ASFA Theater

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The Dorothy Jemison Day Theater (formerly dubbed The Performance Network and ASFA Theater) is a 500-seat, performing arts and teaching facility under construction at the Alabama School of Fine Arts in Reverend Abraham Woods, Jr Boulevard and 19th Street North. The theater, which accommodates dramatic and musical performances as well as lectures and films, opened on April 15, 2012.

The design of the theater, coordinated by Craig Krawczyk of LIVE Design Group, includes backstage and crew areas sized for teaching. The 40-chair orchestra pit can be brought up to floor level for added seating or raised to stage level to increase performance space. Interior surfaces are equipped with electronically and manually adjustable acoustic panels and curtains to tailor the space for music or voice performances. David Kahn of Acoustic Dimensions of New Rochelle, New York provided consulting services, as did Michael Ferguson of Theatre Project Consultants of South Norwalk, Connecticut. The 19,212-square-foot building was constructed by B. L. Harbert International.

The theater was constructed by the Alabama School of Fine Arts Foundation for lease to the publicly-funded school. Fund raising for the project, budgeted at $7 million and constructed for $8.5 million, began in 2003. It is named for former ASFA Foundation board member Dorothy Jemison "Dodie" Day.

References

  • Parks, Dave (September 12, 2010) "ASFA moves ahead with $7M theater." Birmingham Business Journal
  • Huebner, Michael (July 10, 2011) "Big plans for future performing arts theater at the Alabama School of Fine Arts." Birmingham News