On March 25 the KSU Blackbox Theater was renamed the Onyx Theater after anonymous donors gave a $250,000 to the Department of Theater, Performance Studies and Dance.
Donors asked the department to form a committee and build a list of names from which they could choose. Dr. John Gentile, the chair of the theatre department, suggested the new name.
“I suggested the name the Onyx Theater ‘to dignify the space by associating its blackness with a gemstone, a transformation into that which is precious,” Gentile said. “The donors ultimately selected it because, ‘The Onyx Theater is a space for transforming students into actors whose talents shine like a gemstone.’”
Gentile said the donation itself, along with the renaming of the theater, is proof of the excellence and success demonstrated by the students, faculty and staff in recent years. It is especially significant considering the rough economic state of theater, where professional theater companies are struggling for funding and support.
Located in the Wilson Annex, the theater was originally opened in 2009 as a space where productions could rearrange the seating and stage to suit their needs. It’s typically a place used for smaller and more intimate productions and performances.
“I hope that more members of the campus community, students, faculty and staff from other departments are now more aware of this wonderful new theatre on our campus and come to see our excellent productions,” Gentile said. “I join our donors who have said in a program essay that they hope their gift inspires others to give to the arts, which are so necessary for an informed and engaged citizenry.”
During the ceremony students performed excerpts from some of the productions held in the Onyx Theater over the last year. Among these were an original KSU adaptation of Grimm’s Fairytales, Jean Cocteau’s ]
“The Eiffel Tower Wedding Party,” and a National Endowment for the Arts supported production called “Splitten’ the Raft.”
Gentile said he hopes that this donation will not only inspire similar actions but also help support bright and talented students who are struggling financially. Scholarships are always a welcomed way to support hardworking and talented students reach goals which may otherwise be unattainable.