Beautiful, State-Of-The-Art Facilities

The Theatre Arts Department and Central Theatre Ensemble are housed in the stately McConnell Hall, which underwent a $2.1 million renovation completed in the fall of 2003. Fueled primarily by health and safety concerns, the renovation improved and reorganized existing spaces to provide a more user-friendly and, most importantly, safe working environment.

Because theatre is a collaborative, fluid and multi-faceted art form, majors in this department spend limited time in traditional classrooms. Your education begins in the shops and studios and culminates in fully stage productions.

A classic 750-seat proscenium theatre, this space was the major focus of a 2003 renovation, with additional upgrades in 2005 and 2006. Among the improvements: two new lighting catwalks; a 31-line single-purchase counterweight fly system; a new stage floor with traps; Marley dance floor, all new electrics, which includes over three miles of electric conduit; 288 dimmers; new draperies; new cyc lighting; a new inventory of ETC Source 4 lights; 18 Wybron Forerunner Color Scrollers (16 color); state-of-the-art Mackie 48-channel soundboard; and ETC Expression lighting console, including Emphasis enhancement package.

Milo Smith Tower Theatre:
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Adaptable black box theatre seats 240 in the thrust and 340 in the round with a control booth and 192 dimmers. Recent improvements include new draperies, Marley dance floor, Mackie 12-channel soundboard; a new inventory of ETC Source 4 lights; and ETC Expression lighting console.

Studio 119:
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This small black box studio is fully equipped with light, sound and dance mirrors. Studio 119 is the main acting classroom and also serves well for rehearsals, student and Studio projects and social functions.

*Scene Shop:
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The fully equipped scene shop features a full array of woodworking tools and machines; sawdust collection system; mig, arc and gas welders; painting spray booth. Recent grant monies provided a brand new Genie Lift.

*Costume Shop:
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With 9 floor-length windows, CWU boasts one of the biggest and best equipped University costume facility in the Northwest. Features include: 14 new sewing machines; two industrial sewing machines; four surgers; and patterning software

Costume Crafts Room:
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In addition to the Costume Shop, a separate and fully equipped Costume Crafts room was added in 2003. This room features: an industrial dye vat; a two washer/dryer laundry room; complete hat-making equipment; ventilating equipment for construction of custom-made hair pieces and ample storage and work space.

Dressing Rooms:
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The Department has two fully ventilated 20-person mirrored dressing rooms and three 4-person mirrored dressing rooms.

Makeup Room: The fourth small dressing room in the building has been converted into a fully-stocked makeup room. Makeup classes are held in the spacious, mirrored dressing rooms.

Drafting and Design Room: Drafting tables provide optimal environment for students to succeed in drafting, rendering and design courses.

*Marketing Office:
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Known affectionately as the "Fabby Lab" this facility is a unique feature seldom found in the university setting. Students can participate in all aspects of marketing related to the vibrant and exciting Bachelor of Arts program, unique limited-residency Master of Arts program and the professionally-modeled and always entertaining Central Theatre Ensemble production season. More than 50,000 pieces of mail are sent from the Fabby Lab annually.

*Lighting Shop:
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Home base for the dedicated faculty and students who shed light on CTE productions. Thanks to a fundraising campaign we now enjoy enhanced lighting equipment, which includes four High End Systems intelligent lighting fixtures.

*Box Office: New this year ONLINE ticketing!! Check it out at: www.cwu.edu/~theatre/tix

Green Room:
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Equipped with intercom system to serve both McConnell Auditorium and the Milo Smith Tower Theatre. Closed-circuit broadcast is also streamed in during McConnell Auditorium productions, so you never miss a cue!

Conference Room and Student Computer Lab: The conference room provides ample space for design and production meetings. Four computers offer students a place to do production and design work for the CTE season, as well as the documenting completed education certification standards.

McConnell 117:
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Our one traditional classroom space in McConnell Hall, the room was recently refitted with state-of-the-art, internet accessible, video and projection systems.

Puppet Studio:
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In 2001 Jim Hawkins retired from CWU having served as an award-winning professor, director, designer, master puppeteer and an advocate for children's theatre for more than 31 years. Jim's membership in several national and international puppetry organizations and his dedication to teaching have secured the art of puppetry into the heart of our program. Although courses are only offered annually, the art of puppetry continues to be an integral artistic element in both youth and adult productions each season. Our puppet lab is a mini-gallery of various styles of puppetry and a testament to the legacy of excellence and commitment we have to theatre for youth.

*Student employment opportunities available.