Robsham Theater Arts Center
1981

BC's theater complex is named for E. Paul Robsham, Jr., a Boston College student in the Class of 1986 who died in a tragic automobile accident in the summer of 1983. The Robsham Theater is located on the Lower Campus, just off St. Thomas More Drive, across from the main parking garage and in close proximity to the Flynn Recreational Complex and several student dormitories.

The Dramatics Society has had a long and distinguished history at Boston College, in keeping with the 400-year-old Jesuit tradition of promoting the performing arts as an integral part of a liberal education. In 1947, after World War II, the dramatic arts program was reorganized and enlarged into the School of Dramatics and Expressional Arts. In the ensuing years, under a series of outstanding directors, the Society acquired a national reputation, despite its lack of a suitable home on campus for its ambitious productions.

Architectural plans were undertaken for the construction of a theater complex at BC. On May 19, 1978, comedian Bob Hope gave a benefit performance to launch a fundraising campaign for a new $5 million University theater. The theater opened to a black-tie audience on October 30, 1981, with a production of the musical Camelot. Four years later, on the evening of October 25, 1985, another audience watched quietly as the parents of E. Paul Robsham, Jr. unveiled the plaque to their son's memory, dedicating the Robsham Theater in his name.

The main theater seats 600 people; the center also contains smaller theaters as well as several classrooms. In addition to a schedule of dramatic, dance, and musical performances, Robsham frequently hosts visiting guest speakers, conferences, political debates, readings, and academic symposia.

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