Old Friend. New Face.

From John Bratton (’44) dancing with Ava Gardner to Smedes York (’63) practicing basketball to Kimberly Titmus Przybyl (’92) providing piano accompaniment for Fiddler on the Roof, fond memories spill forth from the 83-year-old Frank Thompson Building.

Though the building has occupied a soft spot in the hearts of many alums, it had been showing inevitable signs of wear and tear over recent years. Fortunately, the “Old Thompson Gymnasium” has been getting a facelift to meet the contemporary needs of NC State University’s theatre and crafts programs. And today, the Thompson Building is poised to emerge as the crown jewel of ARTS NC STATE.

Big Boost From the Titmus Family

The Titmus Foundation of Sutherland, Virginia, helped jumpstart the renovation fundraising campaign with a $500,000 donation. In honor of their generosity, the new 196-seat main theatre will bear the family’s name. It was Kimberly Titmus Przybyl, now a board member for Friends of ARTS NC STATE, who heeded the Thompson call while an undergraduate, both playing the piano for student productions and working on the crew in the theatre. Przybyl notes, “The arts at NC State have meant so much to me, that I want to ensure those programs continue as they were when I was there.”

First-Class Arts Facility

The $16.5 million renovation will enrich the learning experiences of students enrolled in the respected theatre and crafts programs. The refurbishments will culminate in a state-of-the-art transformation of the main and studio theatres, a boon to NC State’s volunteer student theatre, University Theatre, which offers as many as 10 productions each season, with an annual audience of more than 12,000.

Seasoned artists, crafters and the craft-curious will also benefit from a completely reconfigured and outfitted Crafts Center, which offers classes in pottery, photography, woodworking and jewelry making.
Upon its completion, the Thompson Building will no doubt inspire a host of new memories for the campus and Triangle communities who will take advantage of the hands-on crafts classes and the first-class productions held in the new theatres.