The TD Bank Arts Centre is a 2,500-seat theatre located in Washington Township, in Gloucester County, New Jersey that is one of South Jersey's major entertainment venues.
Completed in 1998, the 2,500-seat Center was originally designed as the auditorium for Washington Township High School, built to hold the school's 2,000 student body. During the planning stages of the facility, officials decided that the auditorium should host large scale productions in an effort to bring local and regional entertainment to the area.
The TD Bank Arts Centre opened its doors on September 1, 1998, with a production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King & I.
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Before being known as the TD Bank arts center, it was the Commerce Bank Arts Centre, and Washington Township High School's Center for the Performing Arts (CPA) when it opened in 1998. In 1999 Chesapeake Concerts Inc. had to terminate their contract in September via a 60-day escape clause due to the death of its CEO, who died in August. In 2000, the Board of Education hired Township resident Rebecca Marie Keith as the center's manager/grant writer."[1] Keith was dividing her time between writing grants to bring revenues to the center, and also scheduling the performances. In 2004, with a five-year, $300,000 investment, Commerce Bank was looking to capitalize on the school district's performing arts venue. Commerce Bank chairman and president presented Superintendent Thomas Flemming with a $55,000 check after announcing the new name of the CPA, which is now the Commerce Bank Arts Centre. By taking the new name and the $300,000 investment throughout the next five years, it would be providing three arts-related scholarships each year, a summer theatre program, upgrade in the lighting and sound, and co-sponsor additional events at the center.
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Crew for performances at the center is provided by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local number 8. They operate, maintain, and oversee all technical aspects of the theater such as lighting, sound, and carpentry. Many shows travel with crew members that are intimately familiar with that specific show. They are referred to as tour crew. The tour crew works with local stagehands in a team effort to put on the best show possible. While some shows have required many dozens of stagehands, there is a core group of individuals that are always at the center to oversee the productions. These individuals, referred to as the house crew, are responsible for being familiar with every technical aspect of the center, to facilitate the show that is coming in since they've likely never seen the theater before. The house crew is on hand for every single show that performs at the center and is there from early in the morning to late at night. While the people that comprise this crew change from time to time, every effort is made to keep the same individuals due to their knowledge and experience with the center's specific equipment and setup. The current crew consists of: Paul Myers as head electrician, Michael Simpson as head sound, and James Garten as flyman.