The TD Bank Arts Centre is a 2,500-seat theatre located in Washington Township

Washington Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey

Washington Township is a township in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. In the 2010 United States Census, Washington Township's population was 48,559, having grown from 47,114 in the 2000 Census....

, in Gloucester County

Gloucester County, New Jersey

Gloucester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 288,288. Its county seat is Woodbury....

, New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

 that is one of South Jersey

South Jersey

South Jersey comprises the southern portions of the U.S. state of New Jersey between the lower Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean. The designation is a colloquial one, reflecting not only geographical but perceived cultural differences from the northern part of the state, with no official...

's major entertainment venues.

Completed in 1998, the 2,500-seat Center was originally designed as the auditorium for Washington Township High School, built to hold the school's 2,000 student body. During the planning stages of the facility, officials decided that the auditorium should host large scale productions in an effort to bring local and regional entertainment to the area.

The TD Bank Arts Centre opened its doors on September 1, 1998, with a production of Rodgers and Hammerstein

Rodgers and Hammerstein

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were a well-known American songwriting duo, usually referred to as Rodgers and Hammerstein. They created a string of popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s during what is considered the golden age of the medium...

's The King & I.

History

Before being known as the TD Bank arts center, it was the Commerce Bank Arts Centre, and Washington Township High School's Center for the Performing Arts (CPA) when it opened in 1998. In 1999 Chesapeake Concerts Inc. had to terminate their contract in September via a 60-day escape clause due to the death of its CEO, who died in August. In 2000, the Board of Education hired Township resident Rebecca Marie Keith as the center's manager/grant writer." Keith was dividing her time between writing grants to bring revenues to the center, and also scheduling the performances. In 2004, with a five-year, $300,000 investment, Commerce Bank was looking to capitalize on the school district's performing arts venue. Commerce Bank chairman and president presented Superintendent Thomas Flemming with a $55,000 check after announcing the new name of the CPA, which is now the Commerce Bank Arts Centre. By taking the new name and the $300,000 investment throughout the next five years, it would be providing three arts-related scholarships each year, a summer theatre program, upgrade in the lighting and sound, and co-sponsor additional events at the center.

Previous Events

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Crew

Crew for performances at the center is provided by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local number 8. They operate, maintain, and oversee all technical aspects of the theater such as lighting, sound, and carpentry. Many shows travel with crew members that are intimately familiar with that specific show. They are referred to as tour crew. The tour crew works with local stagehands in a team effort to put on the best show possible. While some shows have required many dozens of stagehands, there is a core group of individuals that are always at the center to oversee the productions. These individuals, referred to as the house crew, are responsible for being familiar with every technical aspect of the center, to facilitate the show that is coming in since they've likely never seen the theater before. The house crew is on hand for every single show that performs at the center and is there from early in the morning to late at night. While the people that comprise this crew change from time to time, every effort is made to keep the same individuals due to their knowledge and experience with the center's specific equipment and setup. The current crew consists of: Paul Myers as head electrician, Michael Simpson as head sound, and James Garten as flyman.

Additional Facts

• In 2002, using $150,000 in state grants and loans, the Washington Township High School Center for the Performing Arts (CPA) purchased and installed an “orchestra shell”. By installing this “shell” it projects the sound out and to the audience.
• The school district used a $75,000 state grant which was obtained by State Senator John J. Matheussen
  John J. Matheussen
  John J. Matheussen is an American Republican Party politician. He served in the New Jersey Senate from 1992 to 2003, where he represented the 4th Legislative District....
  
  , R-4 of Washington Township, as a year end 2001 “Christmas Tree appropriation” and $75,000 left over from the bonds sold to fund the construction of the CPA.