The Woodstock Plan Commission will conduct a public hearing on Thursday, June 26, 2007 at 7:00PM in the City Council Chambers to consider a request from Woodstock Christian Life Services (WCLS) to demolish Grace Hall. How many are aware of the connection between Orson Welles with Todd School's Grace Hall and Roger Hill?
Grace Hall is a building on the site of the former Todd School - now owned by WCLS, which has submitted a petition for a special use permit to construct several new duplexes on their campus (Hearthstone Village, Hearthstone Manor, etc). The project includes the demolition of Grace Hall, which is currently used for WCLS corporate offices. Grace Hall housed students, faculty apartments and a suite of offices. A sound studio in the basement contained equipment to cut phonograph records, tape radio shows and edit movie film. There is an Orson Welles connection to this building.
The following information was provided to The Woodstock Advocate by those who are interested in Woodstock’s history.
“Orson Welles attended the Todd School from 1926-1931. Welles credited teacher and (Todd School) headmaster Roger Hill as exerting the single greatest and lifelong influence on his creativity. After spending several years of his adolescence studying and performing at the Todd School for Boys in Woodstock, Illinois, Welles returned there many times in later life. The 1934 Todd Drama Festival at the Woodstock Opera House, orchestrated by Welles and financed by Hill, played a crucial role in promoting Welles's career as an American stage actor.
OK, so who was Orson Welles?
Among other things he directed and narrated a CBS Mercury Theater radio program on October 30, 1938, called The War of the Worlds, adapted from H.G. Wells’ class novel of the same name. Many listeners believed they were hearing reports of an actual attack by Martians. (Source: Wikipedia)
To hear a portion of that radio broadcast, go to http://youtube.com/watch?v=4wf5TPVz56A The program is “interrupted” at 3:40 minutes for a “special announcement.” What would you have thought, had you been a listener on that day?
If you are interested in offering your opinion to the Plan Commission about the preservation, be sure to mark your calendar and attend this important meeting.
Grace Hall is a building on the site of the former Todd School - now owned by WCLS, which has submitted a petition for a special use permit to construct several new duplexes on their campus (Hearthstone Village, Hearthstone Manor, etc). The project includes the demolition of Grace Hall, which is currently used for WCLS corporate offices. Grace Hall housed students, faculty apartments and a suite of offices. A sound studio in the basement contained equipment to cut phonograph records, tape radio shows and edit movie film. There is an Orson Welles connection to this building.
The following information was provided to The Woodstock Advocate by those who are interested in Woodstock’s history.
“Orson Welles attended the Todd School from 1926-1931. Welles credited teacher and (Todd School) headmaster Roger Hill as exerting the single greatest and lifelong influence on his creativity. After spending several years of his adolescence studying and performing at the Todd School for Boys in Woodstock, Illinois, Welles returned there many times in later life. The 1934 Todd Drama Festival at the Woodstock Opera House, orchestrated by Welles and financed by Hill, played a crucial role in promoting Welles's career as an American stage actor.
OK, so who was Orson Welles?
Among other things he directed and narrated a CBS Mercury Theater radio program on October 30, 1938, called The War of the Worlds, adapted from H.G. Wells’ class novel of the same name. Many listeners believed they were hearing reports of an actual attack by Martians. (Source: Wikipedia)
To hear a portion of that radio broadcast, go to http://youtube.com/watch?v=4wf5TPVz56A The program is “interrupted” at 3:40 minutes for a “special announcement.” What would you have thought, had you been a listener on that day?
If you are interested in offering your opinion to the Plan Commission about the preservation, be sure to mark your calendar and attend this important meeting.
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