Trapp Auditorium Committee

[kellyann1293]

Waukegan, IL – The Trapp Auditorium, located in Waukegan High School, is in dire need of rehabilitation. Named for Waukegan High School West Campus Principal, Orlin Trapp, the auditorium has been in use for 50 years. It is the largest auditorium in Lake County, seating over 1,900 people.

The Trapp Auditorium Steering Committee, formed in the spring of 2008, seeks to highlight and address the various issues restoring this facility entails. Paramount among the concerns the members of the Committee are focused on are life-safety issues, including general electrical repairs, stage reconstruction, and the safety of overhead rigging that hold the stage lights. Secondly, the Committee will address aesthetic concerns such as general redecorating and replacing auditorium seating. A special fund, derived from community donations and to be used only for the rehab, has been set up through The Waukegan Schools Foundation.

The Committee is being chaired by Jean Windberg, a retired teacher, and Claudia Freeman, and is actively seeking community members and Waukegan High alumni to join in the effort. If interested, please contact Jean Windberg at (847) 244-8546 or Claudia Freeman at (847) 244-9276, to learn how you can become involved in this worthwhile community project.

[wths74]

Please excuse my ignorance here (I am of the class of 74, rich in burnouts and people who are out of touch :oops: )

It said the Trapp auditorium has been in use for 50 years? I am assuming then that the auditorium must be at east campus? I know west campus hasn't been around 50 years has it? I still consider that place the "new" place. I only went there for 1 year though. Back then it was fresh/soph at west and junior/sr at east BUT if you came up with a good reason and you were lucky you could do your sophomore year at east. I was able to scam them and go to east for my sophomore year. I used the excuse that my brother goes to east and he as a car so I would ride with him. It worked! Problem is my brother never gave me a ride! Especially when I told him how I got to go to east. He was mad and said "if you think you are getting a ride from me everyday forget it!. Ended up walking or taking my bike :oops:

[Danno]

I hope they don't decide to desecrate the Trapp Auditorium and change or eliminate the well designed decorative elements. I don't know who the architects of that building were but I love the late 1950's design elements and use of redwood and the light colored wood (birch or maple). Restore it but dont re-decorate it or re-anything else to it. The whole school has been very poorly maintained. I walked through recently and I was appalled at how the building was let go. Where are all of our tax dollars going?

[kellyann1293]

I hope they don't decide to desecrate the Trapp Auditorium and change or eliminate the well designed decorative elements. I don't know who the architects of that building were but I love the late 1950's design elements and use of redwood and the light colored wood (birch or maple). Restore it but dont re-decorate it or re-anything else to it. The whole school has been very poorly maintained. I walked through recently and I was appalled at how the building was let go. Where are all of our tax dollars going?

Perhaps you should join the committee then?

[Danno]

I hope they don't decide to desecrate the Trapp Auditorium and change or eliminate the well designed decorative elements. I don't know who the architects of that building were but I love the late 1950's design elements and use of redwood and the light colored wood (birch or maple). Restore it but dont re-decorate it or re-anything else to it. The whole school has been very poorly maintained. I walked through recently and I was appalled at how the building was let go. Where are all of our tax dollars going?

Perhaps you should join the committee then?

I may already have been appointed head of the design committee and don't even know it. I'll have to check and see.

Seriously, that's a good idea except that is my one and only issue. Don't mess with the aesthetic elements. Could someone on the committee please forward it to the appropriate committee. Does anyone know who the architects were?

[kellyann1293]

I'm not on the committee, and who knows if anyone else here is either? If you feel strongly about it, it's on you to contact the committee.

