A New Era: The APAC's Grand Opening

Anjali van Bladel ’27 Editor-at-Large

For the past two years, students, faculty, and staff became accustomed to the sounds and sights of seemingly endless drilling, excavator trucks, and construction workers on campus as Hopkins undertook the long process of renovating the Lovell building. Much to the excitement of the Hopkins community, the long awaited Academic and Performing Arts Center (APAC) opened on January 21.

The building was unveiled as part of a celebratory assembly, after which groups of students took turns exploring the new facility. While that event was most students’ first opportunity to see the new APAC, the process of this renovation has been a substantial behind-the-scenes effort for years. Head of School Matt Glendinning explained, “It was long recognized that a new and larger space to support the performing arts was necessary. So, the school has been working on various plans for a decade or more.”

For many who have seen this process unfold over the last two years, this culmination is an especially exciting
time. Drama teacher and director Mike Calderone stated, “I was surprised at how time flowed during the process. There were times when it seemed like nothing was happening; then suddenly, the walls were knocked down... now, when I look back, nearly two years have gone by!”

The APAC most prominently features a brand-new theater which, as Glendinning noted, “includes a full orchestra pit and fly house, and professional grade sound and lighting.” Hopkins Drama Association (HDA) Head Jesse Piazza ’25 recalled feeling “really excited to have a bigger stage and audience area” when first hearing about the project as a freshman. Now a senior, Piazza described their excitement for the new theater: “I think it’s going to bring a new dynamic to how we prepare for opening night!” Glendinning agreed, “this new complex is going to elevate our incredible performing arts program and provide new opportunities for students to learn the technical craft of theater and stage production.”

The expanded theater provides significantly more audience seating. While the old Lovell held only 130 seats, the new theater can accommodate 350. “No one will ever have to be turned away from a production,” Calderone remarked. He added, “This was a common thing in pre-renovation Lovell... expanding from 130 seats to 350 is monumental!”

The APAC's advanced technical facilities — including scene and costume shops, a tension grid, catwalk, and professional rigging — have brought significant changes to tech theater at Hopkins. Director and drama teacher Hope Hartup noted that the hiring of David Kenton as a technical director for the new facility “is something much more professional. Scenically, we have evolved to another level, and having him here to help carry the load is wonderfully positive.” Stage manager Rebecca Spiewak ’27 said, “It’s nice to have a more defined tech program with his arrival. I’m really excited for what [Mr. Kenton] will bring to HDA.”

In addition to its many benefits for the Hopkins drama department, the APAC is designed to support the growth
of the entire school. Hartup said, “This is a facility for the entire campus, not just the theater department. It really is the school’s auditorium. Specifically, the new stage provides a space for orchestra, band, and choir concerts, with acoustics and a sound system designed to especially enhance those performances. Greta Lee ’28, who is in Hopkins’ jazz band, expressed hope for what the new space has to offer: “We’ve been doing our concerts in Heath, where the acoustics aren’t great. So with the new space, we’ll actually sound better, which is so exciting as a musician.”

The APAC is also far more accessible to the Hopkins community than its predecessor. Whereas, in Lovell, instructional space was limited, a the APAC is equipped with 10 classrooms and is designed to feel more integrated into the rest of the Hopkins campus. For Calderone, this is a welcome development. He explained, “We'll have more interaction and collaboration than before...there will be a flow of students and adults like there are in other buildings.” Beatrix Vassilev ’27 enjoyed the bright, open community areas for both studying and spending time with friends. “It’s refreshing to have such modern spaces where there’s so much room for students to spend time with one another,” she said.

Though the APAC only recently opened, its auditorium has already the Hopkins community has already planned
several events for the facility. Notably, HDA’s winter musical, Cabaret, will debut in the new theater on February 27. Lee, who is in the ensemble, said, “Cabaret has some very flashy big numbers, so it’s really starting this new era with a bang.” Piazza said, “I think it’s a big statement-piece that, with the amount of people the new
building will bring in for the show, will be great to have seen by a wider audience.”

Ultimately, the APAC gives Hopkins students a place to explore their creativity in whatever way they wish. As
Hartup said, “A Hopkins student is the sort of student who thinks, if an idea is thrown their way, ‘Yeah, let’s go for it!’ So, with that spirit, I think everybody is going to embrace [the new building].”

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A New Era: The APAC's Grand Opening