McGrath Family Performing Arts Center
Home of the Leemputte Family Theater. A Stage for Every Rambler.
At Loyola Academy, we believe that all students learn better in an environment that is enriched by the arts. The McGrath Family Performing Arts Center stands as a bold expression of that belief. This 29,000-square-foot center has transformed the northeast corner of our Wilmette campus and serves as a creative home for theater, music, dance, and visual arts—open to every Rambler, not just performers. Here, students build confidence, collaborate, take creative risks, and discover their voice.
Leemputte Family Theater
At the heart of the McGrath Family Performing Arts Center is the Leemputte Family Theater, a 550+ seat proscenium theater with balcony seating. Designed for professional-quality productions, the theater features state-of-the-art acoustics, a full orchestra pit, flexible lighting and sound systems, and a fully equipped scene shop that allows students to design, build, paint, and manage sets with real-world precision.
Behind the curtain, students have access to dedicated makeup and dressing rooms, costume and prop areas, and a green room that supports all aspects of live performance and technical theater.
From fall plays and spring musicals to student-directed work, choir concerts, band ensembles, dance showcases, speakers, and assemblies, the Leemputte Family Theater is a central gathering space for our community.
 | |
 | Built for Students. Shared with the Community. |
The McGrath Family Performing Arts Center continues to strengthen Loyola’s already vibrant arts program and expand opportunities for student creativity and community engagement.
Its professional-grade acoustics and flexible performance spaces have attracted a broad network of community partners, neighbors, and friends—including organizations such as Highland Park Players and Special Gifts Theater—who see this center as a welcoming home for meaningful, inclusive, and high-caliber performances.
Beyond its stages, the Center also features a gallery space for visual art exhibitions showcasing the talent of Loyola students and alumni. The gallery provides opportunities for emerging artists to display their work in a professional setting, while connecting our visual arts program to the broader creative community.
By opening our doors to collaboration and creativity, Loyola fosters authentic artistic experiences that reach beyond campus and inspire others to share in the joy of the arts.
Where Creativity Comes to Life
At Loyola Academy, the arts—performing and visual alike—play a vital role in shaping the Rambler experience. Whether a student is on stage, in the orchestra pit, behind the lighting board, or exhibiting a painting in the gallery, the McGrath Family Performing Arts Center offers the tools, spaces, and support for exceptional artistic growth.
Here, creativity becomes confidence, collaboration becomes community, and every performance and exhibition becomes an opportunity to find God in all things.