Page 41 - 06_September-2024

“I’VE ALWAYS BEEN A BIG BELIEVER THAT A BIG PART OF WHAT YOU LEARN AT UNIVERSITY IS OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM. AND THE THEATRE IS A VENUE FOR THINGS LIKE THAT TO HAPPEN.” — MARC DUMOUCHEL
“I’ve always been a big believer that a big part of what you learn at university is outside of the classroom. And the theatre is a venue for things like that to happen,” Dumouchel says.
Another more recent memory: Now the general manager of the UASU, Dumouchel and an old college buddy were back in the Horowitz watching a dance recital. The seats were narrow. The foam padding on the chairs was disintegrating, and the 1967-built theatre was showing its age. Dumouchel started thinking about the future of the theatre.
There were more problems than just uncomfortable seating. A fickle 40-year- old A/V system was prone to cutting out, the lights were power-guzzlers, and there was only a single aerial-lift for wheelchair users, which was prone to issues. The whole place lacked space, and shows were slow to turn over due to the cramped and under-powered facilities.
But the Horowitz was not another old building doomed to be bulldozed and rebuilt. Instead, it underwent a 21st- century makeover and expansion.
Walking into the new Myer Horowitz Theatre, the first thing I notice is a brightly lit three-dimensional shape — part sculpture, part feature wall — which drapes like fabric as it flows around the au- ditorium. Dumouchel calls it “the ribbon.” It’s meant to symbolize opening curtains.
While this detail steals the show, the whole theatre, which was redesigned by Arc Studios, looks modern. Still, it’s easy to find the thread (or ribbon) between the bold design and Horowitz’s mid-century roots — especially with all the things left over from before.
The lobby (now big enough to accom- modate the theatre’s audience) has upcycled the same stairwell, many of the same benches or chairs have been refurbished, and the place still isn’t afraid to show a bit of exposed concrete.
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