[TheatreGuy]

I am on the commitee. The look of the theatre as far as the wooden structure is concerned is NOT going to be changed. What is being looked at is updating the rigging system, new curtains, new lighting and sound equipment, possibly new HVAC, new pit cover and either replacing or recovering the seats. I am trying to get a workshop adding on as well. Waukegan High School has an amazing theatre, unfortunately it is difficult to really use it well because there is no room for set construction. Without the much needed workshop there needs to be funds raised in excess of $800,000. Many of the problems in the theatre fall under the "life safety" category. The problem is the district does not have the money right now to deal with them because of all of the expenses being accrued for the change over to one high school with 2 addresses. The committee was desirous of using funds that the Trapp has made and will make for helping wih the renovations, but alas a few well meaning souls have scared the school board into thinking the Trapp Auditorium is dangerous. The school board acting on the only information they have been given has shut down all use of the rigging system. That means no more curtains until $200,000 can be spent on the rigging. It will be very difficult to get groups to come in if no one can use curtains. No groups, no money. No money, no new rigging. It is a vicious circle. There is a stop gap measure which can make the rigging safe again. Please pray for me that I can help the school board understand we NEED to be able to use the space, rigging system and all.

[wths74]

Since nobody answered my question and went and looked it up. I see that West was built in 1959. I didn't think it was that old. It was pretty new to me when I was a freshman. I guess lots of things were newer when I was a freshman. :cry:

I remember it was terrible when I was there. I was used to a more strict catholic school and going there with so many people sure intimidated me. The school I was in had no blacks so I guess I was schooled in a shell. I remember early in my first year when I was by the hallways near the cafeteria a group of blacks would come up to me and steal my money. I was so scared all the time. Everytime this same group came up to me they would say "gimmie dime mother f'er" And I would. I told my brother about it and asked for help. To my surprise he yelled at me. Like that scene from the godfather when the don yells at johnny fontaine and slaps him. "you can act like a man!. What's the matter with you. Is this how you turned out? A Hollywood finocchio that cries like a woman. "
He told me to grow a pair and if I didn't those tough guys in high school would eat me alive. So I did, the next time that group came up to me and told me to give them money i said yeah, i have a dime but if they want to take it from me I told them that I won't let them. I told them what my brother told me to tell them. "you might beat me up but at least one of you was going to be really hurt bad before I would". They respected that and stopped picking on me. One of them became a good friend of mine thru high school too. That was simpler times though. Nowadays some of these kids don't just threaten, they actually carry weapons and can really hurt you. Things aren't settled like they were years ago with a little punch, people get shot now. I feel so sorry for these kids now.

[Danno]

I am on the commitee. The look of the theatre as far as the wooden structure is concerned is NOT going to be changed. What is being looked at is updating the rigging system, new curtains, new lighting and sound equipment, possibly new HVAC, new pit cover and either replacing or recovering the seats. I am trying to get a workshop adding on as well. Waukegan High School has an amazing theatre, unfortunately it is difficult to really use it well because there is no room for set construction. Without the much needed workshop there needs to be funds raised in excess of $800,000. Many of the problems in the theatre fall under the "life safety" category. The problem is the district does not have the money right now to deal with them because of all of the expenses being accrued for the change over to one high school with 2 addresses. The committee was desirous of using funds that the Trapp has made and will make for helping wih the renovations, but alas a few well meaning souls have scared the school board into thinking the Trapp Auditorium is dangerous. The school board acting on the only information they have been given has shut down all use of the rigging system. That means no more curtains until $200,000 can be spent on the rigging. It will be very difficult to get groups to come in if no one can use curtains. No groups, no money. No money, no new rigging. It is a vicious circle. There is a stop gap measure which can make the rigging safe again. Please pray for me that I can help the school board understand we NEED to be able to use the space, rigging system and all.

Thanks for answering. I'm glad to hear that the general decor is not going to be messed with. The only reason I was concerned was because the original posted story said "the Committee will address aesthetic concerns such as general redecorating". I've seen some stupid things done around here in the past and just didn't want the same at that beautiful auditorium.

[TheatreGuy]

The over all look is not going to change apart from the seats being either re-covered or replaced. The committee is dedicated to keeping the beauty of the theatre.