Shortly before his passing in 2007, Jerry Falwell Sr. brought Linda Cooper, the chair of the Theatre Arts Department, to the 85-foot-high room that was used to provide lighting in the former General Electric/Ericsson building — now known as Marie F. Green Hall — which had been donated to Liberty University in 2003.
The tower could not have looked less like a Broadway performance space, but when Falwell brought Cooper to the very spot that would one day house the Tower Theater, he barely got the question out before she responded with an emphatic “yes!”
To Cooper, no amount of warehouse clutter could cloud her vision of bringing about a new kind of electricity through the talents of her performing arts students. With Cooper’s experience in producing show after show in the Lloyd Auditorium in the Fine Arts Hall, which was a former psychology lab on main campus holding 250 metal folding chairs, it was second nature for her to creatively bring art to life.
When Falwell passed away soon after their visit, the vision for the Tower Theater was put on hold. It wasn’t until an announcement took Cooper by surprise during Convocation in 2009 when she learned of the renovation’s revival.
“(Jerry Jr.) took me to this building, to the very same spot his father did,” Cooper said. “… I said, ‘how’d you know?’ and he went, ‘what do you mean?’ and I said, ‘how’d you know this is where your father chose?’ He had no idea.”
Looking back, Cooper said it seemed like it was meant to be. Not only was the height of the existing ceilings the exact minimum requirement for a professional-level fly tower but reinventing the existing space cost considerably less than it would have otherwise.
BCWH, the Richmond-based architecture firm responsible for refurbishing the 640-seat auditorium won an award from the Virginia Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers for their work repurposing a found space in 2011.
When the 10-month renovation was nearly complete, the department hosted a dedication night with alumni. Unbeknownst to the current Theatre Arts students, each attendee wrote Bible verses and encouraging messages for future generations underneath the floorboards of the Tower Theater, knowing they would never get to step onto that stage to perform.
At the opening night of “Hairspray,” the start of the Tower Theater’s debut season, Cooper recognized the faculty during her curtain speech — one of whom was Associate Professor Neal Brasher, who came to work for Liberty in 2004.
“I remember when the orchestra did the overture and that big grand drape rose up for the first time on that stage,” Brasher said. “It was a pretty great feeling.”
Back in 2005, it was Cooper and Brasher who collaborated on the curriculum for the theatre arts performance and theatre production majors due to popular demand following the introduction of the minor four years prior.
Before the students could enroll in any classes, Liberty Theatre started up as a club with its debut show, “She Loves Me” in 1997 after the original drama department ceased operation.
Although performers in the beginning all had differing fields of study, many ended up participating in professional theater following graduation. With each show, the interest in the club increased.
“I ordered the costumes out of a catalogue,” Cooper said. “I went around town and bought all the props. My husband built the sets, and then when we started doing too many shows we got the cabinet shop to build the sets.”
Upon the grand opening of the Tower Theater, the department now had access to about 12,000 square feet of space in total, including a scene shop and costume shop, advancements in lighting and projections, as well as an orchestra pit and side stages.
In 2017, the Black Box Theater opened with the purpose of providing a more intimate acting space for shows that required more detailed acting performances. Last summer, the Theatre Arts Department unveiled a new photo wall at this location, detailing the last 15 years spent in Green Hall, including “Hairspray,” the season opener that started it all in fall 2010.
“That wall reminds me of all the shows we did before we came over here and how those students were the true pioneers,” Cooper said. “They were the ones willing to put on excellent shows without everything we have. And they loved it. And because they loved it, the audience loved it. And we wouldn’t have what we have today if it weren’t for those students.”
When Brasher reflects on the humble beginnings of the Theatre Arts Department, he is reminded of all of the other staff members and faculty who supported their work throughout the years. He said the Tower Theater symbolizes the blessing that comes about from stewardship and using creativity to overcome challenges.
“Restrictions, and even censorship, encourages creativity,” Brasher said. “… limitations actually provoke creativity because you have to come up with something. So, having worked in a smaller space like the Lloyd would be helpful to anybody because you are required to come up with more things.”
Cooper said she often reflects on the many real-life storylines that have taken place off of the stage with the students who came through the program.
“I think of all the students that have come through here — the ones who have gone off to do bigger and better things, the ones who have fallen in love and gotten married,” Cooper said. “I think about all of their kids. About how many there are now. I’m just reminded of all of their beautiful hearts and beautiful people that we’ve had the privilege of working with over the years.”
Hagen is the feature editor.