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SALEM, MA – ����ֱ�� will open its fully-renovated, state-of-the-art theatre with a performance of Bob Martin and Don McKeller’s musical comedy, The Drowsy Chaperone, a parody of American musical comedy of the 1920s. On opening night, April 20, residents of the city of Salem and members of the Salem Chamber of Commerce will receive free admission.

Tickets can be reserved and purchased by calling 978.542.6365 or at . Tickets are $15 for general admission, and $10 for students and seniors for the below dates and times:

• Thursday, April 20, 7:30 pm (Free admission for Salem residents and Salem Chamber of Commerce members. Free tickets must be reserved ahead of time by phone.)
• Friday, April 21, 7:30 pm
• Sunday, April 23, 2 pm
• April 27, 28 and 29, 7:30 pm
• Sunday, April 30, 2 pm 

“We’re excited to welcome the community into what is now our largest classroom on campus,” said Patricia Maguire Meservey, president of ����ֱ��. “Our theatre students have long received rave reviews and prestigious awards for their work, and the sky’s the limit with this state-of-the-art space. We are profoundly grateful to those who made this theatre a reality. It will transform what we can bring to the community, as well as the experiences of students in our creative and performing arts programs.”

The Sophia Gordon Center for the Creative and Performing Arts was made possible through the generous support of donors and funding from the state’s Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance. Bernard and Sophia Gordon contributed $3 million for the building’s renovation and an additional $3.3 million for arts programming at Salem State. Additional funding support came from contributions to the 10,000 Reasons campaign, Salem State’s largest-ever comprehensive fundraising effort, which raised $26.5 million.

The 10,000 Reasons campaign will officially celebrate its victory on Saturday, April 22, along with the theatre’s ribbon cutting. The campaign’s success came from over 12,000 contributions, including 94 percent participation from faculty and staff and 100 percent participation from the Board of Trustees, Salem State Foundation, and the Alumni Board. The campaign’s funding priorities include student financial assistance, academic programs, student services including important support for internships, co-curricular opportunities, faculty support, and internationalization efforts, among others.

“This theatre is a prime example of the transformative impact that contributions to our university can have for our students and programs,” said President Meservey. “The positive impact of those who have chosen to support Salem State will be on full display in classrooms across campus for years to come.”

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����ֱ��, established in 1854, is a comprehensive, public institution of higher learning located approximately 15 miles north of Boston, Massachusetts. One of the largest state universities in the Commonwealth, Salem State enrolls over 9,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The university offers 28 undergraduate and over 50 graduate programs in the arts and sciences, health care and human services, and business, with a large offering of continuing education programs. Known for the academic strength of its faculty, Salem State was named one of the country’s top producers of Fulbright Scholars in its category by the Chronicle of Higher Education in 2011. The university is consistently cited in the top 20 percent of colleges and universities in the nation for embracing America’s military service members and veterans as students. In 2015 and 2016, Salem State was named as one of the top 100 women-led businesses in Massachusetts by the Commonwealth Institute and Boston Globe Magazine.