On Saturday, September 26, members of the Viewpoint community gathered to officially break ground on the Jeong Ho Amphitheater, a new $10 million outdoor venue that will create a central gathering place for learning, performance and community on Viewpoint’s Calabasas campus.

Students, families, trustees, donors and School leadership joined actor and comedian Ken Jeong, filmmaker Jon M. Chu and Calabasas Mayor Pro Tem Edward Albrecht for the groundbreaking ceremony. President and Head of School Mark McKee emceed the event, which also included a proclamation from the City of Calabasas commemorating the milestone

The groundbreaking officially marks the start of construction on Viewpoint’s first major capital project in more than a decade and advances a central priority of the School’s 10-year strategic vision.

“As we celebrate Viewpoint’s 65th anniversary and look toward our 75th, the Jeong Ho Amphitheater represents our belief in the future of this extraordinary school and in the power of spaces that bring people together,” said McKee. “We’ve described the Amphitheater as our own Hollywood Bowl, and while it will certainly be a spectacular place for music and performance, its purpose will reach far beyond the stage.”

The Jeong Ho Amphitheater was launched through the largest single gift in Viewpoint’s history from Jeong and his wife, Trustee and Board Vice Chair Tran Ho, MD, in honor of their daughters', Alexa ’25 and Zooey ’25, and their family’s experience at Viewpoint.

“We wanted to do something that wasn’t just about our family. We wanted to create something that would be here long after Alexa and Zooey graduated and that future generations of Viewpoint students could make their own,” said Jeong. “That’s what we love about this. It’s not just a stage; it’s a classroom, a gathering place for performances, celebrations, conversations, and ideas. It’s a place where students can study, hang out, and simply spend time together in this beautiful canyon—because some of the most meaningful moments in school are the ones you don’t plan.”

Scheduled to open in late 2027, the 531-seat, fully accessible Amphitheater will sit on a crescent-shaped plot of land across Dry Canyon Creek from Academic Hall and the Carlson Family Theater. Designed by Plural Studio and built by Douglass Design + Build, the venue will feature a bandshell, lighting and sound capabilities, shade sails, an outdoor classroom, teaching garden and pedestrian bridge connecting the Amphitheater to the landing outside the Fletcher Family Library.

More than a performance venue, the Amphitheater is being designed as a space for the entire Viewpoint community. Students across all four divisions will be able to use it as an outdoor classroom and gathering place for assemblies, guest speakers, performances, celebrations and community events.

The $10 million project is entirely funded through philanthropy and is already more than 80 percent funded. Along with the Jeong Ho family’s historic leadership gift, 10 additional families representing trustees, current parents, grandparents and alumni have made major gifts to help bring the new space to life: Kristin and Jon M. Chu; Thao and Jerry Dodson; Lauren and Alfred English; Valerie Karno, PhD, and Eric Glaser; Fiona Wong and William Go, MD, PhD; Marianne and Brad Kern ’75; Valerie and Andy Kieffer; Jill and Dan Schecter; Haley and Scott Taylor; and Suzanne and Brian Watson.

As construction begins, the groundbreaking marks not only the start of a new campus space, but the beginning of what will become a shared place for generations of Viewpoint students to learn, perform, connect and create memories together.

Learn more about the Jeong Ho Amphitheater and opportunities to support the project, or contact Olivia Powell, Assistant Head of School for External Affairs, at olivia.powell@viewpoint.org.