Hesperia High School’s new performing arts and community center will officially open its doors to thespians and choristers on Tuesday, April 7, almost two and a half years after the groundbreaking ceremony.
For the first time in 42 years, Hesperia High School students don’t have to shuttle elsewhere to host a play or concert. They finally have a theater to call their own.
“We’ve waited long enough,” Hesperia High School Principal Mike Everett said in a press release, adding that both the students and the community at large deserve a state-of-the-art center like the new Center for the Arts.
The center, which is opening four months later than expected, is nearly 33,000 square feet and will also serve as a public medical clinic with physical and mental health services.
Students added a personal touch to the new center during the construction phase, signing one of the final beams before it was hoisted to its final resting place above the entrance.
According to Everett, the process of orchestrating such a trailblazing facility has “consumed much time and energy.” He says the grand opening couldn’t come sooner for those involved in the long-haul planning process.
The center officially opened in mid-March for students, but the medical clinic has yet to launch. The grand opening ceremony is scheduled for 4 p.m. on April 7, with the first drama production, “Shrek the Musical,” to follow a short three weeks after.
More than just a performing arts center
The Center for the Arts will have a nurse practitioner on site from Providence St. Mary’s Medical Center.
Previously, St. Mary’s parked its mobile van outside the high school once a month to provide access to physicians, counselors and mental health providers for Hesperia High School students. Now, the medical center will pack the community center with a full-time staff of medical practitioners five days a week, open to the public.
The new center will also act as an urgent care, providing prescriptions, doctor referrals and counseling.
A win for the Hesperia High School drama department
High school drama teacher Shane Contrell says he cannot wait for the drama department to finally have a place to call home on campus.
For years, Victor Valley Christian Church has placated the insufficiencies of the Hesperia drama department, allowing them to use the church for choir and theater productions. Contrell says he is grateful for the kindness of the church, but looks ahead with widened eyes.
The added space of the new performing arts center enables Contrell to cast a large ensemble for his plays. He says over 90 students auditioned for this spring’s Shrek production, and anticipates that number to continue to grow.
Hesperia’s drama teacher has big plans for the new stage and wants to include as many students as possible for a full Broadway effect. “This has been a long time coming.”
New features of the space include an LED wall, changing rooms and a black box theater.
For more information about “Shrek the Musical,” visit https://our.show/hhsshrekthemusical.
McKenna is a reporter for the Daily Press. She can be reached at mmobley@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Hesperia High School unveils new performing arts center on April 7
Reporting by McKenna Mobley, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
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