The new and updated theater at Incline High School is just another example of how our Tahoe communities come together when needed. We were able to raise almost $1 million to give our students a state-of-the-art performance space this school year. We are so grateful for the contributions of our community and the generous support of the Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation.

The newly appointed Duffield Theatre features contemporary seating with aisle path lighting, an expanded stage and stairs with wider access, upgraded lighting and A/V equipment, larger dressing rooms and backstage wings, and new ADA compliant doors to the stage and dressing rooms. The entire theater also received new carpeting and fresh paint. Finally, the renovation also included a new school police office closer to the front of the school and a new ‘Welcome Center’ next to the front administration office.

The grand opening celebration took place late this spring, and was attended by project contributors, Washoe County Board Members, and the Incline High School staff and Boosters Board representatives. The official ribbon-cutting followed a welcome reception for the Duffield Theater, a reveal of the new IHS Boosters “EPIC Donor Wall” honoring top Fund-a-Need Donors from 2014 to present, comments from the IHS Boosters President Nicolle Larson, Principal Tierney Cahill, and Theater Renovation Project Leader Joy Strotz, followed by theater performances of “The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet.”

The students at Incline High School have been able to practice and rehearse in the new space since the doors of the theater opened in early 2021, but because of COVID-19, we’ve been unable to hold student performances or large gatherings until recently. Our students are eager and excited to use the Duffield Theatre for future performances and presentations, and our IHS teachers will be using the theater for special multi-media classes and presentations.

The majority of funding, $728,000, came from the Duffield Foundation, and to them, we are truly grateful. But we also must thank our community, who stepped up and contributed the remaining $186,500 needed to complete the $902,500 project. Our larger financial donors are recognized on the Booster’s “EPIC” Donor Wall.

The fundraising for this project was one of the largest ever spearheaded by the Incline High School Booster Club. The willingness and generosity of our Incline Village community to step up and get involved in coordination with DCDF made this project possible. We want to thank everyone involved in this project, no matter how small or large the contribution, as it truly took a village to complete it.

This column was written by Incline Village High School boosters