Witte Hall Debuts: The Cultural Centerpiece of Newport Beach Opens its Doors

The grand opening of Witte Hall added a new cultural centerpiece to Newport Beach. Adjacent to the library, this state-of-the-art public venue will be used for literacy and education programs, the arts, music and more. Designed so that each of the 299 theater seats would have an excellent view, the 9,800 square foot facility offers state-of-the-art lighting and advanced audio, blackout curtains for enhanced film screenings and is ready to offer community connection through diverse programming. 

It will be the new home for the programs of the LIbrary Foundation of Newport Beach, which include the WItte Lectures, Library Live, Spotlight on Science, Medicine in Our Backyard, Financial Literacy Workshops and Book Discussion Groups. More than 5,000 people each year connect and engage with each other through the Foundation’s programs, and with the new facility, there will be even more opportunities for lifelong learning.

Pulitzer Prize winner Anthony Doerr was initially booked to appear at Witte Hall, which still needed a few finishing touches before being completed and wasn’t available for his Library Live presentation. He said “it looks amazing from the outside” and gladly accepted the invitation to return after it opened and said he’d like to bring his kids. Arriving at a pre-event reception prior to his event, the affable author walked in and immediately began talking with guests and signing the books they brought. The gathering was also the debut of The Distinguished Authors Society, a limited membership offering private receptions for Library Live Authors, reserved seating for Library Live events in Witte Hall, advance purchase notice and more.

Patricia Dreyfus, the Library Live Chair, introduced Doerr, the acclaimed author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “All the Light We Cannot See,” and now a Netflix production; “Cloud Cuckoo Land,” a finalist for the National Book Award in 2021, and a film starring Tom Hanks and Halle Berry; “Four Seasons in Rome,” a memoir of a year spent on a fellowship with his family in Rome and other collections of his stories. The winner of five O. Henry Prizes, his works have been translated into more than 40 languages, featured in notable anthologies and won multiple prizes.

Speaking with genuine gratitude, warmth and humor during his presentation, Doerr explained that as the youngest of three boys, he secretly always wanted to be a writer, but never told anyone and didn’t have access to programs like those offered by the Library Live series.

“I never went to an event like this. I thought writers were dead or lived in someplace like Paris, or Buenos Aires,”  he said, as the audience erupted in laughter. Reminding us all of the magic of libraries, Doerr invited us into his imaginative world of fiction and the writing process while sharing his enthusiasm for life and wonder about the world.

“Libraries continue to be incredibly important. It’s the last public indoor space that’s free for everybody to enter. Libraries are especially important community centers,” Doerr shared. 

Doerr expressed his gratitude to the committee and guests for supporting the library and Witte Hall. 

“You have no idea how this might touch some kid you never meet to go in there and make something or learn something, to access the common communal wisdom of the human race for free. It’s such a gift and it enriches your whole community and it enriches our country. Thanks for supporting the library.”

As a child, he immersed himself in making up stories, using Legos and Playmobil figures to create multiple imaginary worlds. It was excellent preparation for his current career. “I’m happiest writing a book, reading a book, then living my life with these three separate strands,” he shared. “Reading is this beautiful, ironic thing because you do it by yourself, but it’s also a way to step outside the walls of your own self and your own experience.”

Since Witte Hall still needed a few more finishing touches, Doerr spoke to a sold-out crowd at Oasis Senior Center in a conversation with Judy Tzu-Chun Wu, the director of the Humanities Center and a professor of Asian American Studies at UCI. Animated and expressive, he said that in his experience, research and writing go hand in hand.

“You have to remember that ultimately, you’re telling stories about what it means to be human – what it means to fall in love, or be afraid, or feel abandoned.”  

Doerr always carries a notebook, filling it with observations, ideas and drawings. 

The title came first for “All the LIght We Cannot See” as the journey of creating the novel began on a train ride from Princeton to New York City in 2004. While traveling, he observed a man on his cell phone becoming irrationally upset when a conversation about “The Matrix” dropped as they passed through a tunnel. This moment sparked an idea in Doerr—questions about electromagnetic communication and the idea of “what percentage of light can we see?” 

As he wrote, Doerr revisited his youth, reminiscing about listening to baseball games on the radio. He sought to recapture the enchantment of storytelling and created a narrative centered on a girl reading a book to a boy over the airwaves. This resonated with his host, Judy, who shared her own memories of discovering stories through library record albums and books on tape.

Delving deeper into his creative process, Doerr described it as a gradual accumulation of experiences and observations rather than lightbulb moments. He referred to it as “a slow accretion of failures and trial and error,” emphasizing his commitment to humanizing his characters. His goal is to craft relatable stories that connect with readers on an emotional level. While a common mantra for writers is to “write what you know,” Doerr challenges this notion. “That is not me! I’m always writing to learn more stuff!” he stated. “I want to write to learn about what I would like to know. I’m using research or imagination to build the whole sensory world around the character. Maybe what’s in the character’s hearts is already in us.”

Reminding the audience to be engaged with the world around us, and to not become blind through familiarity, Doerr said it was a primary driver for his decision to become a writer.

“Habit can encrust the world with familiarity so that we stop seeing the things around us. I became an artist because I don’t want to sleepwalk through the 70 or 80 years if I’m super lucky to get to be here on earth,” Doerr said. “Art should lift away that crust of familiarity.”

After the event, Doerr engaged in conversation with those who purchased his books while he signed them. 

For info on upcoming programs or to join the Distinguished Authors Society, go to: LibraryFoundationNB.org. Over the past decade, the Foundation has contributed more than $7 million to fund programs, technology and services for the 1.2 million annual users of the four library branches.

Witte Hall opened its doors to the community with a variety of public and private events during July 9-12, beginning with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Mayor Lauren Kleiman and City Council members.

The Library Foundation of Newport Beach hosted an Invitation-only donor and community leader celebration under the stars in the beautiful Stahr Courtyard, featuring delicious themed drinks and bites, followed by dinner and dessert. "The Next Chapter” debuted as guests experienced the beauty, grandeur and high tech features that are the hallmarks of Witte Hall.

A Public Open House and Family Summer Celebration featuring self-guided tours and family activities. Council member Robyn Grant read her book “The Adventures of Officer Bubbles” and premiered an animated movie based on the book and created by Ed Olen. Officer Bubbles, a rescue dog and her owner, Valerie Schomburg accompanied her. Members of FONBAS, Friends of the Newport Beach Animal Shelter had a booth at the event.

A special grand opening presentation featured world champion surf legend and author Shaun Tomson discussing resilience and purpose highlighted Saturday night's event.

The weekend conclued with the Inaugural Witte Hall Grand Opening Sunday Musicale Concert.

Reservations for Witte Hall are now available. Please visit newportbeachca.gov/facilityrentals for information or contact the Recreation & Senior Services Department at 949-644-3167 or civicrentals@newportbeachca.gov.