Alys Stephens Center
The Alys Stephens Center (also known as the Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center) an entertainment complex located at 1200 10th Avenue South as part of the UAB campus. Designed by Davis Architects and completed in 1996, it consists of four separate venues that play host to a wide variety of music and theatre annually. Additionally, it also serves as the home of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. The facility was named for local fine arts patron Alys Robinson Stephens.
Construction
Mrs. Stephens met with UAB leaders in 1990 to discuss the future of fine arts at the campus. She was taken with the plan for a fine arts center that would enhance both the university and the city. Groundbreaking for Phase I, the Jemison Concert Hall, took place on June 16, 1993 with both Mrs. Stephens and her husband, Elton B. Stephens, attending. Mrs. Stephens died some months before Phase I was completed in September 1996. Mrs. Stephens' husband and children attended the opening gala that featured a performance by the National Symphony Orchestra.
Phase II, which included Sirote Theatre, Reynolds-Kirschbaum Recital Hall, and Odess Theatre, was completed in 1999. The academic wing, the third and final phase, opened in May 2005.
Venues
- Jemison Concert Hall with 1,300 seats
- Sirote Theatre with 350 seats
- Reynolds-Kirschbaum Recital Hall with 170 seats
- Odess Theatre
References
- "Celebrating the Completion of the Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center." (Summer 2005.) UAB. Accessed April 22, 2011.
External links
- Alys Stephens Center official website