A Backstage Visit to Piedmont High School’s Alan Harvey Theater

Our Piedmont Recreation Department’s Walking on Wednesdays group had another special walk last Wednesday. Rebecca P, Becca to her friends, is the theater coordinator at Piedmont High School. She invited us to come see the school’s Alan Harvey Theater, learn about it and what they were doing, and meet some students who are involved in the school’s drama program. Recent rain reduced our size a little, but there was still a solid turnout of 34 walkers at the Exedra for the tour.

We made a fast walk down Magnolia Avenue to the high school campus and the theater’s entrance. We wanted to get there quickly so that we could spend some time with the drama students before their class ended.

Becca met us at the theater’s front door and took us around to its entrance on the school’s breezeway for a climb up to the theater’s second floor. Kim Taylor, PHS’s Drama Department’s teacher and director, was down a short hall and also greeted us. She was in front of a long bulletin board and told us that the flyers pinned to it were announcements for all the school plays she had produced and directed during the last 20 years. There were more than 80 plays, musicals, and other work. A number of her students have gone to careers in the theatrical arts. Among them are Chloe Fineman of Saturday Night Live television fame and Zach Piser, who has found success on Broadway.

Kim then led us into the theater’s drama room where students from her class were waiting for us. Kim said the students were just getting into rehearsing for their next performance and they would give us a little idea of what it was like. A fast paced, fun recording started to play and the students started dancing. They were energetic, wonderful, and inspiring, but we resisted the temptation to show off our moves. The students then told us about what they were learning and how they supported one another behind the scenes during performances. A student talent show, called Phantasmagoria, is in the works and is sure to be fun.

It was then time for Becca to take us to the top of the theater’s auditorium and down its stairs for her presentation on the history of the Alan Harvey Theater, its physical structure, and current program. She shared that the original 1921, W.H. Weeks-designed, neoclassical Piedmont High School building had a large auditorium at the front of the building. It was beautiful, but the school building was declared unsafe under state earthquake laws and mostly demolished in 1974. Three modern "back-to-nature" style classroom buildings with wood exteriors were built to replace the demolished structures. A new gymnasium was also constructed, while the library, quad, and administration buildings were rehabilitated.

A new school theater was part of the construction. It was named for Alan Harvey, a dedicated music teacher in Piedmont for 21 years, who passed away in 2009. Former students described him as a patient, humorous, and inspirational educator who deeply shaped the school's performing arts culture. However, in the 2010s these 1970s school buildings were also deemed unsafe because of new earthquake safety concerns and demolished in 2019.

New school buildings and a new theater were funded by Piedmont’s 2016 Measure H1 bond, which authorized $66 million in general obligation bonds. These funds allowed for modernizing the high school’s facilities, specifically providing STEAM classrooms and a performing arts center. The measure was approved by 74% of voters.

The Alan Harvey Auditorium was torn down in 2019 to allow for construction of the STEAM building. When it was completed, the adjacent administration building was demolished so that the construction of the new auditorium could begin. Pandemic-related supply chain issues and construction cost increases required the design firm to work with the school’s project team to make modifications so that the project to could be completed. The buildings opened in 2021.

The new Alan Harvey Theater was part of this total 22,700-square-foot facility with the STEAM building and the theater, which serves as a modern, ADA-accessible performing arts hub. The new theater has approximately 460 seats, and includes a green room, office space, a conference room, and a drama classroom that doubles as a black box theater. The entire theater is a tiered concrete seating structure with improved acoustics, modern rigging, and is handicap accessible. With energy solar panels and other renewable features, the theater is designed to be net-zero in its energy use.

Becca is responsible for the theater’s rental program too. The facility is used for many different types of performances. During the school year, the theater has hosted four plays/two musicals, orchestra/band concerts, two dance concerts, three art shows, countless assemblies, ceremonies, guest speakers, parent events, the Beach Revue, PMS Air Bands, the Bird Calling Contest, PHS/Millenium Talent Shows, and other events. Becca is also the coordinator of a unique, paid technical theater internship program that trains students in lighting and sound operations for theatrical productions.

The venue is the Piedmont Unified School District’s performing arts center for school events and also for community activities. Maximizing the space’s flexibility was emphasized throughout the design development process. Removable seats in front of the stage can accommodate a small pit orchestra. The theater and its stage were also designed to be accessible for performers and others with mobility issues. The project received a 2023 Gold Nugget Award of Merit in the Best Educational Project category of the Pacific Coast Builders Conference.

Becca concluded her remarks by emphasizing that the Alan Harvey Theater is more than a school facility. It was part of a significant funding measure passed by Piedmont voters and is a facility for the entire Piedmont community to enjoy. Her final message was, “Join Us.”

After Becca’s presentation, we asked her to be part of our group photos in the theater’s seats and also on stage where everyone took a bow. Then we got to see the backstage and greenroom before going out to the lobby to enjoy the artwork in the PHS Art Show. More than 100 Piedmont student artists had their works on display.

This fun tour with Becca had taken most of the morning and we decided we would forgo more walking. We hadn’t gotten our usual number of steps in, but we did have a most enjoyable tour of the Alan Harvey Theater, and we had Rebecca Posamentier to thank for it.