{"id":2575,"date":"2026-08-19T00:36:08","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T00:36:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wolmers.org\/trust\/auditorium\/"},"modified":"2026-09-02T17:35:55","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T17:35:55","slug":"auditorium","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.wolmers.org\/trust\/auditorium\/","title":{"rendered":"Auditorium"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"2575\" class=\"elementor elementor-2575 elementor-bc-flex-widget\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-wtsec0 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"wtsec0\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-wtcol0\" data-id=\"wtcol0\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-wthtml0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"wthtml0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<style id=\"wt-page\">\n@import url(\"https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css2?family=Cinzel:wght@600&family=EB+Garamond:ital,wght@0,400;0,600;1,400&family=Inter:wght@400;500;600&display=swap\");\n.wt-page { --maroon:#5C0E14; 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}\n}\n<\/style>\n<div class=\"wt-page\">\n  <section class=\"hero\">\n    <div class=\"hero-bg\" role=\"img\" aria-label=\"Inside the Douglas Orane Auditorium\"><\/div>\n    <div class=\"wrap\">\n      <p class=\"eyebrow\">Wolmer\u2019s Trust High School for Boys \u00b7 National Heroes Circle<\/p>\n      <h1>Auditorium<\/h1>\n      <p class=\"motto\">The Douglas Orane Auditorium<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n  <section><div class=\"wrap\">\n    <p class=\"lede\">The Douglas Orane Auditorium stands on the Boys\u2019 campus at National Heroes Circle. It is the hall the three Wolmer\u2019s schools waited a generation for, and the room the Trust still uses for Founder\u2019s Day, the Hall of Fame, and public work that needs a roof over a crowd.<\/p>\n    <p>The old hall was destroyed by fire in January 1991. Twenty-three years later, on 5 September 2014, ground was broken for a new one. The cenotaph to the twenty-one Wolmerians killed in the Great War was moved on 21\u201322 August 2014 to make space. Douglas Orane, past student and chairman of the fundraising committee, told the groundbreaking that $127 million of a $170 million project had already been secured in cash and pledges. Milton Samuda, chairman of the Trust, called it the turning of a new page. Principal Walton Small said the building would serve the students and help generate funds for the school.<\/p>\n    <p>Kingston\u2019s mayor, Dr Angela Brown Burke, toured the unfinished hall in May 2015. The Gleaner recorded a quarter-acre building that would seat 1,800 and serve about 3,500 students across the three schools. The cost by then was $171 million, with $165 million raised. The first official function was the dedication on Founder\u2019s Day, Thursday 21 May 2015, at 5 p.m. That October Orane, speaking at the first Hall of Fame induction in the finished hall, said he had raised more than $100 million for a state-of-the-art auditorium at his alma mater, and offered to help other schools do the same.<\/p>\n    <blockquote>\n      Our tradition of excellence demanded that this happen.\n      <div class=\"cite\">Milton Samuda \u00b7 chairman of the Trust \u00b7 groundbreaking, 5 September 2014 \u00b7 JIS<\/div>\n    <\/blockquote>\n    <div class=\"facts\">\n      <div class=\"fact\"><small>Opened<\/small><b>21 May 2015<\/b><span>Dedication on Founder\u2019s Day<\/span><\/div>\n      <div class=\"fact\"><small>Seats<\/small><b>1,800<\/b><span>Hall brochure \u00b7 Gleaner, 8 May 2015<\/span><\/div>\n      <div class=\"fact\"><small>Cost<\/small><b>$171 million<\/b><span>cash and pledges from alumni, parents and friends<\/span><\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <p class=\"note\" style=\"margin-top:22px\">JIS, 5 September 2014 \u00b7 Jamaica Gleaner, 8 May 2015 and 8 October 2015. Booking numbers from the hall brochure.<\/p>\n  <\/div><\/section>\n\n  <section style=\"padding-top:0\"><div class=\"wrap\">\n    <h2>Book the hall<\/h2>\n    <div class=\"rule\"><\/div>\n    <p class=\"lede\">The Douglas Orane Auditorium takes bookings. The printed hall brochure lists the Boys\u2019 bursary as the booking desk, and gives these numbers.<\/p>\n    <div class=\"book\">\n      <div>\n        <h3>What is included<\/h3>\n        <ul>\n          <li>Restrooms<\/li>\n          <li>Two conference rooms<\/li>\n          <li>Upper and lower seating<\/li>\n          <li>Industrial ceiling fan<\/li>\n          <li>Large platform<\/li>\n          <li>Seated 1,800 occupants<\/li>\n          <li>Free parking<\/li>\n          <li>Backstage and changing room<\/li>\n          <li>Basement storage<\/li>\n          <li>Kitchenette<\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n        <h3>Other services offered<\/h3>\n        <ul>\n          <li>Personal event planner<\/li>\n          <li>Decor<\/li>\n          <li>Concessionaire<\/li>\n          <li>Armed and unarmed security<\/li>\n          <li>Audio and visual, including live streaming<\/li>\n          <li>Musician(s)<\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n        <p class=\"note\">As printed on the Douglas Orane Auditorium brochure. Rates are not on that flyer \u2014 ask the bursary.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n      <div class=\"panel\">\n        <h3>For booking and inquiries<\/h3>\n        <p>National Heroes Circle, on the campus of Wolmer\u2019s Trust High School for Boys.<\/p>\n        <p>Telephone: <a href=\"tel:+18769485236\">876-948-5236<\/a> \/ <a href=\"tel:+18769224055\">876-922-4055<\/a><\/p>\n        <p>WhatsApp: <a href=\"https:\/\/wa.me\/18763130915\">876-313-0915<\/a><\/p>\n        <p>Email: <a href=\"mailto:wbs.bursary@wolmers.org\">wbs.bursary@wolmers.org<\/a><\/p>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div><\/section>\n\n  <section style=\"padding-top:0\"><div class=\"wrap split\">\n    <figure>\n      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wolmers.org\/trust\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/doa-hall-balcony.jpg\" alt=\"The Douglas Orane Auditorium, upper and lower seating.