NSU Horizons Spring/Summer 2008

7 horizons Black Box Theater plays a Leading Role on Campus A s a history professor at NSU’s Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, Tim Dixon is dedicated to keeping the past alive. When he attended the groundbreaking of the University Center (UC) in April 2004, he recog- nized it as an important event for the university and wanted to officially document the moment. After nearly four years of planning, the UC’s his- torical significance was acknowledged with the “burying” of the university’s time capsule and the unveiling of NSU’s Wall of History. “The construction of the University Center was very historic for our uni- versity, providing a building to be at the core of the university community and a place for all of our different schools and students to meet,” Dixon explained. “One way to celebrate it is to have a time capsule into which the different schools were able to contrib- ute something.” A three-foot by three- foot metal box, the time capsule was placed behind a wall in the north end of the University Center on February 23, 2008, at an unveiling ceremony during Homecoming. The time capsule contains current university materials, including yearbooks, school catalogs, a Sharks license plate, athletics media guides, and a Horizons magazine. The Wall of History includes a plaque; a timeline of NSU’s history; and a chronometer that is counting down 50 years in years, days, hours, and minutes. At the unveiling ceremony—at which Board of Trustees members Ronald Assaf; Keith Brown; Nell Lewis, Ed.D.; Joseph Millsaps; Paul Sallarulo; Barry Silverman, M.D.; and J. Kenneth Tate were in attendance—the chronometer’s countdown was initiated by George Hanbury, Ph.D., NSU executive vice president/COO, and Brad Williams, Ed.D., dean of Student Affairs. The time capsule will be reopened exactly 50 years from the day of the unveiling, on February 23, 2058. ■ History in the Making: Time Capsule Buried in University Center From left: George Hanbury, Ph.D., NSU executive vice president/COO, with Board of Trustee members Barry Silverman, M.D.; Paul Sallarulo; Nell Lewis, Ed.D.; Ronald Assaf; Kenneth Tate; and Joseph Millsaps at the unveiling of the Wall of History T he Black Box Theater has star power. Managed by the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, this theater offers performers, crews, and audiences the chance to share the enjoyment of outstanding live productions. Under the guid- ance of faculty members, students complete their academic requirements and refine their creative skills by participating in productions developed in this teaching laboratory that covers performing, directing, and technical skills development. As with other black box facilities, NSU’s theater is a large, square room with black walls and a flat floor. The seating is com- posed of loose chairs on platforms that can be easily moved or removed based on the artistic elements of a production. Supporting current and upcoming majors in the Farquhar College’s theatre, dance, music, arts administration, and visual arts programs, the Black Box Theater is equipped with state-of-the-art sound and lighting capabilities, as well as fully-equipped scenery and costume shops. The venue’s flexible configurations offer production teams the chance to work in traditional and unusual presentation styles. “The university and the college have demonstrated a substan- tial commitment to the arts,” said Don Rosenblum, Ph.D., dean of the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences. “A major component of this commitment is supporting the development of new majors. Another is the development of the professional-quality facilities.” Housed in the Performing and Visual Arts Wing of the University Center, the theater showcases a varied schedule of drama, musicals, dance productions, and other events. Its intimate capac- ity puts every member of the audience in the thick of the per- formance. This venue enhances not only NSU’s main campus but also the entire South Florida arts community. For more information about the schedule of events at the Black Box Theater, visit www.undergrad.nova.edu/performingarts. ■