Gilmour Academy Building Performing Arts Center

From the Gilmour Academy: On Saturday, June 2 at 11 a.m., Gilmour will host a groundbreaking ceremony for The Lorraine and Bill Dodero Center for Performing Arts. The complex will feature a 300-seat main theater, an 86-seat black box theater, a scene shop, costume shop, speech and debate practice rooms, a presentation room and music ensemble enclave, as well as an art gallery hall. Students in the Lower, Middle and Upper Schools will be able to use the space and benefit from the expanded programs made possible by a building dedicated to the performing arts.

The school is immensely grateful to Lorraine and Bill Dodero for generously providing the visionary lead gift to jumpstart this project. The couple, whose daughter, Corinne Dodero Salvador ’02, was involved in drama during her years at Gilmour, came forth with the lead gift in 2015. Thanks to the generosity of the 289 other donors who came forward in support of this transformational project, the school is now able to break ground. Construction is expected to be complete in time for the start of the 2019-2020 school year.

Head of School Kathy Kenny said of this important day in Gilmour’s history, “We are so excited to break ground on this long-desired theater building. The Lorraine and Bill Dodero Center for Performing Arts will transform the arts experience for our students with state-of-the art practice and performance space. This incredible facility will also enable us to build out arts

programming for our students as well as the community. I couldn’t be more grateful to Lorraine and Bill Dodero and the many other donors who have made this dream a reality for our school.”

Gilmour has hired tda Architecture as the project architect and Panzica Construction Company as the construction manager for the building. "Having been involved with theater for many years in Cleveland, I am thrilled to see an innovative Center for Performing Arts being built for Gilmour Academy. Gilmour's students will greatly benefit from the customized space, expanded programs and increased performance opportunities,” commented President and CEO of Panzica Construction Company Tony Panzica ’71.

Image courtesy of the Gilmour Academy