Excitement and eagerness filled the hallways as Director of Upper School Andy King made an announcement that everyone had been waiting for. “Late this afternoon, I learned that we have permission to open up Diller Hall on Wednesday morning with an Upper School assembly during our 10:15 a.m. Community Time period,” said Mr King.
After the opening ceremony of the new Center for the Creative Arts and Technology, anticipation has been building for weeks for the opening of Diller Hall, the main theater in the building. Although most of the building was opened to the community following the opening ceremony, major spaces such as Diller Hall and the Black Box Theater have been off-limits due to continuing construction. However, in the late afternoon of November 12, students received an email from Mr. King announcing the first community time assembly in Diller Hall to take place the following morning.
Diller Hall, a 550-seat auditorium fit to seat the entire Upper School division, is set to be the new venue for grade meetings and Upper School assemblies. Hackley alumnus Herbert Allen ‘58 played a huge part in financing the building. Mr. Allen requested that the hall be named after Barry Diller, a performing arts enthusiast and prominent philanthropist, in honor of his commitment to furthering educational opportunities in the performing arts space.
As students flooded the hall for the first time, a seating chart was put in place to ensure the organization and efficiency of the meeting. Seniors got the privilege of sitting in the first few rows on the ground floor, while freshmen sat in the back of the first floor. Sophomores sat on the second-floor balcony, and juniors topped the hall, filling the third-floor seats.
Mr. King started the meeting with an exciting message about how the hall will be used in the future.
“This is a performance space. What we are looking for during weekly assemblies is student performances,” Mr. King said. He encouraged students to step out of their comfort zones and consider sharing their talents with their peers during weekly meetings.
Mr. King closed his speech by emphasizing the importance of bringing high levels of spirit and enthusiasm to events in the new building, “I want us to bring to this space the culture and energy that you bring to a Sting,” he said.
Following Mr. King’s speech, Upper School music teacher Dr. Rafi Malkiel introduced one of his student jazz combos to start the first-ever musical performance in Diller Hall. The jazz combo, including seniors Phillip Mahamedi, Zora Teacher, Jack Magidson, Sam Suniweck, and sophomore Ace Perez, showcased an outstanding performance for the community’s entertainment.
Head of School Charles Franklin then spoke about the history behind the name of the hall. He emphasized Mr. Allen’s incredible impact on Hackley and his strong commitment to the school.
Lastly, Mr. Franklin proposed a new challenge to the Upper School to promote spirit and enthusiasm in future performing arts events. He started by having all performing arts students stand up and enjoy a round of applause to commend their efforts and talents. Then, he asked all students who had a friend who was standing to stand up as well. As a result, the whole room was standing, representing Hackley’s deep involvement in the performing arts, which may not always get enough recognition.
Mr. Franklin then proposed choosing a few performing arts events during the school year that a majority of upper school students would attend. If they completed this challenge, Mr. Franklin offered an open-ended reward that students could decide upon. Some examples he brought up included dress-down days and tuck bucks for the student body. To many students’ surprise, he even offered up a no-homework weekend as an incentive to fill the hall during an upcoming play or concert.
The opening of Diller Hall was a historic event for the Upper School community, showcasing inspiring speeches and an engaging jazz performance. This major event sets the stage for many more speeches, performances, and showcases to come.
