By Gail Radley
Okay, culture will cost you a little — $8 ($6 for seniors) at Stetson University’s
Stover Theater. But compare that to perhaps $85 at classier venues. True, the actors you see will be university students, but that doesn’t mean they can’t give a great performance. Stetson has been offering plays since 1896, so the theater has had plenty of time to brush up its acts!
And you may just be seeing tomorrow’s stars. Ted Cassidy — the memorable Lurch of TVs “Addams Family” earned his stripes at Stetson. So did five-time Emmy award winner (and 21-time nominee) Ret Turner. When Michael Yeargan designed sets for Stetson plays back in the mid-60s, his audiences were so wowed by them that they applauded before the show began. No surprise, then, that he went on to be a Broadway designer and, in 2005, won a Tony for scenic design.
The theater itself is flash backward in time. A two-story brick and masonry structure built in 1930, it was Florida’s (and perhaps the south’s) first building dedicated to collegiate theater. The ticket window is bookended by double French doors that lead into a cozy lobby where snacks — frequently including homemade brownies, I’ve noted — are offered during intermission. While you’re partaking, you can see rehearsal photos past and present. Take the stairs on either side of the suit of armor (donated by a fraternity) and enter the 300-seat theater. The stage is a standard proscenium arch, framed by black velour curtains. There’s a small balcony, unavailable to the audience.
Originally, the building was known as the Women’s Assembly Hall, in deference to those who feared drama was synonymous with sin. Stetson’s President Lincoln Hulley (1904-1934) challenged the notion by offering his own plays for production, and so the building claimed its true identity as the Little Theater. Finally, students insisted on renaming it for one of the theater program’s prime champions, Professor Irving Stover. (It’s his portrait you’ll find in the lobby, along with reserved seats for both him and Mrs. Stover.) Theater is steeped in honored traditions and superstitions, and a university theater is not exempt. After the actors leave their final rehearsal and the lights are shut off, the stage manager invites the ghost of Dr. Stover to return to his beloved theater.
Maybe you’ll see him on opening night. Or maybe you’ll meet Broadway’s yet-unknown star hurrying backstage before the show begins. If so, whatever you do, don’t wish the actor good luck! A heartfelt “break a leg” will do — and then get ye into the theater for an entertaining night of low-cost culture!