Much progress on the renovation of Columbia College Chicago‘s historic Emma and Oscar Getz Theatre — the mainstage auditorium at the Columbia College Chicago Theatre Department at 72 E. 11th St. in Chicago’s South Loop — and on other parts of the Columbia College Chicago Theatre Center as well. Here’s a view of the Getz and its adjacent first-floor space — formerly the Classic Studio Theatre — looking east onto 11th Street. The Classic Studio space will become a scene shop. This photo was taken from the Getz stage area. The workers in the foreground are removing the old orchestra pit. Layout for the walls and catwalk steel has started.

This photo was taken on the second floor, above the old Classic Studio area, formerly a classroom area. Part of the floor has been removed. This will allow tall pieces of scenery to be built in the first-floor scene shop and moved directly onto the theatre stage. The shop will be separated from the stage by 18′ tall acoustical doors.

Also underway is the reconfiguration of sixth-floor classrooms, which will be turned into a makeup classroom and lighting lab facilities. The sixth-floor space will be ready in time for the start of classes September 5. The construction of a new, reconfigured mainstage auditorium has a projected completion date of January 2018. For more pictures, click here.

As reported previously in this blog, the Getz Theatre is slated for a makeover as part of the college’s efforts to update campus spaces. Above is an artist’s rendering of what the theatre will look like when it reopens next year. Please follow this blog for news of the progress of this exciting development over the summer, as well as news of the great things our alumni, students, and faculty are doing professionally! To follow us on Facebook, click here.

Thanks to John Kavouris, Columbia College Chicago’s Associate Vice President for Facilities and Construction, for keeping us updated!