The construction surrounding the Student Union has impacted more than just Starbucks and a couple of offices. The Pottle Auditorium building has also been affected by the winds of change.
Due to the blockage on SGA Drive, the rear entrances of Pottle have been rendered essentially useless for casual access. Students and faculty are currently only able to access the building through the side and main entrances. Because of the time-table of the expansion project, access will remain this way for some time.
“Even though many of us had been told to expect major disruptions from the Student Union expansion project, the speed and expansiveness of the construction did catch us somewhat by surprise,” said Dr. Kenneth Boulton, interim head of the department of Fine and Performing Arts. “With the entire back half of the Pottle Building complex fenced off, we will be prevented from staging many major productions in the Pottle Auditorium for the duration of the construction.”
The roadblock presented by the construction, however, is serving as a stepping stone for the University to foster its relationship with the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts. Some of this season’s events, such as the Wind Symphony and Chamber Orchestra, will be performed downtown at the Columbia.
“This has opened up a new opportunity to collaborate with Southeastern’s Columbia Theatre,” said Boulton. “Thanks to the Columbia Theatre’s Interim Director, Roy Blackwood, we will be able to stage our ambitious musical and operatic performances there, complete with the Columbia’s superb production facilities and staff. I am confident this arrangement will be a ‘win-win’ for everyone.”
Coming soon to the Columbia Theatre is Southeastern’s Opera/Theatre Workshop of Adam Guettel’s “A Light in the Piazza.” Music enthusiasts should mark 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 27 and 28 in their calendars for the performance.
All student recitals for this fall are still scheduled to be held in the Pottle Auditorium from Sept. 7 through Nov. 19. Events put on by the department of Fine and Performing Arts in Pottle are listed as free and open to the public.
For more information on the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts, call 985-543-4371 or visit their website at www.columbiatheatre.org. For information on events in Southeastern’s Department of Fine and Performing Arts, call 985-549-2184 or go to www.selu.edu/fpa.