Carnegie Hall
Not everyone can say they made it to Carnegie Hall–but, following a recent trip to the Southern Legislative Conference, the LEAP Ambassadors can! While in the charming historic town of Lewisburg, West Virginia, Ambassadors toured the downtown and its curtilage, coming across Lewisburg’s own Carnegie Hall, one of four continuously used Carnegie performance halls in the world.
While the Hall was actually closed, the organization’s Box Office Manager, Sheila Hutchinson, cheerfully offered us a tour, allowing us to see the building and learn about its operation. The Hall was originally constructed in 1902, with almost $27,000 coming from Andrew Carnegie, and another $10,000 coming from the local community.
For the past 35 years, the Carnegie Hall Inc, a non-profit organization, has operated the building.
The repurposed building now serves as a performance venue, gallery space, and arts education programming open to the community–and passersby, including ourselves!
As we entered the 400-seat auditorium, we were had the pleasure of meeting Cathy Rennard, the president of the non-profit; and Mary Leb Foster, the Performance Director. They were extremely kind to share their experiences from working at Carnegie Hall, including their preparation for their upcoming musical, The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Their work involves not only the things you typically think about when running a theatre (sets, sales, casting), but also community building, something close to our heart. The staff work hard to earn community buy-in, to collaborate with community stakeholders, and to offer a point of pride for West Virginia.
Thank you for the tour and your commitment to the Lewisburg community!
Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics 