Located on Old Campus of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Shryock Auditorium is the finest performing arts center in the region. Shryock Auditorium is a 1,214-seat venue comprised of orchestra-level seating and one horseshoe-shaped balcony. The venue is managed and operated by SIU Event Services.
Constructed in 1917, the building was designed with strong Roman architectural influences in Neoclassicism by Chicago architect J.B. Dibelka. The auditorium was dedicated to the university's fifth president, Henry William Shryock who served the university from 1913 to 1935. As the largest auditorium in Southern Illinois, seating over 1,200, the main floor and horseshoe-shaped balcony create an intimate space between the artists and the audience.
The SIUC Department of Theater offers the right combination of theory, practice and imagination— an effective blend of academic work, production experience and creativity. Housed in the Communications Building on the SW corner of the Southern Illinois University Carbondale campus, the Department combines the advantages of a large University experience with the personalized attention of smaller institutions. A faculty of ten, with support from a number of professors from other departments, serves the needs of approximately 20 MFA and PhD students and 75 undergraduates.
The SIUC School of Music is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence through the development of an art which enables the individual to find meaning and fulfillment as an educated member of society, as an expressive human being, and as an artist. This mission is primarily fulfilled by providing educational opportunities which prepare students for graduation with Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees and careers in music or music-related fields. The School of Music strives to advance the art of music by promoting the research/creative activities of its students and faculty. It also seeks to enrich the lives of all members of the University and the region by means of a continuing program of concerts, educational offerings, scholarly/artistic exchanges, and outreach programs.
The McLeod Theater is a 488-seat, fully equipped proscenium theater with grand drape located on the campus of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The stage is 60’ wide and 40’ deep. Side stages with sliding doors embrace the right and left sides of the proscenium and can be open to expand the panorama for an additional 20’ on each side. An arc shaped apron 15‘deep and 40’ at its widest point is equipped with an automatic hydraulic system and can be lowered to create an orchestra pit or a variable height playing level. A counterweight balance and rigging system allows scenery to fly into the 50’ fly gallery. The theater was renovated in 2000 with new professional rigging and a computerized lighting system. A new audio system with back of the house sound booth was added in 2004. The inventory of lighting instruments, including intelligent lights was updated in 2009.
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