Penn Charter cut the ribbon on the David L. Kurtz Center for the Performing Arts on Jan. 28, 2010, officially opening a state-of-the-art facility to house the school’s vibrant performing arts program.
Head of School Darryl J. Ford led the ceremonies, beginning with a quote from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night: “If music be the food of love, play on …”
“Shakespeare’s nine opening words have stuck with me as we have approached this triumphant day,” Ford told more than 1,200 students, teachers and friends of the school who gathered for the ribbon cutting.
“Music, love and play. The Kurtz Center has been built so that you, our students, can make music, love theater and dance, produce film, and play on with abandon.”
The Kurtz Center is the final project in the school’s $47 million Frameworks for the Future capital campaign. The building features a sustainable “green” design and fantastic new facilities for teaching and learning, including:
• the 650-seat Earl and Pam Ball Theater, with hydraulic orchestra pit lift
• sprung dance floor
• state-of-the-art rigging, lighting and sound systems
• choral room and performance studio
• instrumental room with four individual practice rooms
• recording studio
• scene shop, costume room with men’s and women’s dressing rooms
Ford thanked the many alumni, parents, grandparents and friends of the school whose gifts made the new building possible. He especially thanked the family of the late David L. Kurtz – his wife, Esther Kurtz, his son and daughter-in-law, PC parents David OPC ’82 and Jennifer Kurtz, his son-in-law Stephen Smith, and the entire Kurtz family. The Kurtz family made the lead gift to the center in memory of David L. Kurtz, an East Falls resident and radio pioneer who founded the FM station that evolved into B101.
“I thank you for your generosity and for making a transformative gift that has positively changed our educational program and the landscape of Penn Charter forever,” Ford said.
Click for photos featuring the new facility; Middle and Upper School assemblies with "Smitty" OPC '69 showing his movie trailers for Avatar and more; and the Give and Take Jugglers entertaining Lower School students. Plus, a schedule of performances.