3Stage Expansion Project’s final element essential
By Brent Frankenhoff
Jensen Center Executive Director
If you attended one of the five sold-out productions of Footloose at the Jensen Community Center in mid-March or even drove by the Center that weekend, you’re probably able to answer the question posed in that headline.
With 115 cast and crew in the show, the Center was bulging at the seams to accommodate that many performers, utilizing not only the theater but also the conference room, every storage room, and even our Activity Room as dressing rooms, prop storage, and space for stage elements that were rolled on and off the stage during the show.
The Jensen Center theater has been a lauded presentation space for nearly 30 years, and the needs of future generations must be addressed. The high school musical is now an annual, rather than biannual production. It’s joined by such shows as:
As word about the Center spreads and staff continue to book larger shows, the need for more space to safely and comfortably handle bigger acts increases.
Stage 3 of the 3Stage Expansion Project is designed to meet those needs, improving access to the stage from multiple directions, providing safe and discreet passage of performers during shows, and allowing for more elaborate stage elements to be added to future productions.
Storage between productions will also be improved, with new, larger spaces attached to the Center replacing our current 16 x 24-foot storage shed outside the theater, which also stores Youth Soccer supplies and other materials.
Once complete, the new spaces of Stage 3 will allow us to repurpose existing spaces into additional offices for Jensen Center staff, who are currently sharing two small offices, one of which used to be the coat room prior to the 2017 bathroom remodel that removed a former office.
The community has shown its generous support for the first two stages of the 3Stage Expansion Project — the completed International Bank of Amherst Terrace and nearly complete fire alarm and sprinkler system — and much of the funding for the third stage is already in place or pledged. Approximately $200,000 remains to be raised, and the Center’s Board of Directors is making a renewed appeal to donors to help meet that goal.
Additional financial support in any amount is needed, and all donations are appreciated. Donors who wish to be acknowledged publicly are listed on our Gratitude List in each issue of the Spirit, and those donating $1,000 or more over the course of this capital campaign will be listed on a permanent recognition wall after the projects are complete. Levels of giving can be increased by cumulative donations over the course of the fundraising.
When the Jensen Center opened its doors in 1988, the theater was a shell with a poured concrete floor and stage. Over the next few years, the Tomorrow River Community stepped up and helped complete the space with seating, lighting, curtains, a professional-level sound system, and more. The time has come to help the theater evolve to serve the needs of the next generation and beyond. For those who helped out originally, please consider building on that legacy. For those who are still considering the need, now’s the time to show your support for this project. You’ll find more information on the overall project along with a donation form on page 16, online at jensencenter.org, or by calling (715) 824-5202.
The 450 square feet of the Center’s current backstage area barely allows enough room for performers, let alone the many props and stage elements that are required to put on a successful production like Footloose.