By Tiffany Du, Arts & Science Council

Thanks to a Cultural Innovation grant from Knight Foundation and the Arts & Science Council, the Carolina Actor’s Studio Theatre (CAST) can now call a spacious facility equipped with efficient lighting, expanded seating and innovative tools its new home. From 2003 until recently, CAST’s home was a building on Clement Avenue in the Plaza-Midwood neighborhood with two theaters, a single-occupancy bathroom and a 14-foot lighting grid.

The staff and volunteers at CAST see their new facility, located in a vibrant arts community right outside of Uptown Charlotte called NODA, as a huge step up from the old space. Patrons will no longer have to wait in an endless line outside a single-occupancy bathroom during intermission. Long gone are the days when the actors at CAST had to get ready in a tiny dressing room. The overall issue of limited space and resources is no longer in the back of everyone’s mind.

Instead, staff and patrons are buzzing with excitement about the new space that offers plenty of room for actors and staff to prepare for upcoming shows. “The support of the Knight Foundation has really translated into a lot of enthusiasm,” Board Chair Steve Dunn said. “Not just amongst us, but also our patrons, our audience, this neighborhood.” With a larger 28-foot lighting grid, CAST will be able to add more creativity to its shows. The new building has three performance spaces including a dance studio with a springboard floor.

The move has been a source of inspiration within the community. CAST has received donations from volunteers and patrons after seeing the promising potential of the new facility. “I think being here with the Knight Foundation and Arts & Science Council matching funds under our belt has allowed us to inspire other donors,” Managing Artistic Director Michael Simmons said. “We had a Wells Fargo Caring volunteer day and through that Home Depot donated $1,600 worth of supplies to continue with our uplift. It has inspired not only some of the one-on-one patrons, but a lot of corporate donors as well.”

The organization is also able to host the NODA School of the Arts, a program that allows at-risk teenagers in the area to become involved in theatre, this summer. The grant has given CAST the ability to expand, inspire and flourish in a new location. CAST is able to utilize its new resources to put on productions that keep audiences coming back for more. Known for experiential theatre, CAST can gladly call their new home a place for innovation and creativity.