Facilities
The performing arts are central to Middlebury’s life and culture. Students have a multitude of facilities available for their use, including a design lab with drafting, plotters, and rendering stations, two scene and costume shops, a lighting lab equipped with a grid and an ETC Ion console, and acting labs. Venues include Wright Memorial Theatre, Seeler Studio Theatre, and Hepburn Zoo Theatre.
Wright Memorial Theatre
Wright Memorial Theatre
Wright Memorial Theatre is a 350-seat proscenium theatre with a full fly system, lighting grid, and removable forestage. It is adjacent to a fully equipped scene shop. The lighting system is an ETC Ion XE board capable of controlling moving lights connected to 191 2.4 Kw dimmers.
Seeler Studio Theatre
Hepburn Zoo Theatre
The Hepburn Zoo Theatre is a student-run blackbox theatre that was established in the early 1970s in order to provide an informal performing space for students interested in mounting their own theatre productions and other types of performances.
This venue hosts a variety of performances ranging from full plays to concerts to radio theatre to the 24-Hour Play Festival and more.
Hepburn Zoo Theatre
The Zoo Crew is a team of students who keep the Hepburn Zoo running. They attend Zoo planning meetings and cleanups, and often take on leadership positions.
Costume Shop
The Costume Shop provides costumes for productions on and off campus. We are the stewards of an enormous collection of hats, shoes, jewelry, garments, masks, and accessories. These items are primarily used for productions during the academic year (faculty and student shows) and the Summer Language Schools, but they may also be rented or borrowed by others.
Rehearsal Spaces
The theatre department has two dedicated rehearsal spaces: Mahaney Arts Center (MAC) 232 and Sunderland Basement (IL2).
MAC 232 is the department’s main teaching space for acting and directing classes as well as workshops and auditions. Only students enrolled in theatre courses may reserve time in either of the spaces to prepare for classes and performances.
Students may schedule time for the current week. Please follow the instructions below.
During the fall and spring semester starting every week on Monday, theatre students can reserve space via email or in person for the current week including the weekend. Before sending a request, please review availability: MAC 232, Sunderland Basement
- Submit your reservation to Mirjam Brett at mbrett@middlebury.edu by 2:00 p.m. on Thursday. Late requests may not get scheduled.
- For Friday–Sunday rehearsal needs that have not been scheduled in advance, use the sign-up sheets posted on the bulletin board next to MAC 232. The sheets go up Thursday afternoon.
- You may sign up for one hour at a time. Students who prepare for their independent and senior projects may reserve two-hour slots in Sunderland Basement only.
- Please show up on time and finish a few minutes early for clean-up at the end of your session. We expect that you will leave the room in good condition and return furniture to the walls.