SHED THE SHAG
The 2012-2013 season is our 40th. That's a lot of history, a lot of theater, and a lot of hours logged in our Rand Theater.
Mention the Rand to people who have stood on its stage, sat in its seats, or loitered in its lobby over those 40 years, however, and the first words out of their mouths will be something about…orange. The gorgeous designs, captivating performances, incisive scholarship, and inspiring mentorship — they sometimes get lost in their shaggy setting.
We'd like to do something about that.
We're calling it "Shed the Shag." finalpanorama_out.swf
Over the next year, we're calling upon you — our friends, alumni and supporters — to help us do just that.
We have received a generous gift of $860,000 from the University of Massachusetts to refurbish the house of the Rand Theater over the summer in 2012. After many years of planning and hoping, we're finally tearing out the carpet in the theater and lobby, refurbishing the seats, taking down the walls between rows, and creating a wheelchair-accessible seating section.
Check this out; here's the before, mid-summer, stripped-down version of the Rand:
...and here the version we have now:
However, this gift does not cover everything that needs to be done, especially to our currently woebegone lobby. The lobby is the first thing people see of our theater. It is our front porch. We want to make it as beautiful, and safe, and welcoming as our newly refurbished house will be.
Currently, the lobby is dimly lit, making it both aesthetically unpleasing and unsafe. And in the original design of the space, the planners forgot to include a box office; the one that was shoehorned in later has always been a poor fit and lacks any modern box office amenities. The less said about the restrooms, the better.
The price tag to address these problems runs to $625,000. That is why we are asking for your support. Though $625,000 is a large sum to raise, we can do it with your help.
Let's do this theater justice. Let's make it a place where people are inspired to talk about theater, and not about the orange carpeting.
Donate online
Heart-shaped orange carpet swatches, people. How can you resist? I hope you can't. Click through here to donate right now!
Other Giving Opportunities
THE
SUSAN M. AND LARRY G. BENEDICT SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT
IN THE
DEPARTMENT OF THEATER
The Susan M. and Larry G. Benedict Scholarship Endowment was created to provide undergraduate scholarship support for students within the Department of Theater who are studying theater design, production, and management. The Chair of the Department of Theater or designee, in consultation with key faculty and staff, will select each year's recipient(s). Special consideration will be given to sophomores and juniors who have demonstrated technical proficiency and a commitment of professionalism.
THE
FRANK PRENTICE RAND SCHOLARSHIP
IN DRAMA
The Frank Prentice Rand Scholarship in Drama, funded by the generous bequest of the late Margarita H. Rand, honors Professor Frank Prentice Rand, who taught dramatic literature at UMass in the English Department. Our Rand Theater is named for him because he and Mrs. Rand loved theater and promoted the founding of our department.
Nominees for the Frank Prentice Rand Scholarship in Drama should be undergraduate theater majors of exceptional scholarship and outstanding achievement in the areas of:
- Directing
- Producing
- Playwriting
- Dramaturgy
If you would like to support either of these funds, please indicate this when filling out the online form.
Donate
- Donate online.
- There are also other ways of helping students out, including support for tickets, internships, and professional development. Please contact Penny Remsen, Department Chair, at remsen@theater.umass.edu, for more information about all giving opportunities.
