Photos, videos of Varsity Theater sought

By Pete Rosenbery - Saluki Times

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Itís time to go through your old scrapbooks and photo albums to assist in the capital campaign for The Varsity Center for the Arts.

Southern Illinois University Carbondaleís College of Mass Communication and Media Arts is collaborating with the organization to produce a promotional video for the fundraising effort.

Dean Gary P. Kolb and Mark Stoffel, a media specialist in the college, will scan photographs later this month for the video production. Scanning will be available from 3 to 6 p.m. on May 20 and from 1 to 4 p.m. on May 23.

The video will help document the theaterís history and businesses that occupied the building, Kolb said. Kolb said old video and film footage of both the interior and exterior of the building is also helpful.

Stoffel will produce the video over the summer, Kolb said. He anticipates that students will also be involved in the video production.

For more information, contact Kolb at 618/453-4308, or Carolyn Snyder, chair of the Varsity Center for the Arts public relations committee, at 618/457-3689.

CARBONDALE - The Varsity Center for the Arts is inviting the public to share old photographs, videos and stories they may have of the Varsity Theater during two public gatherings - 3 to 6 p.m. May 20 and from 1 to 4 p.m. on May 23.

"We are working with the Southern Illinois University Carbondale College of Mass Communication and Media Arts to produce a historical video of the Varsity that will be used for fundraising and informative purposes," said Carolyn A. Snyder, publicity director for the Varsity Center.

Digital media systems specialist Mark Stoffel of SIUC will direct production of the video that will be completed and available for viewing in October.

"I see the video as a picture or archival piece that has great historical value as well," said board member Dr. Marsha Ryan.

The gatherings will be in the theater's intermission room where the former grill was located. The Varsity Center for the Arts is located at 418 S. Illinois Ave.

Stoffel said he will spend the remainder of spring and summer gathering footage, video taping events and including board testimonials for the project.

"We want oral histories as well. We would like to figure how the Varsity fells for many of the people here and particularly former (SIUC) students who spent half their college lives in the balconies with friends," Ryan said humorously, noting inspiration for the project was stimulated by listening to National Public Radio's StoryCorps program.

Refurbishing and fundraising efforts continue for the theater that is also home to the Stage Company with work now being done on the main theater, hallways, foyer and arcade room. An east theater for stage productions opened last fall.

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Source: The Southern Illinoisan

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