Hartmann Center for the Performing Arts

Last updated
Hartmann Center for the Performing Arts
Bradley Institute Gymnasium (1909-1958)
Hewitt Gymnasium (1958-1975)
Hartmann Center for Performing Arts.jpg
Bradley Institute Gymnasium c. 1909
Address1423 St. James Street
Peoria, Illinois 61606
United States
Public transitAiga bus trans.svg CityLink
Owner Bradley University
TypeMeyers-Jacobs Theatre
Laboratory Theatre
Hartmann Center Gallery
Capacity 375 total seats (two theatres)
Construction
Opened1909 (Gymnasium, Bradley Institute, Peoria, IL)
Reopened1978 (Hartmann Center)
Website
Bradley.edu

The Bradley University Department of Theatre Arts is exclusively housed in the Hartmann Center for the Performing Arts. Named for Jack and Mary Hartmann, two benefactors Bradley University, the Hartmann Center houses the Meyer Jacobs Theatre, a 300-seat thrust configuration performance space, and the Laboratory Theatre, a 75-seat black box studio/classroom.

Contents

Original construction

Constructed in 1908 as the Bradley Institute Gymnasium, the University’s gymnasium, the facility was a lasting gift from Lydia Moss Bradley. [1] Additionally it was one of the three original campus structures constructed at a cost of $75,000. The gymnasium was completed in the fall of 1909, and it was regarded the finest facility of its kind in Illinois outside of Chicago. When it opened, it was the nation’s third largest gymnasium. There were bowling alleys, pool tables, and an indoor track above the main floor. Designed for the use of 600 students, the gym housed a swimming pool on the ground floor that today is part of the orchestra pit, a men’s gym with a 1200-seat basketball court, a woman’s gym, and a third floor social hall. [2] It was home to the Bradley Braves during the team's formative years and would remain as the primary home court until the team moved to Robertson Memorial Field House in 1949. The gym did not have an official name until 1958 when former professor and Vice President emeritus, Cecil M. Hewitt passed away. Hewitt's name was attached to the nearly 50-year-old structure giving it the distinction of Hewitt Hall.

Redesign

Seventy years after its initial opening, in 1978, after a rich history of intercollegiate sporting events and conference tournaments, not to mention two world wars where the facility served as a barracks and training center, Hewitt Hall was converted into the Hartmann Center for the Performing Arts. The nearly $1.7 million costs were primarily covered by contributions from H.W. "Jack" and Mary C. Hartmann, who donated $500,000, and Caterpillar Inc., $300,000. [3] Today the Hartmann Center is home to Meyer-Jacobs Theatre, Laboratory Theatre, and Hartmann Center Gallery as well as offices for the Department of Theatre Arts.

Ghosts

The Hartmann Center is known for having at least three different ghosts: a young boy, a former theatre patron, and a "Lady in White". According to legend, a young boy drowned in the pool that would be in the same location as the present-day orchestra pit. The boy is said to be heard sobbing beneath the floorboards of the pit and scratching against the wood as he tries to get out of the water. The "Lady in White" is a former opera singer who roams the backstage of the Meyer-Jacobs Theatre. She is observed to be watching over actors and productions to ensure that no one is hurt. The final ghost of the theater is the so-called "Brown Man". This ghost is known to be a former theater patron who regularly attended performances, dressed in his characteristic dark brown suit. The "Brown Man" would sit in the back of the theater and keep an eye out for those in attendance to pay attention to the show. Following his death, many sitting the back of the theater have reported seeing the apparition of a man in a brown suit. He appears after the curtain has gone up and seems to be watching the show. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muskingum University</span> Private college in New Concord, Ohio, US

Muskingum University is a private university in New Concord, Ohio. Chartered in 1837 as Muskingum College, the institution is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). New Concord is located in far eastern Muskingum County, which derives its name from the Muskingum River. Muskingum offers more than 60 academic majors. Graduate programs are offered in education and management information systems, strategy and technology. Muskingum's campus consists of 21 buildings, a football stadium, and a small lake which all sit atop 225 acres (0.91 km2) of rolling hills overlooking New Concord. Alumni are referred to as the "Long Magenta Line" and students are known simply as "Muskies" while its athletic teams are called the "Fighting Muskies".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keene State College</span> Public college in Keene, New Hampshire, US

