Under The Big Top, There's Room For All

Back to the drawing board is probably not a bad move for Guild Hall.

After unveiling ambitious renovation plans for the 91-year-old arts and cultural institution in February, Guild Hall’s administration and board chair recently announced they would take a step back from a portion of the plan. The decision came after Guild Hall heard an earful of complaints from community members who took exception with one very specific aspect of the $25 million capital improvement plan — the redesign imagined for the John Drew Theater.

Released in February, the artist’s rendering of the plan featured a series of new panels installed on the theater’s ceiling and walls that gave the space a contemporary look and were designed with a practical purpose in mind: to optimize acoustics for the audience. Gone from the rendition was the theater’s center aisle, its characteristic balloon-inspired chandelier, and, most importantly, the striped circus tent motif of the ceiling and walls that have been the hallmark of the John Drew since its opening in 1931, and which would presumably be relegated to history under the sleek new panels.

Many people were not pleased with the design. It’s not that upgrades to the John Drew aren’t warranted. While improvements were made to the theater as part of a five-year renovation project completed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects back in 2009, technology has changed greatly in the years since. Guild Hall makes the case that in order to meet the demands of today’s top talent, audio and video capabilities, as well as rigging systems for lighting and projection equipment, all need to be updated and modernized so the facilities will be on par with current performance and presentation standards.

We get that. But perhaps it wasn’t the end goal but rather the way in which Guild Hall went about this planned redesign that proved to be the major stumbling block. That is, plans were unveiled to the community only once they were completed — created without public input, forums or even a thorough explanation of the logic behind some of the design decisions and why they were deemed necessary.

Chalk it up to the concept of ownership. It’s important to remember that Guild Hall is unlike any other cultural institution on the East End. It was truly founded as a community arts center, one with a mission to engage and support the creative impulses of all residents of the community, whether they are Jackson Pollock or a retiree from Queens with a knack for still-life.

Which is why the process now needs to start over.

We’re pleased that Guild Hall is going back to the drawing board with its plans for the John Drew. So here’s a bit of advice: This time around, give residents a say in the way forward. Find out what’s most important to them (we already know where the circus tent motif and the balloon chandelier rank). But even if the public’s suggestions aren’t always taken in the final plan, at least take them to heart. Absorb them.

Keep the public in the loop, because East Hampton deserves a world class theater that attracts top talent. But it also deserves a theater that provides a platform for the local dance troupes and theater groups who struggle to find performance space in one of the most expensive places on the planet.

And, together, let’s make the John Drew Theater a venue that everyone can be proud to call their own by finding a way to set our sights on the future without turning our backs on the past or the year-round arts community that has been the heart and soul of this institution since its founding.