A rehearsal in the barn and tent interior.
PLAYHOUSE continued from 47 sound of pounding rain on the tin roof drowned out the actors. Even after upgrades in 1965 of restrooms, 200 additional seats, and the ability to reserve seats in advance, IU struggled to attract professional actors, designers, and directors to perform at the Playhouse.
The building you see today was built in 1977. Jack Roger’ s son, Andy Rogers, donated the land and the IU Foundation, IU Chancellor Herman B Wells and others donated to the cause. The new building featured heat, air conditioning, and more comfortable seating for an expanded audience of around 400. It also included better lighting and sound systems and an orchestra pit for musicals.
Another feature was a separate space for concessions so the Lions Club volunteers could make popcorn without disturbing the show.
To maintain the rustic flavor of the theater, wooden siding from the original barn structure was used on the street front, lobby area, and as part of the interior décor.
From 1977 through 2010, IU used the Playhouse as its venue for summer theatre students to practice their craft.
In the summer of 2010, after building a larger, more modern facility on the Bloomington campus, the IU Theatre Department announced that it no longer needed the Playhouse, and it was going to close.
Thanks to members of the Brown County community, the Playhouse ownership transferred to a non-profit organization that continues to keep the Playhouse thriving today.
Since 2011, the Playhouse board of directors and its staff have remained committed to offering a wide range of national and local musicians, comedians, and movies, as well as community stage productions yearround. Three Generations of Popcorn Poppers My parents and I, along with many cohorts of local Lions Club members, sold thousands of cups of Coke and boxes of popcorn at the Playhouse to raise funds that went directly back into the Brown County community.
48 Our Brown County • July / August 2024