Huntingdon hosts open house for new theaterMontgomery, Ala.—The
stage is set, the curtains are hung, and the name has been placed above
the front doors as Huntingdon College prepares for an Open House for the new Leo J. Drum Jr. Theater, Sunday,
February 24, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. The theater was constructed in the
auditorium of the former Cloverdale School building on what has since
2002 been Huntingdon's Cloverdale Campus. The new space preserves the
historic significance of the former space but adds a modern twist in
newly installed soft-backed retractable seating, updated sound and
lighting equipment, and a modern entrance and ticket booth in the foyer
of what is now Huntingdon's Cloverdale Administrative Building.
A long-held dream of many who know Huntingdon’s history with community
and college theater productions, the project, part of the College's
Huntingdon Tomorrow Campaign, was funded by the person for whom it is
named. Leo Drum, a long-time neighbor and friend of the College, wanted
the gift to remain private until after his death or the project's
completion. Mr. Drum died in January 2012.
According to Huntingdon College President J. Cameron West, Drum, who was
preceded in death by his wife and sister and had no children, was moved
by the opportunity for the Drum name to live on. His interest grew
further when he learned that the theater would be next door to the
College's Weil Center, a building that is named for Huntingdon trustee
Dr. Laurie Jean Weil, daughter of Drum’s best friend, the late Bucks
Weil. Finally, Drum wanted to give a lasting gift to the Cloverdale
community and to the city of Montgomery—a space that would add to the
treasure he believed Huntingdon is.
The Drum Theater Open House is free and open to the public. All members of the College family, friends, neighbors, and alumni are invited to attend.
Huntingdon College, grounded in the
Judeo-Christian tradition of the United Methodist Church, is
committed to nurturing growth in faith, wisdom, and service and to
graduating individuals prepared to succeed in a rapidly changing
world. Founded in 1854, Huntingdon is a coeducational liberal arts
college. The College motto, "Enter to grow in wisdom; go forth to
apply wisdom in service," is inscribed in stone above the front
door of John Jefferson Flowers Hall. Ranked in the top tier of
regional colleges by U.S. News and World Report and
consistently listed in the Princeton Review's "The Best Colleges:
Region by Region," Huntingdon has for two years been recognized on
the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll and
is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Washington
Monthly, which ranks colleges on the basis of their
contributions to the public good, places Huntingdon in the top 20%
of 352 baccalaureate colleges.
Huntingdon's Cultural and Community
Events Series events are co-sponsored by Baptist Health. |