As part of a multi-year plan, Missouri State wants to raise enough money— at least $3 million— to create a permanent home for Tent Theatre.
Actor John Goodman, a 1975 alumnus who credited his experiences on campus with giving him the confidence to pursue acting as a career, announced Saturday that he gave the lead gift.
"I was so excited to hear about that," he said on stage at Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts. Then he added, jokingly, "I wrote a check that they probably shouldn't cash for a while."
Started in the 1960s, the university's Tent Theatre stages a series of plays and musicals each summer on the grounds of the campus and shows typically sell out quickly. Each year, thetemporary outdoor structure between Ellis Hall and Craig Hall can seat more than 300 people.
Missouri State officials said they want to expand the arts complex on the southeast part of the Springfield campus by constructing a permanent home for Tent Theatre outdoors that will improve seating, lightingand concessions.
"The plans are to make it more user-friendly ... and more comfortable on the patron to come in and have a better experience from start to finish—the lighting, the sound, all of that will be enhanced," said Brent Dunn, vice president for university advancement. "It will still be an outdoor theater, so it's not going to be completely air-conditioned."
Related:Actor John Goodman chairs Missouri State campaign to raise $250M
New structure will be usable year-round
The tent-like structure will be the centerpiece of an arts park that will be used by the Tent Theatre during the summer and will also available for universityand community use during the rest of the year.
"We believe it's tremendously transformational and will continue to grow that program," said MSU President Clif Smart. "It will be a venue for music and performance all year long, outside."
Mark Templeton, Tent Theatre managing director, said Tent Theatre and its supporters have “hopes and dreams about the future, and what that might mean for our students and our patrons who have been such an important part of Tent over the years.”
He noted that Tent is working from a good place right now: Four of the past five summer festivals, including this year’s festival, have been sold out at “100-percent capacity.”
Shawn Wahl, dean of the College of Arts and Letters, said the legacy and history of Tent Theatre will be preserved if the proposed permanent structure is built.
He described the project as a continuation of the renovation of Ellis Hall, the purchase of Brick City in downtown Springfield, and the move to purchase Steinway pianos.
"As we think about this as a dream, it would be multi-use, it would create all sorts of opportunities for arts experiences. It would benefit our Missouri Fine Arts College, when we have our pre-college arts campus. We'd be able to bring in performance groups such as slam poetry, comedians," Wahl said.
"It would provide us more stability and more efficiency when we look at taking the tent down and storing it. It would be a gift to have a permanent structure that would live here on campus and really contribute to our reputation as a destination art campus in the area."
Actor John Goodman credits Tent Theatre
Wahl said the university appreciates the support of Goodman. The amount of his gift has not been disclosed.
"He thinks of people who made a difference in his life here. He seems to have a commitment to this, of continuing the legacy. He is really inspired by having this type of structure be transformative for all of the arts."
Goodman said he "found a purpose" at Missouri State.
Asked the role Tent Theatre played in preparing him as an actor, Goodman said it helped form his approach and work ethic.
"It was one of those things where you learn how to collaborate, cooperate, respect and listen to other people very quickly or you're going to wind up with egg on your face if you wind up at all," he said.
Along the way, Goodman said he made lifelong friends.
He said before he discovered acting, he was "helpless" and did not have a career plan. "I didn't know how to do anything."
"It was after Tent Theatre, I thought maybe I could make a living at it, but I never knew and all I knew was I had to try because if I didn't I'd curse myself for the rest of my life," he said.
Goodman spoke fondly of his professors, especially acting mentor Howard Orms.
"He taught me how to open doors, what to look for, tiny little things, a million little things, very specific and had a helluva good time doing it," he said. "I grew up without a father and when I latched onto Howard, he kind of filled that role for me."
As new generations of Tent Theatre actors train and perform, Goodman said he wants to see the permanent structure provide that space during the summer and give others a spot to interact with the arts year-round.
He said it would be a place to "go relax, meet with others, get your noses out of your phones."
