Ferst Center for the Arts exterior fall 2021

Arts Plaza in front of the Ferst Center for the Arts

The Ferst Center for the Arts, located in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

, is

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

's theater and arts center and is adjacent to

DramaTech DramaTech Theatre is Georgia Tech's student-run theater. They are also home to Let's Try This! (the campus improv troupe). History Early history Georgia Tech first had a dramatic organization as early as 1913, when a student troupe later known ...

, the student-run theater. It contains a 950-seat auditorium that features a proscenium stage,

orchestra pit An orchestra pit is the area in a theater (usually located in a lowered area in front of the stage) in which musicians perform. Orchestral pits are utilized in forms of theatre that require music (such as opera and ballet) or in cases when incide ...

, and theatrical lighting and sound systems.

History

The center opened in April 1992 with the name Georgia Tech Theatre for the Arts. It was renamed in honor of Robert H. Ferst, a Georgia Tech alumnus, following a $1 million donation by his widow, Jeanne Rolfe Ferst. On October 13, 1992, shortly after its opening, it served as the venue for the Vice Presidential debate between

Al Gore Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Gore was the Democratic no ...

Dan Quayle James Danforth Quayle (; born February 4, 1947) is an American politician who served as the 44th vice president of the United States from 1989 to 1993 under President George H. W. Bush. A member of the Republican Party, Quayle served as a U.S. ...

, and

James Stockdale James Bond "Jim" Stockdale (December 23, 1923 – July 5, 2005) was a United States Navy vice admiral and aviator, awarded the Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War, during which he was a prisoner of war for over seven years. Stockdale was the mos ...

References

External links

Official website
Georgia Tech buildings and structures Theatres in Atlanta Art museums and galleries in Georgia (U.S. state) Arts centers in Georgia (U.S. state) Performing arts centers in Georgia (U.S. state) University and college arts centers in the United States {{GeorgiaUS-university-stub