Powerhouse Theater, Theater in Poughkeepsie, United States
The Powerhouse Theater is a converted power station on the campus of Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, used as a black box performance space with movable seating. The layout can be rearranged from one production to the next, placing the audience and performers very close to each other.
The building was constructed in 1912 as a power station to supply electricity to the Vassar College campus. In 1973, it was converted into a theater while keeping its original brick exterior.
The summer program brings theater artists together to develop new works and try out unconventional staging ideas in the space. Some of those productions have gone on to be performed in well-known theaters across the country.
Performances take place both during the school year and as part of summer workshops and readings on the college campus. Checking the schedule in advance is a good idea since the program changes depending on the season.
Even though the building is now a theater, the audience occupies only about one-third of the floor space, with the rest left open for performers and staging. This unusual split gives directors a degree of freedom over the layout that most theaters simply do not offer.
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