Restoration of MC’s
Auditorium
Will Benefit Campus and Community
Release Date: March 27, 2002
A
“little gem” in western Illinois is going to be polished, and you can count Monmouth College
director of choral activities Perry White among the many campus and community members who are
thrilled about the changes.
“In terms of sound, the
Monmouth College Auditorium is a little gem out here in western Illinois,” said White, who
joined the faculty in 1998. “It’s a marvelous place to perform. There are marvelous acoustics,
and the professionals who perform here tell us that time and time again.”
However, a little off
the Auditorium’s beaten path is an area that has been begging for attention. The building’s
lower level has fallen into a state of disrepair, and it will now receive some much-needed
work, thanks in large part to two gifts of $1 million or more. In memory of his late wife
Dorothy, Arthur Dahl of Muscatine, Iowa, recently made a $1.5 million lead gift to the
project, and the building will now be called the Arthur and Dorothy Dahl Chapel and
Auditorium. Last spring, a $1 million grant was received from the Edward Arthur Mellinger
Foundation.
Actually, the entire
Auditorium will be part of the project but, said White, “Many of the changes will be made in
the basement. That’s the area that needs the most attention.”
Work will begin in the
next month at an approximate cost of $3.5 million. The project should be completed late in the
fall semester of 2002.
Designed by
Monmouth-born architect D.E. Waid in 1895, the Auditorium is the oldest building on campus.
That age is apparent on a visit to the lower level, which is primarily used as a rehearsal
space. Unfortunately, audience members have had to visit the area, as that’s where the public
restrooms are located.
“That’s going to be one
of the most noticeable changes to the public,” said White. “There will be new men’s and
women’s restrooms on the performance or stage level. Another change, of course, is that the
Auditorium will be climate-controlled, and the entire performance hall will be modernized.”
To accommodate that
welcome relief (and anyone who’s attended a Warren County Prime Beef Festival Princess Pageant
on a sultry late summer night will confirm that air conditioning is welcome), a two-level,
26-ft. addition will be constructed on the rear or north side of the building. The exterior of
the building will remain true to the original design of Waid, an 1887 MC graduate.
“That’s going to allow
us to have some summer events there,” said White of the new mechanical room. “It will
certainly be more comfortable.”
Many of the other
changes will be noticed more by the students who use the facility every day. They include the
installation of a stage lift and the addition of three extra entrances to the performing
stage.
“The lift will stop
even with the stage, at the under-stage level and in the basement,” said White. “It means we
won’t have to haul our larger instruments outside and then back inside to the stage. It’s a
luxury, but is certainly needed. The extra entrances will double our access to the stage.”
White added that small
balconies will return at “house left and house right,” improvements will be made to the organ
area, guest dressing rooms will be updated and the building’s small light and sound booth will
be expanded to feature a state-of-the-art sound and light system. The changes will slightly
lower the Auditorium’s seating capacity, reducing it from around 630 to approximately 600.
“Our guest performers
will be more comfortable, the students will be more comfortable and the audience will be more
comfortable,” White concluded. “I think it’s going to be wonderful for the community as a
whole. The Auditorium has been such an integral part of our campus for so many years, and not
only has it been a campus center, but it really is the cultural center of our community. We
all benefit from the work that’s being done to this building.”
That feeling was echoed
by David Fleming, president of the Monmouth-based Mellinger Foundation, who said, “Our board
decided to move ahead with this gift because it is a natural fit with the foundation’s
commitment to excellence in education and its desire to be responsive to community interests.”
Released
by the Office of College Communications
Barry McNamara, Associate Director of College Communications
Phone: 309-457-2117
Fax: 309-457-2330
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