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theatre Cap College Theatre to Bring New Arts Focus to Community by Stephen Atkins Plans for a new theatre were recently unveiled at Capilano College. Architects, engineers and theatre consultants poured over the blueprints and models in a meeting that concentrated on Phase III of the college's expansion plan. The new building, scheduled for completion in 1996, will include a covered atrium, a food court, a large amount of much-needed classroom and office space, and a 250+ seat theatre. 1 discussed this development with Dawn Moore of the Capilano College Theatre Department in March while having a latenight coffee. Dawn and I had been directing Cap College's spring production. The Grace of Mary Traverse, by Timberlake Wertenbaker. While we were sipping our coffee at The Establishment, the play was being presented directly across the street at the Deep Cove Shaw Theatre. It was around 8:20 p.m. Both of us glanced anxiously out the window. "They're well into the first act," Dawn groups. Here on the North Shore there are a lot of people who participate in the arts, at least judging from the number of high schools that leach theatre and art programs. It will also be a different kind of venue, different from all the others on the North Shore. S.A.: How will it be different? D . M . : It's going to be a fully functioning theatre with an intermediate size house. The facilities for the size of the house are very good. There is a fly gallery which enables you to do fairly complicated and sophisticated scenery changes. There's also an orchestra pit to accommodate musicals. There is no other theatre like it on the North Shore. The Deep Cove Shaw Theatre has a much smaller, intimate house. Presentation House seats 160, and Centennial Theatre seats around 700. The Capilano College theatre will be quite flexible. We will be able to do complex shows and stillretaina sense of intimacy with the audience. It will also be fully wheelchair-accessible. The whole campus is striving for this. With this. Dawn glanced once again across the street at the Deep Cove Shaw Theatre, "What time is it?" she asked. "8:40. They're well into the perft by now," I replied. "Maybe we'll go over during the intermission and catch the second act...again," Dawn said. We laughed and downed the last of our coffee. Stephen Atkins is heading the Theatre Arts program at Capilano College while Bill Murdoch is on leave. 1 nodded in agreement. Bill Murdoch, our colleague and the coordinator of the Theatre department, was in the audience uiat night, and we were hoping for an extra good show. Here is the text of my conversation with Dawn: S.A.: So, Dawn, what new things do you see on the horizon for Cap Theatre with the promise of this new building? DM.: It will certainly act as a touchstone for all of the departments in the Visual and Performing Arts Division of Capilano College. We are in our second year now as a division that is separate from the Humanities, and all of the college departments will be using theatre as a venue for concerts, productions and exhibitions. SA.: Will there be collaborations between the departments? D.M.: I can't say for sure. The presence of the theatre on campus will centralize us. There will be more of a feeling of an arts community with the physical presence of a theatre. I would like to look into working with other departments within the Visual and Performing Arts Division, such as Music or Visual Arts. I think there are many opportunities for interdisciplinary works in the future. SA.: How will a theatre at Cap College serve the off-campus community? D.M.: It will provide a venue for touring shows as well as college productions. A few years ago Headlines Theatre was touring a show and we sponsored it. but we had to take it to another space. It was quite difficult. We wound up in a school gymnasium because we didn't have a facility. 1 think the new theatre will bring the community to the campus. The new Sportsplex did that for sports-onented S.A.: Will this affect the theatre program in any way? D.M.: We are always looking towards growth. The program has been building for more than 15 years. I've been there 15 years, and Bill came in shortly after that. It started off as a series of four first-year acting courses, and from that point we've developed into a program that gives a good generalist introduction to theatre. Students can receive acting courses through four semesters, and they are introduced to the backstage arts through our technical theatre classes. We offer courses in Uieatre history and the elements of theatre. We also offer instruction in voice and movement for the actor. Our plan is to shape these courses into a certificate program, a goal we hope to achieve when we open the new facility. S.A.: Capilano College has always held performance time as a very high priority in the program. D.M.: Yes. We have always had a good studio theatre situation and we try to simulate the "real theatre" world by offering the students as much perlormjiKc time as we can. We produce a show every semester. This is ihe first time we've rented the Deep Cove Shaw Theatre. We are happy with it. Performing in a theatre rather than a studio is much more valuable to the siudenLs.