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Expected to open within four to five years, the new center would feature an auditorium with seating for up to 1,000, making it the second largest indoor performance space in the county, after the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center. Other planned amenities include a music and theatre space with seating for up to 450, a convertible dance studio, scenic and costume design facilities, and dressing rooms, as well as classroom and rehearsal space.

“This new venue would be a showplace not only for Salisbury University, but for downtown Salisbury and the entire county,” said SU President Carolyn Ringer Lepre. “The potential benefits for the local arts scene, and the regional economy, are extraordinary.”

The building is expected to have a significant annual economic impact on the region, beginning with its construction. The facility also could mean new opportunities for area businesses, as expanded SU cultural programming and the possibility of professional productions from national and international touring acts are expected to draw more customers to downtown Salisbury.

In addition, the venue could help enhance pre-existing events like the annual Maryland Folk Festival, and would be available for community use.

“SU’s music, theatre and dance ensembles are renowned throughout Maryland and the Delmarva Peninsula,” said Dr. Maarten Pereboom, dean of the University’s Charles R. and Martha N. Fulton School of Liberal Arts. “While we enjoy inviting the community to our performances on campus, it’s exciting to know that, in just a few years, we may have an even bigger and better venue to showcase the talents of our students, our faculty and our community partners in a facility that would place us on par with our peers throughout the region.

“We’ve been waiting for this for a long time.”

A friendly space for exploring diverse viewpoints, the Philosophy Café aims to facilitate genuine dialogue, mutual understanding, and self-reflection among the Salisbury community.

The Café is free and open to the public. It meets once a month during the school year, with a new question for every session. It is sponsored by the Philosophy Department and moderated by Philosophy Department faculty.

Questions from past meetings include:

• Can we really understand each other?
• What, if anything, separates a human from a machine?
• Do we need religion for spirituality?
• Does one’s worth depend on their contribution to society?
• Does true love exist? Would the world be better without suffering?
• Is nature inherently valuable?
• What makes something authentic?
• Can we reinvent ourselves?

Please consider a gift to the Philosophy Cafe today!