Innovation meets Tradition

Soul music will meet Broadway showtunes in the hallways of the new $26 million dollar venue on Jordan Avenue. The 117,000 square-foot theatre and culture building will usher in a new era of performing arts and cultural programming for IU and the Bloomington community. \nThe Theatre & Drama Center and Marcellus Neal and Frances Marshall Black Culture Center include the Wells-Metz Theatre, the Ruth N. Halls Theatre and the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, which feature innovative amenities to showcase IU and outside performers and lecturers.\nThough the two departments will have little affiliation with each other despite sharing the building, they will come together for the opening ceremonies to celebrate the new building. The robed ceremony will take place in the Ruth N. Halls Theatre on Jan. 18. \nAll IU students are encouraged to take advantage of the multitude of new services available through the theatres and culture center that are aimed to promote education through culture and the arts.\nGeorge Sullivan, director of Audience Development for the theater department, said the addition to the department is the "most advanced and magnificent theatre facility for universities in the country or the world." \nModern theatre technology features in lighting, costumes and set design have been produced at a "top-shelf, professional level," Sullivan said. \nDespite their shared venue, the two new theatres vary in style and composition. The Wells-Metz Theatre has a high-tech appearance and a flexible performance space that will seat from 150 to 250 audience members. It incorporates a movable stage and chairs so the theatre can be customized to each performance. \nThe Ruth N. Halls Theatre was constructed with limestone and cherry maple native to the state of Indiana. The style is traditional, and the theatre will seat 450 people.\n"The general notion (of the new drama facility) is to reinforce Indiana University's status as one of the most preeminent theatre programs in the nation, and this is physical evidence of the stature that will be established with a top level performing arts program," said Sullivan. \nUpcoming performances in the new theaters include Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing," Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" and the 1999 Tony Award winner for Best Musical, "Parade!" Students will be charged $15 per ticket.\nThe Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center will provide a new venue for the African American Culture Center, the Diversity Education Office, the African American Arts Institute and the African American Culture Center Library. The culture center is a tribute to Marcellus Neal and Frances Marshall, the first African American man and woman to graduate from IU in 1895 and 1919, respectively. \nThe objective of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center is to attract "students of all ethnic backgrounds to come together and promote cultural diversity," said Associate Vice Chancellor for Multicultural Affairs Gloria Gibson. "It will give African American students a place where they can feel comfortable working on their studies and on projects on a predominantly white campus." \nThe social goals are to provide a place where students can come together and relax at a "home away from home," Gibson said. It will also provide cultural education in the classrooms provided in the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center.\nThe African American Arts Institute will contribute to the promotion of black culture, as it seeks to "preserve and promote African American culture though research, creative activity, education, performance and outreach," according to the IU Multicultural Affairs Web site. \nThe institute houses three performing ensembles that include the Afro-American Choral Ensemble, the Afro-American Dance Company and the IU Soul Revue -- all of which are offered as classes through Afro-American Studies. Activities will include cultural performances and recitals put on by these groups in addition to the appearances of guest lecturers.