Reflections Magazine Issue #87 - Fall 2018 | Page 22

Feature Article
Spencer Performing Arts Center Modernizes Siena
Heights University’s Performing Arts Programs
On Higher Ground
T
his fall the new Mary M. and
Sash A. Spencer Performing Arts Center
will take center stage at Siena Heights.
Opening in time to begin the fall
2018 semester, the more than $11 million
facility will open students as well as the
community to new opportunities in the
arts. It features a new theater, music hall,
band room, dance studio and modern
classroom and office space that has filled
a longtime University need.
“The Spencer Performing Arts Cen-
ter will put us on par with any college
or university in the region in regards
to performing arts facilities,” said SHU
President Sister Peg Albert, OP, PhD.
“It was something we considered a top
priority for quite some time, and the fact
that we were able to build this entirely
with private funding is a testament to
our alumni and benefactors. We hope
this new facility will be used extensively
for decades to come.”
22 | Reflections Fall ’18
An entirely new theater was con-
structed, and the existing Francoeur
Theater was renovated to house the new
music hall. The band room – formerly
in the basement of Sage Union, is also a
welcome addition, as is the new dance
studio and scene shop. The project ex-
panded the footprint of the existing fa-
cility by more than 18,000 square feet.
“This new theater is completely state-
of-the-art. Everything in it is up to date,”
SHU Professor of Theater Mark DiPietro,
who also serves as chair of the Perform-
ing Arts Division.
DiPietro, who gave the Siena com-
munity a sneak peek of the new facility
by directing the musical “Young Fran-
kenstein” in April, said the approximate-
ly 350-seat facility features computeriza-
tion, a light booth, sound system and
a full fly system that is rare in college
settings.
“That gives our students exactly the
kind of theater they would work in pro-
fessional life, especially in New York,”
DiPietro said.
The dedication of the entire facility
is slated for Homecoming Weekend in
October.
“I can’t wait to see the finished prod-
uct,” President Albert said. “Having this
new facility will open up additional op-
portunities for our students, as well as
for the entire community. I would like
to thank everyone who helped make
this project a reality.”
In a related project, the space out-
side the Spencer PAC and Studio An-
gelico also underwent a transformation
over the summer. The circle drive was
removed and a new green space was
created that will serve as a new out-
door “hangout” for students. That space
should also be ready for the start of
the new academic year. u