Barnstable High School Performing Arts Center
Encyclopedia
The Barnstable High School Performing Arts Center, is located at Barnstable High School
Barnstable High School
Barnstable High School is a public high school in the village of Hyannis, Massachusetts, USA, Town of Barnstable. It is the largest high school in Barnstable County on Cape Cod. It is divided into 5 "houses", described as "schools within a school". In the 2010–2011 school year, it had...

, in Barnstable, Massachusetts
Barnstable, Massachusetts
Barnstable is a city, referred to as the Town of Barnstable, in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the county seat of Barnstable County. Barnstable is the largest community, both in land area and population, on Cape Cod. The town contains seven villages within its boundaries...

. It was built in 1999 with the sponsorship of the Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra
Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra
The Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra, based at the Barnstable High School Performing Arts Center in Hyannis, Massachusetts, USA.-History:...

. It is one of the largest performing arts centers in New England, seating over 1,400 people.

History

As Barnstable High School
Barnstable High School
Barnstable High School is a public high school in the village of Hyannis, Massachusetts, USA, Town of Barnstable. It is the largest high school in Barnstable County on Cape Cod. It is divided into 5 "houses", described as "schools within a school". In the 2010–2011 school year, it had...

 was being renovated in the late 1990s, the need for a new theater for the school became apparent. The old theater which is called the Knight Hall was only build for a capacity of 760 people (the population of the school at the time) when the school opened in 1959. This led to the inclusion of a new Performing Arts Center into the plans. The Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra
Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra
The Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra, based at the Barnstable High School Performing Arts Center in Hyannis, Massachusetts, USA.-History:...

 supported its construction because they wanted to move out of a smaller auditorium in Yarmouth so they could have less shows so they could save money paying the musicians. For their support the symphony got a substantial break in the rental of the facility. The new PAC was built with a capacity of over 1,440 people. John Sullivan the Drama Advisor and National Teachers Hall of Fame
National Teachers Hall of Fame
The National Teachers Hall of Fame is an American non-profit organization honoring exceptional school teachers. It was founded in 1989 by Emporia State University, the ESU Alumni Association, the City of Emporia, USD 253, and the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce...

 member, was instrumental in working with the designers from the start of the project to ensure that the Center would be good for both music and dramatic performances. The stage consists of an orchestra pit with a "scre-drive lift" (the only one in the New England area which holds the orchestra during the drama club's performances. The PAC is also used by the Chatham Woman's Chorale, and other Cape Cod organizations. It also hosts musical performances such as the All Cape and Southeast District music festivals. In 2008, the drama club produced The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (adaptations)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a 1900 novel by L. Frank Baum, which has been adapted into several different works, the most famous being the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, starring Judy Garland...

 and they were recorded by Warner Bros. Company for webisodes of a real high school musical from start to finish.

Symphony's Intent to Move

After it was built, it was noticed that the acoustics of the theater were not what they were built to be, leading many to believe that the contractor took shortcuts when construction was being undertaken. This led to the proposal to tear down the Hyannis Armory
Hyannis Armory
The Hyannis Armory is located at 225 South Street, Hyannis, Massachusetts. The armory was built in 1958. The armory hosted Battery D of the 685th AAA Machine Gun Battalion of the Massachusetts Army National Guard. President-elect John F. Kennedy gave his victory speech at the Hyannis Armory on Nov....

on nearby Sea Street and build a new performing arts center. The symphony supports this move because they will have less scheduling issues with the music and drama departments at the school. Some think that the move is because they want to serve alcohol on school grounds due to the fact at numerous times they have gone to the school committee and asked if they could sell alcohol and in 2008 they were approved to sell wine until the school lawyer said it was against the law.
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