UNA to Break Ground on Black Box Theatre Friday

Mar. 1, 2011

FLORENCE, Ala. – Progress toward the University of North Alabama’s new black box theatre will begin Friday afternoon at 4:30, when the university holds a special ceremony to break ground on its first new academic building in seven years, when the Raburn Wing was added to Keller Hall.

“This has been a long-awaited day for all of us – for the university community and especially for the students and professors of theatre,” said Dr. William G. Cale Jr., UNA president. “We’re excited for them to have this professional stage for classes, rehearsals and professional productions. I look forward to attending the first play.”

The black box theatre will be built onto the back of Norton Auditorium, where it will share the Norton scene shop. Unlike Norton, the building will be designed especially for professional theatrical use, offering a transformative stage and seating area that lends itself to a variety of theatre settings, such as theatre in the round, thrust stage or the more common proscenium arch.

The $2 million facility is being funded through state bond money, the university’s Capital Fund and private philanthropy.

“The addition of a black box theatre to our facilities has been a priority for many years,” said Dr. David McCullough, chair of the UNA Department of Music and Theatre. “The university’s commitment to the construction of this facility not only affirms the highest ideals of the institution’s mission and goals, but gains for us all inspiration and momentum in establishing UNA as a center of cultural leadership in the performing arts within this region and beyond.”

The UNA black box theatre is scheduled to open in spring 2012.

Through the duration of the building project, a construction zone is being maintained around the construction site. In addition, the westbound lane of Irvine Avenue between Court and Pine streets is closed until the project is completed.