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MILLIGAN COLLEGE, TN (Oct. 12, 2005) — The scenery has changed drastically at Milligan College in recent weeks, as construction has begun on a new 30,000 square foot convocation center and theatre at the center of campus.
The convocation center, located in front of the Science Building , will house a 290-seat theatre and teaching areas for the college’s celebrated theatre arts program, which has earned regional and national acclaim. Milligan theatre productions have been featured at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival and the Milligan College Theatre for Young Audiences has toured area schools, performing original productions for more than 175,000 children in the past 20 years.
“Our entire region truly benefits from the arts at Milligan,” said Milligan President Don Jeanes . “This is an exciting time and an important moment in our Campaign for Christian Leadership.”
Jeanes explained that preparation for this new facility has been taking place for a number of years, with renovations to Derthick Hall, the Mary Sword Campus Commons , and earlier this year, the completion of the new Mathes Tennis Center , which made way for the new facility to sit at the location of the college’s old courts.
The theatre facility will stand at the center of the college’s 181-acre campus and is the first phase of a multi-phase Campus Center to be added at a later time.
Theatre director Richard Major and photography professor Alice Anthony were both very involved in the design of the new facility. The building will also house photography darkrooms and classrooms, and the theatre auditorium will be used for the college’s humanities program, academic lecture series, and various campus community events.
“Milligan not only believes in the art of the spoken and written word, but this area truly represents the vibrancy and spirit of the college itself,” said Major. “This will be a very functional facility for our campus and will serve many needs.”
The new theatre is scheduled for completion in early 2007 and has an estimated cost of $6.7 million.
To view complete floor plans and see updated photos of the construction process, visitwww.milligan.edu/gregorycenter.