has been raised through a benefit concert in November and through donations by Foglia Family Foundation and local businesses, among other things.

The fine arts foundation does plan to have a donor recognition wall in the lobby of the auditorium.

"It's just as important to honor the tradition and success," Jordan said. "As alumni you want to see a tradition continue on. You want to see the best for everybody who comes after you."

Hester said a new auditorium is a much-needed and welcome upgrade, as the school outgrew the theater in the 1970s.

"Before they tore it down, [the auditorium] was woefully inadequate for our needs in size, design and modernity," Hester said.

Hester said the school made the best of the situation in the inadequate space.

There wasn't any wing space, no adequate bathrooms and not adequate enough dressing rooms.
The seating also wasn't good as there were some acoustic dead spots, Hester said.

"Depending where you sat, you didn't have a good experience both visually and acoustically," Hester said.

Junior Luke Rands has been in the choir at Cary-Grove for three years.

"My first thought was we were all really lucky it came to us," Rands said.

Plans include a taller building that will have a fly loft to allow for easier scenery changes.

"The set can come down from the ceiling so you don't have to push it on," Rands said.

Even though there are some inconveniences this year, Rands said the work is for the good.

"We all knew this was going on and will be there for a long time, impact a lot of people and be really great," Rands said.