Keene State College is a public liberal arts college in Keene, New Hampshire. It is part of the University System of New Hampshire. Founded in 1909 as a teacher's college, Keene State College had 3,104 students enrolled for credit as of fall 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaminade College Preparatory School (Missouri)</span> Private, catholic, college preparatory school in Creve Coeur, Missouri, United States

Chaminade College Preparatory School is an independent, college preparatory Catholic school administered by the Marianist Order for boys in grades six through twelve in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The school is located in Creve Coeur, Missouri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fox Theatre (Detroit)</span> Theater and former movie theater in Detroit, Michigan, US

The Fox Theatre is a performing arts center located at 2211 Woodward Avenue in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, near the Grand Circus Park Historic District. Opened in 1928 as a flagship movie palace in the Fox Theatres chain, it was at over 5,000 seats the largest theater in the city. Designed by theater architect C. Howard Crane, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David H. Koch Theater</span> Venue at New York Citys Lincoln Center

The David H. Koch Theater is a theater for ballet and dance at Lincoln Center in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Originally named the New York State Theater, the venue has been home to the New York City Ballet since its opening in 1964, the secondary venue for the American Ballet Theatre in the fall, and served as home to the New York City Opera from 1964 to 2011. The theater occupies the south side of the main plaza of Lincoln Center, opposite David Geffen Hall near 63rd Street and Columbus Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Catalina School</span> Private, day and boarding school in Monterey, Monterey County, California, United States

Santa Catalina School is a private school in Monterey, California, United States, founded by Sister Margaret Thompson and the Dominican Order in 1950. Situated on a 36-acre hacienda-style campus, the Upper School is an all-girls boarding school that also accepts local students. The Lower and Middle School serves both boys and girls. Students are required to wear uniforms. The school emphasizes building a sense of community that challenges its students mentally and spiritually. Santa Catalina is accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. In addition, the school is associated with the National Association of Independent Schools, the Association of Boarding Schools, National Catholic Educational Association, and the National Coalition of Girls' Schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krannert Center for the Performing Arts</span>

The Krannert Center for the Performing Arts is an educational and performing arts complex located at 500 South Goodwin Avenue in Urbana, Illinois and on the campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Herman C. Krannert, an industrialist who founded Inland Container Corporation and an alumnus of the university, and his wife, Ellnora Krannert, made a gift of $16 million that led to the Krannert Center's construction. Max Abramovitz, the architect who designed the facility, was also an Illinois alumnus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denver Performing Arts Complex</span> Entertainment complex in Colorado, U.S.

The Denver Performing Arts Complex in Denver, Colorado, is one of the largest performing arts centers in the United States. The DCPA is a four-block, 12-acre (49,000 m2) site containing ten performance spaces with over 10,000 seats connected by an 80-foot-tall (24 m) glass roof. It is home to a professional theater company and also hosts Broadway musical tours, contemporary dance and ballet, chorales, symphony orchestras, opera productions, and pop stars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ordway Center for the Performing Arts</span> Performing arts center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.

The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, in downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota, hosts a variety of performing arts, such as touring Broadway musicals, orchestra, opera, and cultural performers, and produces local musicals. It is home to several local arts organizations, including the Minnesota Opera, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and The Schubert Club. The president and CEO, Christopher Harrington, has served since November 2021, and Producing Artistic Director Rod Kaats has been with the Ordway since February 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dillon Gymnasium</span>

Dillon Gymnasium is an on-campus multi-purpose athletic facility on the campus of Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey. It was built in 1947 to replace University Gymnasium, which had burned to the ground in 1944. It houses a 1,500-seat gymnasium, squash courts and a pool.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orpheum Theatre (Memphis)</span> Theatre in Memphis, Tennessee

The Orpheum Theatre, a 2,308-seat venue listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is located in downtown Memphis, Tennessee, on the southwest corner of the intersection of South Main and Beale streets. The Orpheum, along with the Halloran Centre for Performing Arts & Education, compose the Orpheum Theatre Group, a community-supported nonprofit corporation that operates and maintains the venues and presents education programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts</span> American performing arts center

The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, USA, at 16th and Broadway, near the city's Power & Light District, the T-Mobile Center and the Crossroads Arts District. Opened in 2011, it houses two venues: the 1,800-seat Muriel Kauffman Theatre, home of the Kansas City Ballet and Lyric Opera of Kansas City; and the 1,600-seat Helzberg Hall, home of the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra. Both venues host a variety of artists and performance groups in addition to these three resident entities.

