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Jim Rouse Theatre Is Open For 2018 Inaugural Summer Session

July 6th, 2018

The Jim Rouse Theatre for the Performing Arts at Wilde Lake High School is open for community use during the summer months for the first time, thanks to a new Memorandum of Understanding between the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS), Howard County and the Howard County Arts Council (HCAC). The new summer availability addresses the growing need for theater space in the county.

The Jim Rouse Theatre is one of the largest performance venues in Howard County. With a seating capacity of 747, the professionally-equipped theater is a sought-after resource boasting approximately 150 events each season. The theater is self-sustaining with a calendar full of school plays and poetry slams; community cultural festivals, orchestra performances and dance championships; visiting artists, and more.

The Jim Rouse Theatre opened more than 20 years ago through a unique public/private partnership, supported by county, state and private funding. A Shared-Use Committee representing the Howard County Government, HCPSS, Wilde Lake High School, HCAC, and Howard County Chamber of Commerce oversee the operation and management.

The Jim Rouse Theatre honors its namesake’s original plans for Columbia, which included a large performance space. It is fitting the theater is housed at Wilde Lake, the first high school in Columbia.