Action has begun at The University of Alabama’s new state-of-the-art performing arts facility (lights and cameras to come later). Here’s what you need to know about the Smith Family Center for the Performing Arts, which just broke ground in Tuscaloosa.

The new Smith Family Center for the Performing Arts

On Friday, October 20, the University of Alabama held a groundbreaking for a huge, impressive project that will house theatre and dance performances for many years to come.

While the center is still awaiting final approval from the University of Alabama Board of Trustees, here’s what’s planned:

Black box theatre seating up to 275
Proscenium-style theatre seating up to 350
Venue specifically designed for dance seating up to 450

Not only will the new center host hundreds of guests, but it will also be home to state-of-the-art equipment. When it’s completed—set for 2026—it will be a breathtaking spot on campus as a part of the renovated Bryce Campus.

“I like to think of the new Smith Center as a postcard of the university—it’s absolutely beautiful and a piece of history. But it will also be a place where the arts are recognized. It’s going to be a theatre that actually looks like a theatre, and is just as remembered as the performances inside.”
Kara Kuczkowski, BFA in Theatre, 2020; MFA in Theatre, 2023 (The University of Alabama)