The Benedicta Arts Center (BAC) is a performing arts center located on the campus of the College of Saint Benedict. Built in 1964 by the Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict in the city of St. Joseph, MN, the Benedicta Arts Center has remained a powerhouse for the arts in Central Minnesota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rialto Center for the Arts</span> Performing arts center in Atlanta, Georgia

The Rialto Center for the Arts is an 833-seat performing-arts venue owned and operated by Georgia State University and located in the heart of the Fairlie-Poplar district in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The venue is home to the Rialto Series, an annual subscription series featuring national and international jazz, world music, and dance. The Rialto also routinely presents Georgia State University School of Music performances, the annual National Black Arts Festival, and many others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles W. Eisemann Center for Performing Arts</span> Performance hall in Richardson, Texas

The Charles W. Eisemann Center for Performing Arts and Corporate Presentations is a performance hall, which opened in September 2002 in Richardson, Texas. The center is named for local philanthropist, Charles W. Eisemann, in recognition of a $2,000,000 gift from the Eisemann Foundation Fund of The Communities Foundation of Texas. It is the primary performance venue for the Plano Symphony Orchestra and the Richardson Symphony Orchestra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oriental Art Center</span> Arts complex in Pudong, Shanghai

The Shanghai Oriental Art Center, abbreviated SHOAC, is one of the leading performance and cultural facilities in Shanghai. The five interconnected hemispherical halls or "petals" are shaped to resemble a butterfly orchid from above. They comprise the Entrance Hall, the Concert Hall, the Opera Hall, the Performance Hall, and the Exhibition Hall. The high-tech ceiling changes color during the night to reflect the nature of the performances inside. Located off Century Avenue in Pudong, the SHOAC was opened with a New Year's Eve concert in 2004 and officially opened on July 1, 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Baker Theatre</span> Theater in Bellingham, Washington, United States

The Mount Baker Theatre is a 1,517-seat performing arts venue and national historic landmark in Bellingham, Washington, United States. The theater hosts professional productions and concerts as well as community performances from the north of Puget Sound. The theater's main stage is the largest theatrical venue in Washington north of Seattle's Paramount and 5th Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Kentucky Center</span>

The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts in Louisville, Kentucky, which opened in 1983, is owned by Kentucky Performing Arts and has tenants that include Kentucky Opera, Louisville Ballet, the Louisville Orchestra, StageOne Family Theatre and Broadway Across America. Sculptural artwork at the site is by Alexander Calder, Joan Miró, John Chamberlain, Jean Dubuffet and others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wills Gymnasium</span>

Wills Gymnasium, often referred to as Wills Gym, was a multi-purpose athletic facility on the campus of Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, United States. Construction started in 1924 and the building was dedicated in 1925. It was the first dedicated gymnasium on the KSU campus, which had opened in 1913. Before the opening of Wills Gym, physical education classes and the intercollegiate and intramural sports teams used a variety of spaces for games and classes, both on campus in other buildings and off campus. The main gym seated approximately 4,000 people and the basement level included an indoor pool, locker rooms, and bowling alley. At the time, its capacity made it one of the largest facilities in the region. The building served as the primary home of the university's athletic teams and physical education department until 1950, when the Men's Physical Education Building opened. Wills Gym was the first permanent home of the Kent State Golden Flashes men's basketball team, and was also the original home venue for wrestling, men's swimming, men's and women's gymnastics, women's volleyball, and women's basketball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeBartolo Performing Arts Center</span> Building in Indiana, United States

The Marie P. DeBartolo Performing Arts Center (DPAC) is a performing arts venue located on the south end of the University of Notre Dame campus and open to the South Bend, Indiana, and wider community. The 150,000 square foot facility, which opened in September 2004, was financed in large part by a gift from Edward J. DeBartolo Sr., and the building was named in honor of his wife. The current executive director of the facility is Ted Barron. In addition to performance spaces, the building also contains offices, teaching spaces, and production facilities for Notre Dame's Department of Film, Television, and Theatre, as well as for the Department of Music, the Department of Sacred Music, and the Shakespeare at Notre Dame program.

References

  1. "History - Bradley University". Bradley.edu. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  2. "Bradley…WTF?! (What's the Facts) - The Bradley Scout". Bradleyscout.com. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  3. "Bradley Works 2013". Issuu.com. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  4. "Hartmann hauntings take center stage - The Bradley Scout". Bradleyscout.com. Retrieved 9 August 2017.