麻豆影院

'The arts give joy and meaning to life, and I鈥檓 so pleased that Roe Green has chosen to support CU 麻豆影院 and the surrounding community in such a creative and meaningful way,'听says听Chancellor Phil DiStefano

With the grand opening of the renovated Roe Green Theatre on Nov. 3, the university has ushered in a new era for CU 麻豆影院鈥檚听Department of Theatre & Dance.听

To celebrate the theater鈥檚 opening, the department hosted a celebratory ribbon-cutting featuring remarks from campus and university leadership鈥攁s well as the theater鈥檚 namesake, Roe Green鈥攁head of the opening night performance of听Working, A Musical.

The state-of-the-art renovations were made possible with a gift from arts patron, philanthropist and alumna Roe Green (Comm,听Thtr鈥�70) in 2021.听Formerly known as the University Theatre, the iconic theater was renamed in recognition of听Green鈥檚 generosity.

鈥淭he arts give joy and meaning to life, and I鈥檓 so pleased that Roe Green has chosen to support CU 麻豆影院 and the surrounding community in such a creative and meaningful way,鈥� said CU 麻豆影院 Chancellor Phil DiStefano.

Innovation by design

Originally built in 1904听as the campus library on what would become the Norlin Quadrangle, the theater鈥檚听last major update was completed more than 30 years ago.听According to the听Campus Master Plan, a major addition in 1985 included new studios and classrooms for the Division of Dance. In 1989, the older sections were renovated, and a new stage house was added to provide a backstage and wings for the existing theater.

This time around, improving the theater-going experience through advanced acoustics and audience comfort were the key renovation goals.听This included adding a near-silent air-handling system, improved stage lighting, optimized acoustic-speaker placement and faceted surfaces that clearly reflect sound from the stage to the audience.

鈥淥ur brilliant architects from听听not only achieved this goal鈥攖hey were also able to improve the positions for theatrical lighting and speakers, the air handling and the overall aesthetics of the space,鈥� said Bud Coleman, the Roe Green Professor of Theatre and associate dean of faculty affairs and initiatives in the College of Arts and Sciences.

鈥淭his is modern acoustical science at work鈥攁nd the impacts are profound,鈥� said听Jonathan Spencer, assistant professor of lighting design, in a.

Embracing the arts

Green鈥檚 record-breaking $5 million gift鈥攖he largest ever to the Department of Theatre & Dance鈥攚as听announced in 2021听and welcomed students and the community back to campus after pandemic restrictions.听

鈥淭he arts are what make us human,鈥� said Green when asked why supporting live performance matters.听When budgets get tight, she said,听鈥淭he first thing the schools take away are the arts. It should be the last thing they take away!鈥�

In addition to the theater鈥檚 sweeping physical upgrades, Green鈥檚 gift also establishes endowed funds for student scholarships, theater maintenance and 鈥渓aunch鈥� events designed to kick-start students鈥� careers.

鈥淭hrough her generous philanthropy, many more students, faculty, staff and community members will be able to embrace the life-changing power of theater and dance,鈥� said DiStefano.

One of CU 麻豆影院鈥檚 largest arts donors to date, Green previously established the campus's Roe Green Theatre Artist Residency Program and the theater department鈥檚听first endowed faculty chair.

Transforming lives, transforming the future

The renovated theater鈥檚 opening coincided with the debut of听Working, A Musical鈥攁 celebration of the unsung heroes of everyday life, such as the schoolteacher, phone operator, waitress, millworker, mason and homemaker. In CU鈥檚 production, this classic has been updated for a modern age,听featuring new interviews with Colorado workers and new songs听by Tony Award-winning composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, as well as favorites by Stephen Schwartz, Craig Carnelia, James Taylor and Micki Grant.

Based on Studs Terkel鈥檚 best-selling book of interviews with American workers, the production听听and is the 2023鈥�24 Roe Green Production. This program is funded by the Roe Green Visiting Theatre Artist Fund, which allows the Department of Theatre & Dance to invite professional guest artists to campus annually to work with CU 麻豆影院 students.

Coleman said Green鈥檚 generous gifts are truly an investment in the future of live performance at CU 麻豆影院.听

鈥淩oe鈥檚 endowment will mean that the theater will continue to have funding to make necessary changes to stay current with new technologies, and will also provide scholarships for students to pursue the study of theater,鈥� he said.

鈥淩oe鈥檚 conviction in the power of theater to transform lives inspires us to work harder, work better and work smarter.鈥�

Additional funding support was provided by the CU 麻豆影院 Graduate School Professional Master鈥檚 Program in Experience Design, the University of Colorado Foundation and the CU 麻豆影院 Department of Theatre & Dance.