The Vanguard School of Lake Wales is pleased to announce the opening of the newest addition to its campus: a new Performing Arts Center and Classroom Building, named in honor of the school's current president, Dr. Cathy Wooley-Brown. The goal of the Board of Trustees was to create classrooms and practice space for art, music, and drama, while at the same time creating a flexible auditorium space. The facility is a wonderful, multi-functional building, with over 13,000 square feet!
Completed in a little over eight months by Rodda Construction, the facility is actually two buildings in one: the auditorium/gallery spaces and the classroom building.
a courtyard contains a soothing fountain for relaxing outdoor gatherings prior to performances
350-seat auditorium
retracting theatre seating angled to the stage in three sections
an adjustable height proscenium stage for "theatre in the round" productions
a sound and light booth is positioned high above the stage and is equipped with the latest in high-tech light and sound equipment for even the most sophisticated of productions
the community entrance to the building is a glass curtain wall which opens into three galleries for student art displays, receptions or artist autograph sessions
a concession area shares space with the ticket booth, making it easy to prepare and serve refreshments for special events
There are separate entrances to the three classrooms: Art, Drama, and Music, which are in line with the other classroom buildings on campus.
Art room has large windows, which allow for wonderful natural lighting, as well as a kiln and wet-lab space for art projects
Drama classroom has a mini-stage and fabulous Steinway Piano, with a large roll-up door for access to the main stage for practices
Music room has two soundproof practice rooms, which allows for recording music, in addition to the large acoustically equipped classroom
The Vanguard Schoolis an accredited, internationally recognized community of students with learning differences. The Vanguard School program is designed for students ages 10 through high school who are experiencing academic difficulties due to learning challenges such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, Asperger's Syndrome, or an attention deficit.