Stage

Wide Open Space

Eau Claire Children's Theatre's new stage

Kinzy Janssen and Trevor Kupfer, photos by Andrea Paulseth |

 
IMAGINE THIS SPACE CHOCK-FULL OF DRAMA (THE GOOD KIND). ECCT’s newly completed performance space, likely to be dubbed “The Oxford,” will stage its first show – an encore of RENT –  April 15-18.

Its stage isn’t scuffed yet. Its wings are yet to be haunted.

“New theater” is something of an oxymoron in the area. This spring, however, the Eau Claire Children’s Theater will unveil the first community theater to be built in the city in more than 80 years. The project, built on the existing ECCT space at 1814 Oxford Ave., is poised to usher in its first audiences April 15-18 for a grand opening weekend that includes an encore of Rent.

“We’re all looking forward to what it will allow us to do,” says Wayne Marek, ECCT executive director. “It’s just gonna open up new possibilities.”

The new theater, likely to be called “The Oxford,” will accommodate 275 movable chairs and will provide a multi-use space not only for theater. The rentable space will be sought out by local bands for alcohol-free CD release shows, is also equipped to serve large events such as wedding receptions and graduation parties, and will allow touring shows – from improv comedy to fashion – to snag a spot on the newest stage in town.
But the bulk of the excitement surrounding The Oxford (as well as a remodeled lobby with box office and concessions) concerns the seven to 10 additional ECCT shows this stage will supply, including five new ones just announced for this summer.

For Dan Ekblad and his family, the new stage means more shows and more involvement in community theater. Between him and his two children – Alex, 16, and Annika, 13 – they’ve performed an estimated 100 shows, and they have no intention of stopping there. In the upcoming season, Ekblad says the theater will be producing close to two shows per month. (Prior to this, if you were 10 years old and interested in being in an ECCT show, you might have one shot every three months.) According to Ekblad, even summer classes for kids and Express Entertainment (an adult theater program) will increase in size and scope.



    The closeness and ownership of the space is another source of excitement. Ekblad, a member of the ECCT board of directors, describes how North High School – the theater’s mainstay for smaller shows – was inconvenient for a number of reasons. “The dressing room situation was always a big mess,” says Ekblad. “We had to tear down the whole set and move it between shows. Plus, it was expensive for us to have shows there. This will be closer; we’ll be able to have more shows at our own facility,” says Ekblad.

While North will no longer be used, Marek says they’ll continue to do higher-expense shows, like large musicals, at The State Theatre. Ticket costs at both spaces will remain comparable to what they have charged in the past.

After six months of construction, volunteers only await lighting fixtures and the all-important, instant source of ambiance – the “Grand Drape” curtain that Marek says costs $4,200. The assemblage of curtains, meanwhile, will cost just under $12,000, and the grand total for the expansion is about $500,000.

Though these final items require continued fundraising, Marek and ECCT participants are happy with their decision to muscle through a recession. Due to the economic mood, they got a reduced bid from the contractor. And now, six months later, the carpet is rolling out before them – they’re ready to step into many years of successful shows.

Other than the performance of Rent, the four-day debut event will include a donor reception, ribbon cutting, Chippewa Valley Youth Choir show (April 17), and a music show with Sue Orfield Band, Crowded Heads, Tony Basely Band, and more (April 18).


Shows Added to ECCT'S Season Because of The Oxford:

• A Dash of Rosemary (June 16-20)
• Tales from the Brothers Grimm (June 24-25)
• The Pied Piper (July 22-23)
• Robin Hood (Aug. 7)
• The Mystery of Edwin Drood  (Aug. 11-15)