Florida Atlantic University’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters recently announced a $1.125 million gift from FAU benefactor Marleen Forkas to name the Marleen Forkas Studio One Theatre. The theater serves as a production and performance training venue for students, and public events that are held in the theater throughout the year.
This gift significantly expands Mrs. Forkas’ generosity in naming one of the College’s most visible and prominent theater venues that benefits students, faculty, alumni and community patrons now and for generations to come. It will allow for ongoing and significant renovations including state-of-the art audio upgrades, equipment enhancements, and more.
“The arts bring beauty and expression to the world,” said Mrs. Forkas. “My hope is that the Marleen Forkas Studio One Theatre will continue to be a place for students and the community to immerse themselves in the essence of theater and the arts, and that they will carry that experience with them for the rest of their lives.”
This latest gift continues to build Mrs. Forkas’ legacy across FAU’s Boca Raton campus. She and her late husband, Harold, have supported FAU for more than 20 years. In May 2018, Mrs. Forkas established the “Marleen Forkas Festival Repertory Theatre Endowed Graduate Fellowships” in support of Theatre Master of Fine Arts graduate students.
“It is vital that we have state-of-the-art facilities and equipment for our students to be well-prepared for future careers,” said Michael Horswell, Ph.D., dean of the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. “This gift clearly shows Marleen’s love of the arts and especially of our students whose lives she continues to enrich through her generosity and her continued presence at our performances.”
For more information about FAU’s Department of Theatre, visit www.fau.edu/artsandletters/theatre/. And for more information about philanthropic opportunities in FAU’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, email Laurie Carney at lcarney@fau.edu.
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