<p>We are VERY excited to more into the Performing Arts Center which will combine two major facilities: the Dorothy Thomasson Estes Center for Theatre & Dance and the Shirley Hanson Roberts Center for Music!</p>
<p>Packed up my old office (in the turkey hatchery… no joke…)… 24 boxes waiting to be moved. Then had the opportunity to tour the new performing arts center the other day before I went away to work for the summer. It is an amazingly beautiful facility! I am pretty sure I said “wow” at least 30 times… not at my most articulate… </p>
<p>a proscenium theatre, completely mailable Black Box, dance performance space, concert hall, recital hall, offices, classrooms, practice rooms, rehearsal halls… very exciting! </p>
<p>The School of Theatre & Dance and the School of Music spaces will be fully operational in the new spaces for classes to begin in the fall. The School of Music is expanding into the new facility (the Music building on campus was completed in the 1980s, and is a great building). The School of Theatre & Dance is moving 100% into the new facility… all theatre, dance, musical theatre classes and performances will be in the new performing arts center which is shared with the School of Music is across the street from the Music Building. We are all soooooooo looking forward to it! [Facilities</a> for Theatre and Dance at JMU - James Madison University School of Theatre and Dance, Harrisonburg, Virginia](<a href=“The School of Theatre and Dance - JMU”>The School of Theatre and Dance - JMU) :)</p>
<p>Kate, the Forbes Center looks perfectly beautiful and I look forward to seeing this facility in full operation. D is so very excited about performing in such a beautiful state of the art facility. I enjoyed the link showing the new facility and old. </p>
<p>Classicalbk- I believe the first show in the new Black Box is I LOVE YOU BECAUSE. Not sure about the Main Stage.</p>
<p>The Children’s Playshop company will perform Miss Nelson is Missing in the new Black Box from 8/5 - 8/15.</p>
<p>The New Dance Concert is the first performance on the Main Stage from 9/10 - 9/11</p>
<p>I Love You Because is the first performance in the Black Box during the regular academic semester from 9/21 - 9/25</p>
<p>Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses is the first Main Stage play from 10/5 - 10/9</p>
<p>In the fall semester alone the School of Theatre and Dance is scheduled to present eleven productions and dance concerts between 9/10 and 12/11. We are in the process of updating the School of Theatre & Dance website with the season of performances. Once it has been updated, I will make sure to post the full season here.</p>
<p>PS… and I meant to say above that the Black Box is a completely flexible theatre space… we have no plans to mail it anywhere :)</p>