Our Facilities
The School of Theatre and Dance at Kent State University is housed in the Center for the Performing Arts on the northeast corner of Kent State's Kent Campus.
In 2006, the School of Theatre and Dance received the largest capital donation in the history of Kent State University from the Roe Green Foundation. The donation facilitated the renovation of the existing Music and Speech Building and the addition of the Roe Green Center for the School of Theatre and Dance. These improvements resulted in the Center for the Performing Arts, which houses more than 70,000 square feet of performance, rehearsal, design and classroom space for theatre and dance students.
Watch a Virtual Tour of the School of Theatre and Dance
The School of Theatre and Dance has three theatres in the Center for the Performing Arts. A fourth theatre, Porthouse Theatre, is located on the grounds of Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls.
E. Turner Stump Theatre
E. Turner Stump Theatre is a 500-seat, proscenium style theatre that includes a fly system, stage floor traps and an orchestra pit.
Wright-Curtis theatre
Wright-Curtis Theatre is an intimate and versatile theatre that can seat between 175 and 250. It can be configured as an arena or thrust theatre.
Erdmann-Zucchero Black Box THEATRE
Erdmann-Zucchero Black Box Theatre was constructed in 2010 as part of the Roe Green Center for the School of Theatre and Dance addition to the Center for the Performing Arts. This flexible seating theatre serves as a multipurpose space and is the home of the School's Black Box Series which features 6 to 8 student produced, directed and performed works annually.
Porthouse Theatre
Porthouse Theatre is Kent State University's summer professional theatre located on the grounds of Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, OH. The thrust-style theatre is housed in a fully covered open-air pavilion.
Costume Shop
The sizable Costume Shop serves as the main costume and accessory construction area for the School of Theatre and Dance and has a flexible fitting room and laundry facilities.
Costume Construction Lab
The Costume Construction Lab, located near the Costume Shop, serves as a teaching are for introductory students and is equipped with sewing machines, industrial irons and dress forms. Additionally, the space functions as a cutting area and additional work space for costume design students.
Dye Room
The Dye Room is located adjacent to the Scene Shop and is equipped for fabric modification and dyeing.
Dressing Rooms
The School of Theatre and Dance has two dressing rooms available for use during productions. The first dressing room contains 34 stations and the second dressing room contains 20 stations. Each dressing room contains bathroom and shower facilities.
Lighting Lab
The sizable Lighting Lab is equipped with a variety of lighting instruments as well as drops, scrim, and black velour for use in training students and testing costumes and scenic elements under light.
Scenery Construction Lab
The Scenery Construction Lab is equipped with similar equipment to the Scene Shop and is used as a classroom and laboratory space to train introductory students and for prop construction.
Scene Shop
The School of Theatre and Dance's tall and spacious Scene Shop is the main construction area for scenery and serves as a wagon house for E. Turner Stump Theatre. In addition to its wide variety has an automated paint frame, a tool room, a welding area, and dust extraction and ventilation.
Welding Lab
In addition to welding space in the Scene Shop, the School of Theatre and Dance has a Welding Lab with ventilated stations for six welders.
Acting Studios
The School of Theatre and Dance has two acting studios that are used as classrooms and rehearsal spaces. Both studios possess dance floors.
Dance Studios
The School of Theatre and Dance has three dance studios. Each is equipped with sprung floors and barres and have audio and video playback. One studio also has a resilient floor for tap dance.
Design Studio
The Design Studio is outfitted with 12 drafting tables and is the general design space for the School as well as a classroom.
Make-Up Classroom
The Make-Up Classroom contains a 24-seat makeup laboratory as well as dressing room. It is equipped with a wig dryer, a wig and hair washing sink, and storage for make-up and wig supplies.
Props and Crafts Studio
The Props and Crafts Studio serves as both a classroom and a construction space for production. It contains a variety of equipment and tools for props and costume crafts construction.
Sound Studio
The School of Theatre and Dance has a small sound studio which is divided into an isolated control room and and isolated recording room. It possesses dedicated sound equipment for mixing and recording.
Vocal Coaching Rooms
Two vocal coaching rooms are available for speech, voice and dialect coaching.