Black Box Theater Is Moving!

Angie Kidder

For many OCSA students, the campus has become a second home. From 10th street to Symphony Hall to the taco trucks, we find comfort in places on our campus. Earlier this year, the OCSA administration announced that some exciting changes would be coming to the campus. One of them is the renovation and relocation of the Black Box Theater. 

The Black Box has been a staple of OCSA shows for many years. Its intimate space allows the audience to be immersed in the shows. Luckily, the new location allows for the audience to still have that immersive experience while also offering a bigger capacity.

Kaitlin Tice, a teacher for Integrated Arts and Musical Theater, is the director of "Side Show", an upcoming show that will be in the new Black Box Theater. “I really love the new entrance and where it is on campus. I think that it’s more accessible to the audience.” 

"Side Show" is set during the Great Depression and follows the story of conjoined twins in a side show who later go on to become famous and enter vaudeville. Tice said, “The flexibility of a Black Box is really going to lend itself well to 'Side Show’. It’s not a traditional show, so having it in a newly renovated Black Box is a dream and ideal because we get to configure it how we want to.”

Now that the new Black Box will be relocated into the former Production & Design shop, the Production & Design shop’s new location has now moved across the street next to the business office. But with that, the former location of the Black Box will be left as an empty space. Although there is some nostalgic value to the old space, the new Black Box will only be more beneficial to the students at OCSA. For many students, the work flow of OCSA can become overwhelming. The student body needs a place to wind down during a busy school day to prioritize their own needs. Now that the Black Box is being relocated, the former space will undergo a complete renovation and will be turned into a location on campus named the Serenity Center.

Dawn Spranger, the coordinator of the Serenity Center, said “It provides a calm, supportive environment and helps empower students to manage their own social and emotional health in order to help achieve their highest academic potential. There will be pods in the center for students, an area for breathing exercises and yoga, and an area for artwork with a gratitude wall.” The Serenity Center is sure to bring great benefits to the entire student body.

According to Spranger, the Black Box will be completely transformed. “It’s going to have a biophilic environment. It’s not going to look like a classroom. It’s going to be more homey, the color scheme is all calming colors, and will be soothing to the eye and have natural lighting.” The Serenity Center is set to open at the beginning of next semester. From its welcoming environment and to the therapeutic practices it offers, the center will be a great place for students to manage their social and emotional health, and take a break from the busy atmosphere of the OCSA campus.

From the newly renovated Black Box, to the brand new Serenity Center it seems that the campus is surely into its renovation. Putting more focus on what the students on campus need is becoming more and more of a priority for these new upcoming renovations, whether it’s a more accessible venue or a place for students to wind down.  Although there is some nostalgic value to the former Production & Design shop and the Black Box there will be lasting benefits to the changes being made to our campus.