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With the first production of the 2024-25 theatre/dance season— Spirits to Enforce—set to open this week, University of Vermont (�պ�����)’s School of the Arts, located within the College of Arts and Sciences, is announcing a $1 million gift to launch much-needed upgrades to the Royall Tyler Theatre.

The anonymous donation comes from a �պ����� Class of 1983 alum who is committed to seeing the arts thrive at the university and has made past gifts to help fund the renovation of Cohen Hall and the redesign of the Colburn Gallery. “We are so grateful to the donor for their incredible support of the arts in the College,” said William Falls, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

The Royall Tyler Theatre, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in March, was constructed in 1901 for use as �պ�����’s gymnasium. In 1973-74, it was renovated to house the university’s growing theatre department. The building contains a 291-seat theatre, lobby, classrooms, dressing rooms, a green room, costume and scene shops, and offices for faculty and staff. The theatre space is used for theatre and dance performances, rehearsals, classes, and university events and ceremonies.

Aside from some renovations to the theatre performance space a decade ago, no interior updates have been made to the Royall Tyler Theatre since 1974. “This gift will help renew the heart and soul of this beloved cultural venue—and is absolutely crucial for getting this much-needed work started. We will continue to fundraise for it because the theatre’s needs are pretty substantial,” said Kelley Di Dio, executive director of the School of the Arts.

The renovations will be overseen by Scott + Partners Architecture of Essex Junction, VT. They will begin by redesigning the layout and lighting in the lobby space to be more accessible, useful, and welcoming. Initial plans also include renovating the bathrooms and other spaces on the first floor outside the main theatre space.

“With this renovation, we’ll be even more of a resource to our campus,” said Rob Shimko, head of the Program in Theatre and Dance. “We’ll be able to host receptions, lectures, and all sorts of other public events.” �պ����� will not be the only beneficiary of these improvements, either, said Di Dio. “This ties directly into the mission of the School: to increase access to the arts for the larger community.”

“There’s also a tangible benefit in terms of attracting new students,” Shimko said. “Having up-to-date facilities absolutely matters when prospective students are deciding where to study. Of course, there’s a big, obvious impact on student experience for current students, too.” The Program in Theatre & Dance offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in both theatre and dance, as well as minors in theatre, musical theatre, and dance.

The renovations will put Royall Tyler Theatre on par with the other major art spaces at �պ�����, including the Recital Hall and Cohen Hall, that have been renovated in recent years. “This is a really important leading gift that will help make this a better place to work, a better place to make art, and a better place to teach and study,” Shimko said. “It's a value statement that says that the arts matter on this campus.”

“Theatre is such a great catalyst for community and shared experiences,” Di Dio said. “It can really change how we move forward together within the arts to see that kind of investment in our theatre space.”

The first phase of the renovation is expected to begin in May 2025, after the end of the academic year. In the meantime, fundraising for the remainder of the estimated cost for renovations will continue. .

Spirits to Enforce, a surrealist comedy about oddball superheroes putting on a production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, was written by Mickle Maher and directed by Rob Shimko; it runs October 2 through 6. You can .