R. J. Reynolds Memorial Auditorium
Encyclopedia
The R. J. Reynolds Memorial Auditorium, located in Winston-Salem, NC, was built 1919–1924 under the direction of architect Charles Barton Keen (designer of the R. J. Reynolds estate, Reynolda House). Keen also designed the adjacent Richard J. Reynolds High School
. Both buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
The Auditorium and adjacent school sit on a tract of land formerly known as "Silver Hill." The 28 acres (113,312.1 m²) tract of land now encompasses the Auditorium, the school, Hanes Park (named after the founder of Hanes Clothing Company and then-mayor James G. Hanes), the Calvin H. Wiley Middle School and the Winston-Salem Central YMCA
.
The Auditorium is now operated jointly by the Administration of the Richard J. Reynolds High School
and the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools
. An auditorium manager is hired to take care of the day-to-day operations of the building and scheduling of performances and events.
The Auditorium is one of the oldest and largest performing arts centers in the City of Winston-Salem. The building can comfortably seat 1898 people, with 857 seats on the main Orchestra
level and 1,041 seats located on the Mezzanine
/Balcony
area.
. Her plan was to have a grand school and auditorium built in memory of her late husband.
While the Richard J. Reynolds High School would serve the youth of the city, the Auditorium would serve the entire community and act as a gathering place in order for all citizens to participate in the arts. The building of the Auditorium only added to the City of Winston-Salem's reputation as the "City of the Arts."
The building was completed in 1924. By the time it was dedicated in a glorious ceremony on May 8, 1924, Katharine Reynolds, who had married J. Edward Johnston in 1921, was hospitalized with a difficult pregnancy. She died on May 23, never having attended a production in the auditorium she had built in her first husband's memory.
A few weeks later, the first commencement exercises for the Richard J. Reynolds High School would be held in the Auditorium. On November 24, 1924, the Auditorium would play host to the first of its many famous guests, Harry Houdini
. Other guests have included Jim Croce before his untimely death and pianist Peter Nero, both in the early 1970s.
The Grand Lobby also contains three marble statues. The statues are duplicates of famous Italian works and were sculpted in Italy and transported to the United States, specifically for the construction of the Auditorium.
Within the main Orchestra level of the Auditorium, one can see a portrait of R. J. Reynolds III, whose family gave large amounts of money towards the renovation and restoration of the building (2000–2002).
Before the 2000-2002 renovation and restoration of the building, a large piece of custom made carpet sat just inside the Main Orchestra level at the middle doors leading from the Grand Lobby. The carpet piece featured a large tobacco leaf, in honor of R. J. Reynolds and his R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. The carpet piece was removed during the renovation and restoration and never replaced, with it being decided that the money could be better used toward upgrading the state of the art Auditorium sound system rather than buying a new custom made carpet piece.
Commencement exercises of the school have been held in the building since 1924. In 2005, the Winston-Salem Fire Department barred the use of the building for commencement exercises, citing the large numbers of people and inadequate fire escapes from the stage. The fire department's ruling put a stop to a more than 80-year tradition which had been broken very few times in the history of the Auditorium and school.
The title of the school hymn, originally written as the school song in 1933, "Her Portals Tall and Wide," refers to the large columns of the Auditorium. The Auditorium's portico and columns stand at three stories tall and face downtown Winston-Salem.
The current school song, with its official title of "Alma Mater," is also known as "Amid the Pines." Part of the first verse reads, "Amid the pines, she proudly stands; to her our voices rise." The Auditorium and School are situated on a large hill populated with grandiose pine trees which cover the entire campus. The pine trees are also mentioned in the school hymn: "Her pleasant paths, her trees, whisper courage through the breeze." Following every assembly, PTSA meeting or school performance inside the Auditorium, at one time including commencement, "The Alma Mater" is sung. During these assemblies, semi-formal or business casual dress, usually including blazers, shirts and ties for men, is customary attire for any person gracing the Auditorium's large stage. Tradition dictates that as the Alma Mater is sung, upon the line ending with "... dear Old Reynolds High", in three short beats, in a 3/4 time, the assembly should not stomp their feet because it is considered disrespectful.
Through the years, the hill upon which the school and Auditorium stand has become known as "Society Hill." The name commemorates the donation of the land and money to build the Auditorium and school from Mrs. Reynolds. a prominent member of the community. Generations of children, including some of the Reynolds' own children and Senator Richard Burr
(R-NC) (class of 1974), have attended the school.
Richard J. Reynolds High School
Richard J. Reynolds High School now the Richard J. Reynolds Magnet School for the Visual and Performing Arts is a high school in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Named for R. J. Reynolds, the founder of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, the...
. Both buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
The Auditorium and adjacent school sit on a tract of land formerly known as "Silver Hill." The 28 acres (113,312.1 m²) tract of land now encompasses the Auditorium, the school, Hanes Park (named after the founder of Hanes Clothing Company and then-mayor James G. Hanes), the Calvin H. Wiley Middle School and the Winston-Salem Central YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
.
The Auditorium is now operated jointly by the Administration of the Richard J. Reynolds High School
Richard J. Reynolds High School
Richard J. Reynolds High School now the Richard J. Reynolds Magnet School for the Visual and Performing Arts is a high school in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Named for R. J. Reynolds, the founder of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, the...
and the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools is a school district in Forsyth County, North Carolina. WS/FCS has over 75 schools in its system, and it serves over 53,300 students every year. WS/FCS was formed in 1963 by the merger of the Forsyth County School System and the Winston-Salem School System...
. An auditorium manager is hired to take care of the day-to-day operations of the building and scheduling of performances and events.