\" \/>\n      <figcaption>Upper and lower seating. Photograph from the hall brochure.<\/figcaption>\n    <\/figure>\n    <figure>\n      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wolmers.org\/trust\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/doa-conference.jpg\" alt=\"A conference room at the Douglas Orane Auditorium.\" \/>\n      <figcaption>One of the two conference rooms. Photograph from the hall brochure.<\/figcaption>\n    <\/figure>\n    <figure>\n      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wolmers.org\/trust\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/aud-jis-groundbreak.jpg\" alt=\"Groundbreaking for the Douglas Orane Auditorium, 5 September 2014.\" \/>\n      <figcaption>Groundbreaking, 5 September 2014. The JIS caption names Kirk Benjamin, then president of the Wolmer\u2019s Old Boys Association, among those at the spade. Photo: JIS.<\/figcaption>\n    <\/figure>\n    <figure>\n      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wolmers.org\/trust\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/aud-jis-cpfsa-2.jpg\" alt=\"An event inside the Douglas Orane Auditorium\" \/>\n      <figcaption>Inside the hall. Child Protection and Family Services Agency \/ JIS, 13 August 2026.<\/figcaption>\n    <\/figure>\n  <\/div><\/section>\n\n  <section style=\"padding-top:0\"><div class=\"wrap\">\n    <h2>From the hall<\/h2>\n    <div class=\"rule\"><\/div>\n    <p>Public events the press has recorded in the Douglas Orane Auditorium.<\/p>\n    <div class=\"alist\" id=\"wt-aud-list\"><p class=\"note\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wolmers.org\/trust\/category\/trust-auditorium\/\">All Auditorium stories<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n    <p class=\"note\" style=\"margin-top:22px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wolmers.org\/trust\/category\/trust-auditorium\/\">All Auditorium stories<\/a> \u00b7 Bookings: <a href=\"mailto:wbs.bursary@wolmers.org\">wbs.bursary@wolmers.org<\/a><\/p>\n  <\/div><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<script>\n(function () {\n  var list = document.getElementById(\"wt-aud-list\");\n  if (!list) return;\n  var CREST = \"https:\/\/www.wolmers.org\/trust\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/crest.png\";\n  var API = \"https:\/\/www.wolmers.org\/trust\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts?categories=118&per_page=100&_embed=1\";\n\n  function textOf(html) {\n    var box = document.createElement(\"div\");\n    box.innerHTML = html || \"\";\n    return (box.textContent || \"\").replace(\/\\s+\/g, \" \").trim();\n  }\n  function dateOf(iso) {\n    var d = new Date(iso);\n    if (isNaN(d.getTime())) return \"\";\n    return d.toLocaleDateString(\"en-GB\", { day: \"numeric\", month: \"long\", year: \"numeric\" });\n  }\n  function thumbOf(p) {\n    var m = ((p._embedded || {})[\"wp:featuredmedia\"] || [])[0] || {};\n    var src = m.source_url || \"\";\n    if (src && src.indexOf(\"wolmers.org\") !== -1 && src.indexOf(\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/\") !== -1) return src;\n    return CREST;\n  }\n  function card(p) {\n    var a = document.createElement(\"a\");\n    a.className = \"acard\";\n    a.href = p.link;\n    var img = document.createElement(\"img\");\n    img.src = thumbOf(p);\n    img.alt = \"\";\n    var pad = document.createElement(\"div\");\n    pad.className = \"pad\";\n    var small = document.createElement(\"small\");\n    small.textContent = dateOf(p.date);\n    var h3 = document.createElement(\"h3\");\n    h3.textContent = textOf((p.title && p.title.rendered) || \"\");\n    pad.appendChild(small);\n    pad.appendChild(h3);\n    var ex = textOf((p.excerpt && p.excerpt.rendered) || \"\");\n    if (ex) {\n      if (ex.length > 180) ex = ex.slice(0, 177).replace(\/\\s+\\S*$\/, \"\") + \"\u2026\";\n      var para = document.createElement(\"p\");\n      para.textContent = ex;\n      pad.appendChild(para);\n    }\n    a.appendChild(img);\n    a.appendChild(pad);\n    return a;\n  }\n\n  fetch(API)\n    .then(function (r) {\n      if (!r.ok) throw new Error(\"aud \" + r.status);\n      return r.json();\n    })\n    .then(function (posts) {\n      if (!Array.isArray(posts) || !posts.length) throw new Error(\"empty\");\n      var frag = document.createDocumentFragment();\n      posts.forEach(function (p) { frag.appendChild(card(p)); });\n      list.innerHTML = \"\";\n      list.removeAttribute(\"data-state\");\n      list.appendChild(frag);\n    })\n    .catch(function () {\n      list.removeAttribute(\"data-state\");\n      list.innerHTML = '<p class=\"note\">See <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wolmers.org\/trust\/category\/trust-auditorium\/\">all Auditorium stories<\/a>.<\/p>';\n    });\n})();\n<\/script>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-full-width.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2575","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wolmers.org\/trust\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2575","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wolmers.org\/trust\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wolmers.org\/trust\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wolmers.org\/trust\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wolmers.org\/trust\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2575"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.wolmers.org\/trust\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2575\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2580,"href":"https:\/\/www.wolmers.org\/trust\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2575\/revisions\/2580"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wolmers.org\/trust\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2575"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}