The Cowles Center for Dance & Peforming Arts: a preview

Two old buildings flank a new atrium to create a new downtown space dedicated mostly to dance.

September 7, 2011 at 12:47PM
(Margaret Andrews/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

1. Hennepin Center for the Arts

Completed in 1890, the former Masonic Temple houses four Twin Cities dance companies and two dance schools, as well as other arts organizations.

2. U.S. Bank Atrium

Patrons will enter through this new structure between the two old buildings. The lobby has a concessions counter and box office.

3. Target Education Center

Classes may be transmitted live via video to schools elsewhere in Minnesota. Also provides a warmup studio for dancers.

4. Historic facade

One of the few pieces of the original 1910 Shubert playhouse that remains intact.

5. Stage and stage house

The performance stage is 38 feet wide and 39 feet deep, with 8 feet of wing space on one side and 20 feet on the other. The proscenium is 30 feet tall, and the stage house has 52 different scenery riggings.

6. Goodale Theater

Seating for 505 on a main level (216 seats) and a single balcony (289). The old Shubert had two steeply raked balconies.

7. Orchestra pit

The orchestra pit can be raised to stage level to accommodate two extra rows of seating, or may be lowered to seat up to 42 musicians. (Elevator function to be installed in January 2012.)

about the writer

about the writer

Rohan Preston

Critic / Reporter

Rohan Preston covers theater for the Minnesota Star Tribune.

See Moreicon

More from Minnesota Star Tribune

See More
In this photo taken Monday, March 6, 2017, in San Francisco, released confidential files by The University of California of a sexual misconduct case, like this one against UC Santa Cruz Latin Studies professor Hector Perla is shown. Perla was accused of raping a student during a wine-tasting outing in June 2015. Some of the files are so heavily redacted that on many pages no words are visible. Perla is one of 113 UC employees found to have violated the system's sexual misconduct policies in rece

We respect the desire of some tipsters to remain anonymous, and have put in place ways to contact reporters and editors to ensure the communication will be private and secure.