The Dillingham Center

Ah, Dillingham.

Where every nook and cranny is used to rehearse, study, sleep, eat, and create. Where talent is nurtured and confidence gained. And where impossible dreams become possible.

But by 2009, after 40 years of constant use, Dillingham had seen better days.

Built for a theater program with 70 students, the building no longer met the needs of the 300 students who study and create there today. But rather than replace our beloved Dilly, Ithaca College decided to renovate it to make it better than ever.

Some highlights of the $10 million, 18-month renovation:

•  Two new acting studios
•  Expanded and better-equipped design and sound studios
•  Updated dressing rooms
•  A new costume shop
•  A completely refurbished lobby with two elevators

Thanks to the generous support of many, the renovation is now complete. "Dillingham: The Revival" has opened, and the reviews are sensational.

This isn't the Dillingham you remember. Here's a list of what's been added, changed, and improved. From the ground up, it's a whole new Dillingham!

On the Ground Floor
•  New dressing rooms with a microphone-dressing area
•  A new costume shop (pictured at right)
•  A newly consolidated storage area for costumes and lighting
•  A new acting studio, approximately the size of the Hoerner
   Theatre stage
•  Another expanded acting studio
•  A new management room
•  Two smart classrooms, equipped with the latest technology

In the Theaters
•  New lighting in both theaters
•  A new fly system in the Hoerner Theatre
•  A new control booth in the Clark Theatre (pictured at right)
•  New audio systems in both theaters

In the Lobby
•  New red carpeting
•  A new ticketing center
•  A new concession area
•  A new coatroom
•  Completely refurbished and enlarged restrooms
•  A revamped "Ithaca on Broadway" display (pictured at right)
•  Two new elevators, which will significantly improve the
    building's accessibility

On the Second Floor
•  A larger administrative suite, with a waiting area for
   prospective students and their parents
•  An expanded design classroom
•  A new design conference room
•  A new design studio for students who are designing current
   and future productions
•  A new conference room

The entire building has already been equipped with a new sprinkler system, and all the hallways and faculty offices are completely refurbished.

You might want to study the new floor plans before entering Dillingham. As Professor Emeritus Arno Selco said after a recent visit, "I got dizzy walking through the building! I kept turning down hallways that no longer exist, finding doors where previously there was a wall!"