Views from the Hill | 2023 Issue 1

“I think we were expecting applause,”

over several generations, serving as an incubator of creativity, a locus of artistic expression, and a hub of communal life at the School,” said Glendinning. Today, with over 700 students filling the campus, the plan for APAC—which was reflected in the School’s strategic plan set forth by the Board of Trustees in 2019—will be a 26,000 square foot renovation. It will feature a 350-seat theater including a full orchestra pit and significantly enhanced acoustics, lighting, and climate control in addition to large gathering spaces and 10 multi-purpose classrooms. The enhancements will allow for improved performing arts productions as well as the expansion of innovative programs across all disciplines as extra space is freed up across campus. The project will begin in the spring of 2023, with com- pletion anticipated in the fall of 2024.

remembers Glendinning through a smile. Right before revealing slide #8, which included a stunning rendering of the highly anticipated building, Glendinning asked the crowd for a drumroll. The rendering then appeared on the screen, and what followed wasn’t applause. It was a collective audible gasp. “I was shocked and excited to be able to spend my future years in the new building,“ remembered Ripley Chance ’26, who has already participated in several theatrical productions in her time at Hopkins. “This new building will help facilitate the spread of kindness and enthusiasm from the theater to the rest of the Hopkins community.” Perhaps a gasp was the most appropriate response, as anticipation for a renovation has been building for longer than most can remember. In fact, Hopkins has been contemplating this project for decades—through several design iterations—as the storied building has remained mostly unchanged since its construction in 1959. Built to serve as both a performance venue and a dining hall for 300 students, with the auditorium holding just 135 seats, Lovell Hall charmed its way into becoming a cornerstone of the Hopkins campus.

While the size and scope of the building will evolve, not everything will change.

“The most important part of Lovell is the community of students who gave and give the building life,” said Hope Hartup, Drama Instructor, who directs several of the School’s productions. “It is their curiosity, their excitement, their inclusiveness, their wild sense of humor, their love of the theater, their willingness to challenge themselves and grow along with me, as well as their willingness to teach me as much as I teach them that makes Lovell so special. And I have no doubt that in the years to come those same qualities will animate our new theater,” added Hartup.

left : A rendering of the new 350-seat performance space. above : Slide #8 in Matt Glendinning’s assembly presentation showed a view of APAC from the outside.

“Despite its age and space limitations, Lovell has played an important role in the lives of thousands of students

VIEWS FROM THE HILL | 2023 • ISSUE 1

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