Constructed in 1915, Blackstone Hall was the original campus dining facility but was later converted to serve as the School of Performing Arts and primary production theater. Since Blackstone lacked many of modern-day theater features, the college set forth on a campaign to update and revitalize the existing building and construct a new performance theater. The project was designed and developed in three phases which began simultaneously in the summer of 2016. Phase 1 was a fast-track renovation of the existing building focusing on correcting deficiencies due to age, including building-code upgrades. The renovation enhanced the set design and construction space for the theater group and gained much-needed storage. Phase 1 was delivered at the end of 2016 and opened for use January 2017. Phase 2, the construction of Sisters Theater, was delivered in May 2017. The state-of-the-art black-box theater is 9,226 square feet and seats 276. The flex seating design allows for multiple configurations such as “in the round.” There is a skydeck suspended 40 feet above the entire theater which is supported by a wire-tension grid. The skydeck allows students to walk above to safely rig lights, sound, and hoist props. State-of-the-art lighting, sound and curtain systems were procured to give Berry students real-world experience, thereby better preparing them for careers in the theater field.