The Auditorium is one of the oldest and largest performing arts centers in the City of Winston-Salem. The building can comfortably seat 1898 people, with 857 seats on the main Orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
level and 1,041 seats located on the Mezzanine
Mezzanine (architecture)
In architecture, a mezzanine or entresol is an intermediate floor between main floors of a building, and therefore typically not counted among the overall floors of a building. Often, a mezzanine is low-ceilinged and projects in the form of a balcony. The term is also used for the lowest balcony in...
/Balcony
Balcony
Balcony , a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade.-Types:The traditional Maltese balcony is a wooden closed balcony projecting from a...
area.
History
In 1919, after the death of her husband R. J. Reynolds in 1918, Mrs. Katharine Smith Reynolds donated a large tract of land then known as "Silver Hill" to the City of Winston-Salem, North CarolinaWinston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
. Her plan was to have a grand school and auditorium built in memory of her late husband.
While the Richard J. Reynolds High School would serve the youth of the city, the Auditorium would serve the entire community and act as a gathering place in order for all citizens to participate in the arts. The building of the Auditorium only added to the City of Winston-Salem's reputation as the "City of the Arts."
The building was completed in 1924. By the time it was dedicated in a glorious ceremony on May 8, 1924, Katharine Reynolds, who had married J. Edward Johnston in 1921, was hospitalized with a difficult pregnancy. She died on May 23, never having attended a production in the auditorium she had built in her first husband's memory.
A few weeks later, the first commencement exercises for the Richard J. Reynolds High School would be held in the Auditorium. On November 24, 1924, the Auditorium would play host to the first of its many famous guests, Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini was a Hungarian-born American magician and escapologist, stunt performer, actor and film producer noted for his sensational escape acts...
. Other guests have included Jim Croce before his untimely death and pianist Peter Nero, both in the early 1970s.
Architectural and artistic elements
The Grand Lobby of the Auditorium contains many pieces of art unique to the building itself. In the Lobby, one can find two large portraits, one of R. J. Reynolds and the other of Katharine Smith Reynolds. The portraits were made by Richard J. Reynolds High School graduate Joe King who also had the honor of creating a portrait of Elizabeth II.The Grand Lobby also contains three marble statues. The statues are duplicates of famous Italian works and were sculpted in Italy and transported to the United States, specifically for the construction of the Auditorium.
Within the main Orchestra level of the Auditorium, one can see a portrait of R. J. Reynolds III, whose family gave large amounts of money towards the renovation and restoration of the building (2000–2002).
Before the 2000-2002 renovation and restoration of the building, a large piece of custom made carpet sat just inside the Main Orchestra level at the middle doors leading from the Grand Lobby. The carpet piece featured a large tobacco leaf, in honor of R. J. Reynolds and his R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. The carpet piece was removed during the renovation and restoration and never replaced, with it being decided that the money could be better used toward upgrading the state of the art Auditorium sound system rather than buying a new custom made carpet piece.
Traditions associated with the Auditorium and School
Before every performance at the Auditorium, members of the student-run Auditorium Technical Staff and Crew place roses under the portrait of Katherine Smith Reynolds-Johnston, in honor of her gift of the Auditorium and school. It is rumored the roses also help to ward off the "ghost" of Katharine Reynolds who haunts the building.Commencement exercises of the school have been held in the building since 1924. In 2005, the Winston-Salem Fire Department barred the use of the building for commencement exercises, citing the large numbers of people and inadequate fire escapes from the stage. The fire department's ruling put a stop to a more than 80-year tradition which had been broken very few times in the history of the Auditorium and school.
The title of the school hymn, originally written as the school song in 1933, "Her Portals Tall and Wide," refers to the large columns of the Auditorium. The Auditorium's portico and columns stand at three stories tall and face downtown Winston-Salem.
The current school song, with its official title of "Alma Mater," is also known as "Amid the Pines." Part of the first verse reads, "Amid the pines, she proudly stands; to her our voices rise." The Auditorium and School are situated on a large hill populated with grandiose pine trees which cover the entire campus. The pine trees are also mentioned in the school hymn: "Her pleasant paths, her trees, whisper courage through the breeze." Following every assembly, PTSA meeting or school performance inside the Auditorium, at one time including commencement, "The Alma Mater" is sung. During these assemblies, semi-formal or business casual dress, usually including blazers, shirts and ties for men, is customary attire for any person gracing the Auditorium's large stage. Tradition dictates that as the Alma Mater is sung, upon the line ending with "... dear Old Reynolds High", in three short beats, in a 3/4 time, the assembly should not stomp their feet because it is considered disrespectful.
Through the years, the hill upon which the school and Auditorium stand has become known as "Society Hill." The name commemorates the donation of the land and money to build the Auditorium and school from Mrs. Reynolds. a prominent member of the community. Generations of children, including some of the Reynolds' own children and Senator Richard Burr
Richard Burr
Richard Mauze Burr is the senior United States Senator from North Carolina and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, Burr represented North Carolina's 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives....
(R-NC) (class of 1974), have attended the school.
Current operations
The auditorium is currently managed by Ed Thomas and serves as a venue for the Winston-Salem Forsyth County School System and private renters. It has received many off broadway productions and local dance companies. The drama department at Reynolds is currently taught by Gretchen Devlin-Hall who teaches out of the Black Box Theater. The orchestra director is currently Margaret Rehder, and the band director is Derrick James. Both teach in the Arts building adjacent to the main Auditorium. The chorus director is Terry Hicks, who teaches in the chorus room, also adjacent to the main part of the Auditorium. The Choral, Orchestra, Band and Dance Departments all use the Auditorium regularly for performances.See also
- Richard J. Reynolds High SchoolRichard J. Reynolds High SchoolRichard J. Reynolds High School now the Richard J. Reynolds Magnet School for the Visual and Performing Arts is a high school in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Named for R. J. Reynolds, the founder of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, the...
- R. J. Reynolds
- R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company