Looks like Wellesley is going about a project very similar to our Shapiro Campus Center. Strange, angular building, theirs is named the Wang Campus Center. Except they seem to be doing things right…making it a student building. It will contain dining, mailboxes, and a whole bunch of student meeting spaces and club storage. Also, all the highlights that we’ve talked about – a pub/bistro (heh, echos the debate about whether The Stein is a pub or a bistro here at Brandeis), a game room, an expanded bookstore, a large multipurpose room (no theater, though), and, most exciting, a big parking garage hidden down the hill and behind trees.
Just like Brandeis wants, but can’t afford. I have no clue what the deal was with Carl Shapiro and the architect Charlie Rose and the University, but boy was it a mess, whatever it was. Something went seriously wrong along the way, and we were left with a monstrosity of a building that really didn’t fulfill any of the goals set for it. Well, except the theater isn’t horrible. That’s about it.
What’s up with the obscure and locked Function Room D? The FRs are very useful club meeting spaces, D should be available. It’s on the other side of the third floor, by SSIS.
Apparently it’s a fairly small room that is being used for Student Activities storage because there aren’t any secure storage spaces or closets anywhere in the damn building…talk about an oversight!
Actually, the theatre DOES suck. It’s ugly, badly lit, and has shitty wing and fly space.
Also, I understand that there’s now an apron at the front, but when I saw the one show that I saw there – Dinner with Friends – there wasn’t one, and that left about ten/fifteen feet of blank space between the first row and the front of the stage. That production needed all the help it could get (yes, it’s a fine play, but not one that works as performed by people in their early 20s, if even that old), and that seriously worked against it.
I didn’t say the theater was great, I said it isn’t horrible. Compared to the previous theater for the UTC, it’s a wonderful step up. The lighting doesn’t need to suck, there is a lot to work with and shows have been able to do well with the space, in terms of lighting, sets, etc. You just have to work with the theater and build on what’s possible, instead of complaining about what’s not. It means you need to use more *creativity* to make a good show.
There is empty space before the stage, I don’t think there is any kind of apron. I know that Tymp and HTG sometimes find that space useful for the pit and stairs and such, but I dunno. Agreed, DwF needs an older cast, certainly, and it’s probably too “small” of a play for such a big setting. Stick it in the Laurie. 🙂
Ah, but I’m saying it is horrible. 🙂
Admittedly, I’m one for odd spaces, but – shitty acoustics aside – there’s a lot more that could be done with Levin. Especially since, unlike the Shapiro, people were actually allowed to use it.
The Laurie? The LAURIE?!?!? You must mean the Merick becuase there’s no way it would work in the Laurie.
Jeez, if you thought the set changes were bad in the Shapiro (and they were deadly), they’d’ve been even worse in the Merrick because there’s nowhere to put anything, other than through the doors at the back of the stage.