Bolton Theater

Nestled into the hillside just below Ascension Hall and the south campus, Bolton Theater is the focal point for Kenyon's lively, colorful, and always busy theater scene. Bolton is a modern, versatile facility serving a drama program whose graduates enjoy remarkable success finding careers in the theater and related fields. From Shakespeare and Molière to Albee and Mamet, Bolton offers an exciting venue for drama.

The building opened in 1978, with an inaugural production directed by movie legend Paul Newman, a 1949 Kenyon graduate. (One of the actors in that show was Allison Janney, Class of 1982, who would go on to win accolades of her own for stage and film roles as well as for her award-winning performance in the television series The West Wing.) Bolton's thrust stage lends itself to a variety of configurations, and its backstage technical facilities—shared with the neighboring Hill Theater—support a full spectrum of projects in set design and construction, lighting design, and costume design.

Bolton is the setting for three to four faculty-directed productions each year, in addition to dance concerts, performances by visiting groups, and occasional lectures and readings. The theater seats 389 people. Student productions usually take place in the Hill Theater (in the Shaffer Speech Building), which seats 186. Other venues for student theater on campus include Rosse Hall, Storer Hall, the Horn Gallery, and the black box theater in the Old Bank Building.

Bolton Theater Fast Facts
Offices and Departments in Bolton

Bolton Theater Fast Facts

Built: 1978

Named for: Kenyon C. Bolton, a long-time Kenyon trustee, and other members of the Bolton family of Cleveland, Ohio

Current use: Theater productions, dance concerts, drama classes

Historical notes: Many of the Kenyon alumni who work in theater, film, and television give some of the credit for their success to Drama 111-112 and its emphasis on fundamentals. Affectionately called "Baby Drama," the year-long course is based on the premise that theater is not about analyzing texts but about bringing plays to life on the stage. Students undertake every facet of play-making, from writing and acting to directing and designing sets. The entire drama faculty collaborates in teaching the course.

Insider information: Plays that run during Family Weekend tend to sell out. Reserve your seats early.

Offices and Departments in Bolton