YOUR DONATION AT WORK: RENOVATION PLANS FOR THE UPPERSTAGE LOBBY

2019 is an exciting time for the IRT, as our Front and Center campaign is unveiled to the public. This campaign, designed to improve the artistry, efficiency, and financial stability of the IRT, has already yielded significant improvements to the Theatre since it began in 2016. If you are one of the many IRT patrons who have marveled at the onstage projections used so effectively in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Pipeline, or the seamless automation used in the sets of Appoggiatura, Noises Off, and Holmes and Watson, then you have already seen the Front and Center campaign at work.

While many of the benefits of the Front and Center campaign will be experienced on the stage, there is one benefit that will impact audiences before they take their seats in the Theatre. To this end, we are pleased to announce the next major Front and Center project—a full renovation of the IRT’s Upperstage Lobby. Thousands of IRT patrons pass through the Upperstage Lobby each season, and for many it is the very first space they encounter within the Theatre. Just as our acclaimed Grand Lobby sets the tone for all shows performed on the OneAmerica Mainstage, so the Upperstage Lobby welcomes all visitors into our intimate Upperstage productions; these productions are often among the most contemporary shows presented by the IRT, and the newly-renovated lobby will reflect that aesthetic with an open, modern design.

Under the expert supervision of Schmidt Associates, the lobby will be reworked into a sleek and efficient gathering space for our audience. The bar will be relocated to the far end of the room, opposite the elevators, providing patrons with unimpeded access to both refreshments and the theatre’s two entrances. This will allow audiences to move about more freely, both before a performance and during intermission. Restrooms will be fully updated, with the number of available stalls in the women’s room increasing from three to five. Renovations will also extend to the third floor Cabaret Lobby, which will gain some of the modern flair of the Upperstage redesign while maintaining elements of the classic Indiana Theatre building—for example, the ornamental sculpture which has long resided in the Upperstage Lobby will now be incorporated in this third floor space. Third floor restrooms will also be updated, further enhancing patron comfort and convenience.

Renovations will begin this spring, immediately following the closing of the season’s final Upperstage production, Amber Waves. An efficient construction schedule will guarantee that the newly refurbished spaces will be ready to welcome audiences with the first Upperstage show in the 2019-2020 Season.

The IRT is extremely grateful to its patrons for their loyal support of the Theatre, and we give special thanks to all of those who have donated to the Front and Center Campaign. Thanks to your generosity, we are able to make the kinds of improvements that will allow the Theatre to serve as a community gathering place for years to come. From the stage to the lobby and out into the community, the IRT is proud to create transformative experiences for Hoosiers throughout their lifetimes.

To find out more about the IRT’s Front and Center Campaign, and all that it will make possible, please visit the campaign webpage at irtlive.com/FrontAndCenter or contact Jennifer Turner at jturner@irtlive.com or 317.916.4835. 

Upperstage Lobby rendering by Schmidt Associates.