Cue the new lights — Valencia High School’s auditorium is getting upgraded for the first time since the school’s establishment in 1994. The 2024 William S. Hart Union High School District renovations for the school year include revamping the 30-year-old space.
Construction began in May and will end in January, according to Michael Otavka, director of facilities, planning and construction for the Hart district. “What we’re doing there is we’re just replacing equipment, seats and giving it a facelift inside with new paint, new floor coverings. So it’ll get all new seats.
It will get new equipment, [such as] lighting and audio equipment,” Otavka said. “We’re not changing the size [of the space, and] we’re not moving walls or ceilings or anything. All of that stays the same.
” According to Otavka, the goal is to operate the auditorium as a functioning space that exhibits new technology. Valencia theater teacher Stephen Whelan, who has worked at the high school for nearly 25 years, has reflected on the auditorium’s lifespan throughout the years. “When I came, the theater looked relatively well kept, and it was in really good shape,” Whelan said.
“Through the years, with a lot of wear and tear, and with a lot of good reasons like using the theater space for classroom and all kinds of different shows, including a Holocaust survivor coming to speak and politicians showing up, it’s been used for all kinds of wonderful educational purposes. I’m very e.