New Theatre Project
The University of Mary Washington is in the planning stages for a new theatre following funding awarded from the 2022-23 state budget. Authorized at $121 million as of spring 2024, the construction project includes construction of a dedicated theatre building at the corner of William Street and Sunken Road, as well as renovations to the existing theatre spaces and adjacent studios, classrooms and facilities for art and music in duPont, Melchers and Pollard Halls.
The existing Klein Theatre in duPont Hall will be renovated to serve as a music recital and performance hall once the new theatre is complete in a few years. The new theatre will be of a similar scale, with 300 seats, including a 100-seat balcony, and the new facility will have a studio theatre of 150 seats, classrooms, a costume shop, and study spaces housed together. As an academic building, it will serve as a cohesive practice space and stage for theatre students and faculty.
The new theatre will be nestled into the hillside at the southeast corner of campus, effectively extending Campus Walk to Sunken Road and connecting campus to downtown Fredericksburg. It replaces Marshall and Russell Halls, which are residence halls slated to be razed in summer 2025 at the start of construction. A parking lot will be relocated and realigned with adjacent side streets. Existing parking will be utilized on William Street as supplemental parking for the new theatre.
Compared to the current four-story residence halls, the new theatre will be a shorter two-story building, though its fly-tower will extend taller. It’s planned to be set-back nearly 200 feet from houses located on Sunken Road with the second story approach from the Bell Tower providing an accessible path to the first floor via elevator, a much-needed addition for navigating the hill that so many students have traversed. In addition, exterior accessible paths adjacent to the building will connect to campus after hours when the theatre is closed.
UMW Theatre produces four shows each year, both plays and musicals, and is open to the public with students performing in all aspects. The art of performance and production shines through, and with the new theatre their work will also become more accessible. The new building will showcase costume and wig storage, as well as two dance studios.
The scenery around the new theatre is also being carefully planned to include a backdrop of native landscaping that will contribute to the overall building design. While construction will require some trees to be removed, that number will be replaced with additional native trees, shrubs, flowers and grasses complementing the completed project.
“We hope that at the end of this project, we’ll have something beautiful that will add value not just to our campus but to the surrounding neighborhoods and community,” said UMW President Troy Paino.
The new theatre does not expand the Fredericksburg campus from its current footprint of 234 acres, but it will expand opportunities for future students and the community to engage in theatre, setting the stage for future success.
For more information about the beginning of this project, which stretches back nearly a decade, read our story Brick by Brick: UMW Presents Plans for New Theatre Building. UMW is working with Commonwealth Architects and HGA Architects & Engineers to develop the architectural plans.
Schematic design was completed in fall 2023 and the project is awaiting authority to proceed with preliminary design. The construction management firm of Skanska was selected for preconstruction services and is assisting the design team in the pricing and scheduling of work for both the new theatre and the renovations to duPont, Pollard and Melchers halls, a longtime UMW priority. The University has completed an Environmental Impact Review and is coordinating closely with various state agencies regarding the first phases of proposed demolition of Marshall and Russell Halls, two beloved but dated residence halls, which have been out of service for several years, on the site that will become home to UMW’s Department of Theatre and Dance.
Brent House, which has been closed and offline since the police station move in 2023, was removed in summer 2025 as part of the initial plan for the new theatre at the corner of William St. and Sunken Road. The nearly 100-year-old structure had been damaged from water intrusion, with major foundation and roof issues that made it too costly to repair. The demolition of Brent House opens the pathway to extend Campus Walk to the new theatre. Following the demolition, the site has been marked off with fencing and erosion control measures until the theatre project construction starts. For more information on this stage of the project, visit the Brent House page.
In fall 2025, additional tree work will be completed throughout campus, including the new theatre site. As we remove trees around the theatre site, we will repurpose them as mulch for campus, as feasible. In addition, about a third of the trees will be repurposed and reused around campus and in the regional community, creating artistic, functional and educational installations. For example, oak, maple and black walnut trees may be milled and cured for use in the theatre lobby, interior-use benches or tables. Smaller trees, such as dogwood, magnolia and holly, could be shared with local woodworkers to create artisan pieces. Any unused wood may be sold to the wood-purchasing market with proceeds to support our UMW Campus Tree Fund.
We’ve partnered with the Virginia Department of Forestry for assistance with tree measurements and cataloging in advance of this phase of the project, along with contractors to complete the work. We also have on-campus leaders in this area, as Director of Landscape and Grounds Holly Chichester-Morby and her team have worked for many years to earn and maintain Tree Campus status.